42 PLEISTOCENE MAMMALIA. 



sutures, which pass above the optic foramina, and to the ahsphenoid by very firm sutures of 

 considerable depth, which pass round the posterior portion of the bone, leaving on each 

 side a considerable free space to form the inner surface of the foramen sphenoidale, 

 the central and largest of the five foramina near each other in this part of the skull, 

 which, as before stated, is homologous with the sphenoidal fissure, or foramen lacerum 

 anterius in man. 



The remaining muscles attached to this bone are the rectus externus of the eye ; 

 "grand abducteur" of Straus-Durckheim, and the "petit abdncteur" of the same author, 

 equivalent to a portion of the choanoid, which have their origin outside the optic foramen ; 

 and the rectus inferior, " grand abaisseur" of Straus-Durckheim, and the "petit abaisseur" 

 of the same author, equivalent to another portion of the choanoid, have their origin imme- 

 diately under the same foramen. 



We have above indicated the only and very slight difference we have been able to 

 distinguish on the guttural surface of the bone, between lion and Felis spelaa on the one 

 hand, and most, if not all other Feles on the other. 



§ 7. Palatines (Plates VI, VIII, X, XI, No. 20). — Of the palatines we have seen but 

 a small portion in spelaean skulls from British localities but we are able to describe it 

 fully from the skull, from the Sundwig cavern, preserved in the British Museum. It may 

 be considered as composed of the horizontal naso-palatine portion, and the vertical plate 

 that forms the lower surface of the optic fossa, its inner surface forming the floor and walls 

 of the posterior nares. The naso-palatine portion presents a smooth horizontal surface 

 joining its fellow by a thickened median symphysis, both forming a figure variably 

 pentagonal in the bony roof of the mouth. Anteriorly it is firmly anchylosed to the 

 maxillary by a serrated suture directed diagonally backward from the median Ime ; 

 posteriorly it presents a free edge that sends back a process to articulate with the pterygoid. 

 The free edge forms the infero-posterior border of the posterior nares. Externally it joins 

 at a right angle the vertical naso-optic process, along a line passing from the sectorial 

 fossa (//) of the maxillary diagonally backwards to the pterygoid and the palato-maxillary 

 suture ; and nearly equidistant from the interpalatal suture and the sectorial fossa (//), 

 is the small posterior palatal foramen (e) for the transmission of the palatal nerve. It is 

 directed forwards, and opens upon a canal on the posterior surface of the maxillary. In 

 some of the smaller Eelidge it is double, but in lion, tiger, panther, and all the larger 

 species it is single, as in Fells spelaa. In all the leonine and tigrine skulls which we 

 have examined, the position of this foramen is constant. '\i is much nearer to the postero- 

 exterior border of the palate in lion than in tiger, when skulls of equal size are compared. 

 The only apparent exception to this rule is presented by the skull of a small lioness in the 

 British Museum, in which it is roofed in by an abnormal growth of bone from the 

 maxillary, so that instead of opening as it usually does on, or rather in rear of, the suture, 

 it is carried forward and opens far on the maxillary. We also find that in all the lions* 



