﻿SKELETOX. 
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  (diapophyses), 
  but 
  these 
  are 
  present 
  on 
  the 
  succeeding 
  

   eight 
  vertebrae, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Discoglossidde 
  alone 
  the 
  

   first 
  three 
  are 
  segmented 
  off 
  into 
  short 
  autogenous 
  

   ribs. 
  The 
  transverse 
  processes 
  of 
  the 
  ninth 
  vertebra 
  

   give 
  attachment 
  to 
  the 
  iha, 
  and 
  are 
  therefore 
  termed 
  

   sacral 
  ; 
  their 
  form 
  differs 
  much 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  

   genera, 
  — 
  cylindrical 
  in 
  Bana, 
  flattened 
  and 
  subtri- 
  

   angular 
  in 
  Discoglossus, 
  Alytes, 
  Bufo, 
  and 
  Hyla, 
  or 
  

   very 
  strongly 
  dilated 
  in 
  Bomhinator, 
  Pelodytes, 
  and 
  

   Felohates. 
  In 
  the 
  latter 
  genus 
  the 
  sacral 
  processes 
  are 
  

   often 
  yielded 
  by 
  the 
  urostyle. 
  The 
  diapophyses 
  ter- 
  

   minate 
  in 
  cartilaginous 
  epiphyses. 
  

  

  The 
  urostyle, 
  or 
  coccyx, 
  formed 
  by 
  coalescence 
  of 
  

   at 
  least 
  two 
  vertebras, 
  is 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  solid 
  rod 
  with 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  distinct 
  dorsal 
  crest, 
  and 
  articulates 
  with 
  

   the 
  sacral 
  vertebra 
  by 
  two 
  sockets, 
  except 
  in 
  Bom- 
  

   binatoi\ 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  but 
  one. 
  In 
  Felohates 
  the 
  

   urostyle 
  is 
  normally 
  fused 
  with 
  the 
  ninth 
  vertebra, 
  

   and 
  contributes 
  to 
  the 
  sacrum 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  Discoglossidse 
  

   a 
  slender 
  transverse 
  process 
  is 
  present 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

   at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  "urostvle. 
  

  

  e/ 
  

  

  Abnormalities 
  in 
  the 
  vertebral 
  column 
  are 
  not 
  un- 
  

   frequent, 
  and 
  many 
  remarkable 
  cases 
  have 
  been 
  

   described 
  by 
  Goette, 
  Lataste, 
  Oamerano, 
  Bourne, 
  

   Adolphi, 
  and 
  Howes. 
  Thus 
  two 
  vertebras 
  may 
  fuse, 
  

   or 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  segments 
  may 
  be 
  increased 
  to 
  eleven, 
  

   as 
  in 
  a 
  vertebral 
  column 
  of 
  Alytes 
  ohstetricans 
  described 
  

   by 
  Lataste 
  ; 
  in 
  this 
  interesting 
  specimen 
  the 
  ninth 
  

   vertebra 
  bears 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  side 
  the 
  dilated 
  sacral 
  dia- 
  

   pophysis, 
  whilst 
  the 
  diapophysis 
  of 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  

   is 
  slender 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  differ 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  vertebra 
  

   in 
  front 
  of 
  it 
  ; 
  the 
  tenth 
  vertebra, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  

   bears 
  a 
  dilated 
  diapophysis 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  and 
  a 
  

   cylindrical 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  ; 
  the 
  urostyle 
  is 
  quite 
  

   normal, 
  with 
  the 
  basal 
  processes 
  developed 
  as 
  usual. 
  I 
  

   have 
  also 
  examined 
  a 
  skeleton 
  of 
  Bomhinator 
  pachypus, 
  

   with 
  eleven 
  segments, 
  all, 
  including 
  the 
  sacral 
  ver- 
  

   tebra 
  and 
  the 
  urostyle, 
  appearing 
  perfectly 
  normal 
  in 
  

   shape. 
  

  

  