2 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE CRANIAL [Jan. 17, 



the Indian Rhinoceros which had recently died in the Gardens 

 after an existence there of forty-one years. 



The following papers were read :— 



1. Some Notes on the Cranial Osteology o£ the Mastigure 

 Lizard, UromastLv. By Fkank E. Beddakd, M.A., 

 F.R.S., Prosector to the Societ}^ 



[Received December 13, 1904.] 



(Text-figures 1-4.) 



During a recent examination of a number of Reptilian skulls, 

 I noted some features in the palate, as well as in other regions of 

 the skull, of Uromastix spinipes which are undoubtedly of some 

 interest. The most recent papers on the skull of Uromastix with 

 which I am acquainted are by Busch * and Siebenrock f. The 

 foiiiier writer deals only with the palatal region and principally 

 with the soft tissues of that region in the Lacertilia and in 

 HcMeria. A number of dry skulls are also figured, and among 

 them Uromastix^ with which figure, however, my own observa- 

 tions do not agree completely. It must be remembered, however, 

 that Dr. Busch and I had before us diflierent species, he dealing 

 with Uromastix hardwickii and I with U. spinijyes. Whether age 

 may have anjiihing to do with these differences I do not know ; 

 but in any case the skull of Uromastix spinipes, upon which I 

 report here, measrires 43 mm. from the occipital condyle to the 

 tip of the premaxillfe, which agrees pretty well, as do the other 

 measurements of the body, with those given by Boulenger J 

 for this species, which is considerably larger than Uromastix 

 hardwickii. 



Dr. Busch describes the bony palate of Uromastix in the follow- 

 ing way, and his figure corresponds with that description. The 

 two pterygoids are divided by a suture from each corresponding 

 palatine, which has a very oblique course. This results in the 

 cutting off of a large piece of each palatine from approximation 

 in the middle ventral line of the skull. In this there is a 

 difference from the allied Galotes and Iguana, both figured by that 

 author; in fact a dissimilarity from the Lacertilia in general. 

 Inasmuch, however, as this is but a very slight exaggeration of 

 the usual obliquity of this suture among the Agamidse and some 

 other lizards, the author of the paper to which I refer does not 

 lay any stress upon it. 



Dr. Siebenrock does not figure the skvdl of this genus ; nor does 



* " Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Gaumeiibildung bei den Reptilieii," Zool. Jahrb. 

 (Abth. f. Anat.) xi. p. 441 (1898). 

 t " Das Skelet der Agamidas" SB. k. Akad. Wiss. Wieii, civ. p. 1112 (1895). 

 X Catalogue of Lizards in B. M. vol. i. p. 407 (1885). 



