720 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 
is very broad at its base, and gently deflected throughout; the nasal 
bones bound posteriorly on either side vacuities that lead into the rhinal 
chambers, but the true nostrils are found beyond these, as distinct 
elliptical apertures. It is, however, the horny integumental sheath that _ 
really gives to this bird’s beak its peculiar raptorial aspect, for when 
stripped of this, the osseous tomia show no sign of tooth or notch be- 
yond. Below, the palatine fissure is quite wide, and through its open- 
ing we discover that the ethmo-turbinals are more or less developed, 
together with a partial septum narium, and the space is further intruded 
upon by a sub-compressed and originally distinct vomer, that is bifur- 
cated behind to receive the rostrum of the basi-pre-sphenoid, lodging a 
portion of the prefrontal in its fissure above. 
The palatines have become amalgamated with the inter-maxillary 
anteriorly, and form, with the pterygoids, the usual joint on the rostrum 
of the sphenoid behind; they throw out sharp lateral apophyses that 
are directed backwards. The pterygoids are very much expanded at 
their mesial ends, their shafts being straight and delicate; and there 
are no pterapophysial processes; they meet the tympanics in sub- 
circular heads, of no great size, just below the orbital processes. These 
latter elements possess very broad and twisted mastoid prolongations, 
with the usual double facet and intervening depression below; and the 
orbital apophyses are pointed at their extremities, sometimes slightly 
clubbed, being turned gently upwards. The segments composing the 
infraorbital bar have long since become one single bone, a slender style 
fulfilling its ordinary functions. A sub-elliptical sesamoid is found at 
its proximal end, between it and the tympanic. The orbital cavities are 
capacious, and well divided from the rhinal chambers by the broad, 
quadrate lacrymals on either side; their vaults are concavely arched, 
and their posterior walls quite extensive, looking almost directly for- 
wards. The foramen for the exit of the first pair from the brain-case 
has run into one irregular aperture; but rarely joins, in the adult, with 
the elliptical foramina for the optic nerves below them. ‘The orbital 
septum is never complete, a vacuity of greater or less extent occurring 
near the center of the plate. Laterally we observe shallow temporal 
fosse above elongated openings to the otocrane, that look downwards, 
forwards, and outwards, standing out quite prominently from the side of 
the skull. The squamosals throw forwards and downwards horizontally 
flattened apophyses, which by the aid of smaller ones from the ali- 
sphenoids, help it to guide the temporal muscles to their points of 
insertion. A moderately marked ‘cerebellar prominence” is found at 
its usual site, above the foramen magnum behind; but we have never 
observed the foramina, caused by bone thinning, to occur on either side 
of it. In removing the cranial vault, we find the various fossz unusually 
well defined, anu bounded by sharp borders; the carotids enter by 
separate openings at the base of the “sella turcica,” which latter has a _ 
deep notch, mesiad, in its posterior wall. 
In the recent cranium, the internal and external tables are separated 
by an interspace of a millimeter or more, that is sparsely filled in by 
dipldic tissue; but upon examining skulls that have been kept for a 
long time, and consequently become thoroughly dried, we cannot 
distinguish between the two tablets; the dipldic tissue has entirely 
disappeared, and the whole roof is extremely attenuated and flewible. 
ave a not prepared to explain how this remarkable change comes 
about. 
The hyoid arch bears out its usual ornithic and oscine characteristics, 
and does not require any special description here, as the author intends 
