115 



SOEICID^. I TALPID^. 



[Cranial hones.) 



Cranium with the contour conoid^ contracted between the orbits; 



«alvariuni oblong-ovate and depressed (mostly with vacuities between 

 the occipital and periotic elements) ; 



lambdoidal and sagittal ridges 

 well defined (lambdoidal conflu- 

 ent with the post-glenoid process of 

 the squamosal); 



occiput inclined forwards, and with 

 no median protuberance above the 

 foramen magnum ; 



occipital condyles strongly con- 

 verging; 



foramen magnum extending little 

 forwards ; 



occipitosphenoid bones narrowed 

 between periotic regions; 



large apertures at the base of the 

 skull ; 



lambdoidal and sagittal ridges 

 quite obsolete ; 



occiput curved forwards, and with 

 a median vertical protuberance 

 above the foramen magnum ; 



occipital condj'les slightly converg- 

 ing; 



foramen magnum extending far 

 forwards ; 



occipito-sphenoid bones widened 

 between periotic regions ; 



no apertures at the base of the 

 skull ; 



mesopterygoid fossa not continued backwards in an excavation of the 

 basis cranii ; 



tympanic bone loosely connecting 

 with the contiguous bones, annu- 

 lar, and no bulla developed; 



paroccipital process none; 



mastoid process developed ; 



post-glenoid process of squamosal 

 very large ; 



supra-orbital and supra-temporal 

 roof developed, continuous, and 

 therefore no post-orbital process 

 differentiated ; 



glenoid surface an extensive ob- 

 lique furrow, (extending down- 

 wards and inwards,) with well-ex- 

 cavated sockets at the extremities, 

 and bounded by well-developed 

 antero-verted post-glenoid proc- 

 esses ; 



zygomatic arch undeveloped. 



tympanic bone united with the 

 contiguous bones, (irregular,) and 

 a bulla thereby developed ; 



mastoid process, none ; 



post glenoid process of squamosal 

 undeveloped ; 



supra-orbital and supra-temporal 

 roof obsolete, and no post-orbital 

 process developed ; 



glenoid surface high uj) and very 

 small and superficial, and bounded 

 by no post-glenoid processes ; 



zygomatic process a slender rod. 



