CHAPTER I 

 SKELETON 



AXIAL SKELETON 



A.— SkuU. (Plate I., a.) 



The Skull is the skeleton of the head and is 

 composed of the following bones : 



1. The Occipital Bone, which forms the posterior 

 part of the skull. It surrounds a large opening, 

 the foramen magnum. On either side of this 

 foramen are two smooth articular prominences, 

 the occipital condyles. A projecting ridge on the 

 upper margin of the occipital bone is the lamb- 

 doidal ridge. The anterior condyloid foramina 

 pierce the ventral side of the occipital bone a 

 little anterior to the occipital condyles. 



2. The Temporal Bones, which form the lateral 

 and posterior part of the base of the skull. On its 

 under surface each presents a prominent oval ele- 

 vation, the auditory bulla. On the external side 

 of each bulla is a large foramen, the external audi- 

 tory meatus. Just behind the auditory meatus is 

 a small foramen, the stylo-mastoid. Between each 

 bulla and the occipital bone, just in front of the an- 

 terior condyloid foramen, is the, somewhat larger, 



