402 Note on Rhinoceros leptorhinus, Owen. 



to the end of the nasals ; but the greater part of that portion of the 

 septum which is preserved, I found detached from these bones, hut 

 not broken; and this detached portion showed upon its superior 

 margin a hollow smooth surface, which perfectly fitted a rounded 

 longitudinal smooth ridge upon the inferior surface of the nasals, to 

 which it was originally joined by an unanchylosed sutural attach- 

 ment. Moreover, I traced the septum beyond the middle of the 

 inter-orbital platform to which it was also attached, and served as a 

 support. At this point, the bony septum was thick, but of a verj'- 

 coarse cancellated structure, and so exceedingly friable as to render 

 it impossible to detach and preserve any fragment of this part of 

 the bone. The septum became gradually thinner toward the front 

 of the nasals, the structure becoming less coarse, to about the middle 

 of the nasal apertures, where the bone is thinnest, but its substance 

 more compact. It again thickens a little forwards and downwards, 

 where it forms a broad inferior border to join the intermaxillary bones. 



"During the process of restoring the skull, which was in a some- 

 what dilapidated condition, it was unfortunately necessary, in order 

 to form a support for the palate and teeth, to cover the posterior 

 portion of the septal sutural ridge with plaster, and thus destroy the 

 evidence of its existence ; but subsequently another skull of the 

 same species was secured for the collection, in which this upper 

 ridge is preserved and distinctly shown. There was also a central 

 longitudinal ridge, but with a broken edge, upon the inner floor of 

 the palate, to which bones I believe the septum was also attached ; 

 but owing to the broken condition of the palatal bones, and the dis- 

 placement of the fragments, the fact of their being conjoined was 

 not sufficiently noted by me at the time, so as to enable me to speak 

 upon this point with absolute certainty." 



The second cranium is not so perfect as that figured in our 

 Plate XV. " Inasmuch as the molars, the premaxill^, and the 

 whole of the palatal portion of the skull are wanting. This fine 

 fragment comprises the entire upper portion of the cranium. The 

 occiput and condyles, the right zygomatic arch with the articulating 

 surface, and the right orbit, with its anterior tuberosity, are also 

 quite perfect. The two auditory foramina are present and entire. 

 The styloid processes are broken, and the basi-occipital and sphenoid 

 are mutilated, as are also the maxillaries, left zygoma, and orbit. 

 The fragment, moreover, shows the antei'ior and posterior portions 

 of the bony septum of the nares. The anterior portion is broken 

 posteriorly, and is attached to a medial ridge, which ridge does not 

 terminate at a short distance from the anterior border of the nasals, 

 as in the typical Clacton specimen, figured by Prof. Owen in his 

 ' British Fossil Mammals, ' and which is now preserved in the 

 British Museum, but is continuous along the under surface of these 

 bones and of the inter-orbital platform, and unites with the posterior 

 fragment of the septum, which is preserved and conjoined with the 

 sphenoid." 



Mr. Davies remarks : — " The presence of these front and hind 

 portions of the septal partition, with their broken inner margins, 



