xiii PHYLUM CHORDATA 319 



or lateral post-frontn l (pt. orb.) articulating with the frontal. Just 

 behind the postorbital is a supra-temporal bone (supra t^), in close 

 relation to which are the j>ara-qiiadrate (sq) and squamosal (supra, t^), 

 the former bending forwards and upwards to form with the post- 

 orbital the superior tem^pbral arch. At the anterior extremity of 

 the snout is a median bone formed by the coalescence of the two 

 premaxillm (p. inx) ; this bears the four anterior teeth of each 

 side. On each side behind the premaxiila is the maxilla (max), 

 consisting of two portions, an alveolar bearing all the rest of the 

 teeth, and a palatine extending inwards on the roof of the mouth, 

 together with an ascending process articulating* with the nasal and 

 pre-frontal above. Articulating behind with each maxilla is a 

 jugal (ju), which forms tlie posterior half of the ventral boundary 

 of the orbit. The quadrate (qu) articulates movably with the 

 parotic process, and bears at its distal end the articular surface for 

 the mandible. 



In the anterior portion of the roof of the mouth, articulating 

 in front with the premaxillae and maxillae, are the vomers (vom). 

 Behind and embracing them posteriorly are the flat palatines 

 (pal). The elongated pterygoids (pt.g) articulate in front with the 

 posterior extremities of the palatines : behind each articulates 

 with the corresponding iasi-pterygoid process (has. ptg) of the basi- 

 sphenoid, and sends back a process which becomes applied to the 

 inner face of the quadrate. A stout bone which extends between 

 the maxilla externally and the pterygoid internally is termed the 

 transverse bone or eeto-pterygoid (trans). Extending nearly verti- 

 cally downwards from the pro-otic to the pterygoid is a slender 

 rod of bone, the epi-pterygoid (col). 



The columella is a small rod partly composed of cartilage and 

 partly of bone, the outer end of which is fixed into the inner 

 surface of the tympanic membrane, while the inner is attached to 

 a small aperture, the fenestra ovalis, in the outer wall of the auditory 

 capsule between the pro-otic and the opisthotic. 



Certain depressions or fossae and apertures or foramina are to be 

 observed in the skull. The foramen magnum, the parietal foramen, 

 and the orbits have been already mentioned. The posterior 

 temporal fossa is situated on either side of and above the foramen 

 magnum, bounded above and externally by the roofing bones, and 

 on the inner side by the bones of the occipital region. The inferior 

 temporal fossa is bounded internally by the pterygoid, and is 

 separated from the palatine foramen by the transverse. The 

 lateral temporal fossa is the wide space in the side wall of the 

 skull behind the orbit; the bony bar which limits it above is 

 the superior temporal arch ; a bony inferior temporal or qudrato- 

 jugal arch is hei-e absent. The tympano-eustachian fossa, 

 situated in the auditory region, is bounded by the bones of 

 that region together with the quadrate. The posterior or 



