82 MR. iJ. M. S, WATSON ON THE 



My former fissure gives a good idea of the palate, whose struc- 

 ture is well shown. It, however, does not cleai-ly illustrate the 

 exact mode of articulation of the quadrate to the squamosal and 

 the structure of the extreme postei'o-lateral corner of the skull 

 and the auditory groove. This inaccuracj , which is not of a very 

 seriovis nature, was due to a misunderstanding by about 30° of 

 the orientation of the detached left corner, which was at that 

 time the better exposed. 



The basioccipital condyle is largely concealed by the attached 

 atlas, but is partly exposed from below and cut by fractures which 

 give sections through it. It is rounded and nearly twice as wide 

 as it is deep. It is short and immediately in front of it, at a plane 

 a little in front of the general occipital surface, lie the very 

 broad and massive basisphenoidal tubera. These have a fiat 

 posterior surface overhung by the projecting exoccipitals, which 

 are separated from them by the small vagal foramen and per- 

 forated by small foramina for the Xllth nerves. The structure 

 of the anterior part of the basisphenoid has already been described. 



The paroccii^ital process is very massive ; not only is it thick 

 from back to front, but the small post-temporal fossa is placed 

 high up so that the process is deep. Although the fenestra ovalis 

 is not visible there can be no doubt, from consideration of the 

 general structure, that it lies far out. 



Yery little of the supraoccipital is visible from behind, the inter- 

 pai'ietal terminating only a short distance above the foramen 

 magnum. 



The joint supraoccipital and interparietal form a- very thick 

 mass whose posteiior sui'fnce stands nearly vertical. 



The occiput, as a whole, forms an equilateral triangle with ;tn 

 angle at the to}). To the lower parts of the lateral sides of this 

 triangle two others are added, standing out as fins ; these ai'e 

 composed of those parts of the squamosals which articulated with 

 the jugals. 



The lower and median parts of the main triangle are flat and 

 stand vertically, the lateral borders are turned back, so that 

 viewed as a whole the occiput is deeply cupped, the back- turned 

 margins gradually approach one another and, finally, fuse to form 

 the very deep sagittal crest. 



The extreme upper part of the occiput is formed by the 

 parietals, the interparietal tei^minating far below the summit. 



Laterally the parietals are covered by the tabulars, which form 

 the margin of the occiput for some distance, strengthened by 

 production of the parietals along their anterior faces and more 

 laterally by a, similar covering of squamosals, which, indeed, over- 

 lap onto the parietals. 



The squamosals articulate, as just described, with the parietals 

 and tabulars, and then extend outward into powei'ful processes, 

 their uppei- parts being tui'ned ba.ckwai'd so as greatl}'' to increase 

 the size of the dorsal opening of the temporal ioasre. 



The ventral halves of their j)osterior surfaces are vertical. 



