168 ]î. .T. Anderson, 



The Preiiiaxilla is sometimes described (Mivart) as a simple 

 appendage of the Maxilla. It is sometimes comparatively insignificant 

 even aborted (Mivart); in Dolphins it becomes a considerable bone 

 whilst the nasals shrink, and in the Dugong and Manattee, the latter 

 disappear altogethei'. In the rodents the large Incisor teeth account for 

 the great size of the Premaxillae and their articulation with the frontal. 

 Their size in elephants (especially the fossil forms (Meckel) is due 

 to the great tusks inside the jaw. 'I'he Hyrax which is allied to the 

 Proboscidea and is a little like Rodents has a short premaxilla more 

 like that in some Suidae but a little like that of the cervidae, and 

 still more like the Premaxilla of Phalangisla vulpina. As for the 

 ruminants the premaxilla is variable, pointed beliind and above, it is 

 attached to the Nasal or not, and is like the continuation of the 

 Maxilla forwards. The bones are considerably separated from one 

 another in some genera. The strength of the Premaxilla in the pig 

 is well known. ,.Ist er in Hippopotamus und sus durch grössere 

 Breite, Länge und, besonders beim ersten, auch Dicke seines obern 

 Astes stärker entwickelt. Die Graumenlücke ist daher etwas kleiner 

 und liegt fast ganz zwischen beiden Aesten, indem nur ihr hinterer 

 Teil durch die Gaumenäste des Oberkiefers verschlossen wird." 

 (Meckel.) 



There is some variations in the Suidae. Thus 1 note in one 

 skull (wild pig) in H. M. the maxillo-nasal articulation is 18 mm in 

 length ill another (H. M.) 21 mm, in another (G. ]\1.) 12 mm. A 

 Papuan pig (H. M.) 33 mm. (Considering the size of the head. 12 mm 

 are not a great distance for the pointed nasals to be separated from 

 the frontals. 



Mivart mentions signific^antly, that the length of the skull does 

 not bear any lelation to the length of the Premaxillae, lie instances 

 the anteateis in whicli the length of the nasals is veiy great com- 

 pared with the the small Premaxillae that aie slung on in front. 

 ..Bel den Zahnlosen ist es ausserordentlich klein, iintei- allen Tieren 

 hier und bei den Fledermäusen und Nashörnern wohl am kleinsten, 

 und bald fast nur aus dem sehr gerade absteigenden obern, bald bloss 

 aus dem horizontalen Aste gebildet," - - ..doch tliessen die Gaumen- 



