1905.] 



OSTEOLOGY OF THE MASTIGURE LIZARD. 



he emphasise certain of the following points in the structure of the 

 palate of Uromastix spinij^es. 



In the latter species (see text-fig. 1) the anatomy of the bony- 

 palate is somewhat different fi-om that of Uromastix hardwickii. 

 As Dr. Busch has mentioned in the case of the latter species, the 

 pterygoids and palatines nowhere meet their fellows in the middle 

 line ; the palate is so far completely schizognathous. But while 

 in Uromastix hardicdckii the palatines might, so to speak, meet 

 each other in the middle line in the way that occui's in many 

 Lacertilia, this is rendered impossible in Uromastix spinipes by the 

 forward growth of the pterygoids to reach, or very nearly reach, 



Text fiff. 1. 



Ventral view of skull of JJromastLr spinipes. 



A.PL, anterior bar of palatine; PL, palatine; Ft., pterygoid; Tr., trausvcree; 

 T'., vomer. 



the vomers. These bones (the pterygoids) are at first divided 

 from the palatines by an oblique suture ; this suture later becomes 

 parallel with the long axis of the pteiygoid itself, and only dies 

 away anteriorly, close to, if not in actual contact with, the vomers. 

 If the vomers of that lizard happened to be rather largei- than 

 they actually are in this species, and as they undoubtedly are in 

 some lizards, there would be a prolongation forward of the ptery- 

 goids to the vomers. As it is, their forward growth results in the 

 complete severance fi^om each other of the palatines, except 

 possibly for a very minute space anteriorly. These facts are to he 

 noted in the accompanying figure (text-fig. 1). 



1* 



