Cu. I.] OF THE DODO. 93 
The strong sigmoidal zygoma is formed by the malar and zygomatic styles, which coalesce at an early 
period ; the distinction between the malar and maxillary bones is obliterated sooner; it descends obliquely 
backwards, as already mentioned, at an angle of 125°, with the posterior or basal edge of the maxilla, and 
attains the lower and outer angle of the tympanic, after a course of two inches seven lines and a half. From 
its origin, at the junction of the ecto-nasal limb with the maxilla, it is directed backwards and shghtly out- 
wards to the prefrontal ; behind, it is strongly arched externally, beneath the orbit ; in the downward flexion 
of the upper mandible, the hinder extremity of the anterior segment touches the prefrontal, which is flat- 
tened and granular at the point of contact; in the relaxed condition, it is separated by a chink, one line in 
breadth. The anterior portion is triangularly prismatic ; the outer vertical surface is furrowed; the lower 
presents the prolongation of the upper angle of the maxillary pneumatic foramen into a deep groove; the 
upper is bevelled off inwards to the lower: all these surfaces are rough and striated. The long posterior 
segment is compressed vertically, and shghtly contracted at each extremity; the upper smooth surface pro- 
duced, as it were, by the flattening of the upper edge of the anterior portion, is convex, and directed down- 
wards and outwards in its anterior moiety, but grooved longitudinally behind; the inner edge is smooth 
and rounded posteriorly, and flattened vertically opposite the prefrontal ; the outer is thicker behind than in 
front, where it overhangs the inferior groove, it rises into the upper edge of the prismatic portion: the 
inferior surface slopes upwards and inwards, and is faintly furrowed lengthwise at each end. The posterior 
extremity presents a convex articular facet, directed inwards, and adapted to the pit on the lower and outer 
angle of the tympanic; a groove surrounds its neck for the attachment of the capsular hgament ; the outer 
edge anterior to it, is covered by articular cartilage, on which the external mandibular ligament glides. The 
greatest breadth is two lines, and the depth one and a half. 
The vertically spoon-shaped padatine bones, separated by a narrow chink anteriorly, arch outwards 
from each other behind, and finally approximate on the rostrum; they enclose between them the’ inferior 
nasal fissure, divided in the recent state by the membraneous septum, into the choane. ach palatine is 
formed of a scimitar-shaped sub-horizontal lamina (crest), with the cutting edge external, attached ante- 
riorly to the maxillary, five lines in front of its angle; posteriorly towards the rapidly incurving point, the 
back is flattened into an oblong plate moulded to the rostrum, on which it glides; a triangular curved 
lamella (nasal process) rises from its inner concave edge into the lachrymal vacuity, while a similar plate 
(palatine process) descends to bound the inferior nasal aperture. 
The crest is thin, flexible, and horizontal anteriorly, where it is adapted to the tuberosity of the 
maxilla; behind, it dimimishes from without slightly in breadth, is thickened and twisted on its axis so as 
to shelve downwards ; it also curves outwards, and lastly sweeps inwards, contracting, to be attached to the 
anterior moiety of the lower edge of the sphenoidal plate; the outer edge of the free portion is thus 
concave in front and convex behind ; the imner is uniformly concave. 
The nasal process forms an elongated triangular curved plate, with the apex in front; concave towards 
the nasal cavity, and inclining slightly outwards below towards its lower border, which is attached to the 
inner margin of the crest: it is bent rapidly inwards, to be attached by its posterior edge, in an oblique 
line directed downwards and backwards, to the anterior edge of the sphenoidal plate : its upper border, in 
its anterior moiety, is separated by a narrow fissure from the antrum; behind it 1s slightly emarginate 
on either side of a convex projection ; this border gives attachment to the fibrous membrane of the sub- 
ocular sinus, which stretches from the antrum to the inferior ala of the ethmoid; its concavity opens 
upwards in front of the olfactory fossa, and is prolonged downwards by the palatine plate. 
The palatine process is a low, triangular, and shghtly curved lamina; its anterior margin is convex, 
