394 REPTILIA. 



bones, as in the human hand : the ends of the fingers terminate in a 

 hard point, not a distinct nail as in most animals ; this termination is 

 rounded on the upper or outer surface, and fiat, or rather hollow, on the 

 under, as in the nails of most animals. 



The motion of the joint of the shoulder is quite free, and admits of 

 considerable variety : that of the elbow is limited to flexion and exten- 

 sion, and the fingers the same. 



The arms will serve either as legs or fins ; but can be of but little 

 service in either way ; however, I should suppose of most in the way 

 of legs. 



The mouth is but small, not extending far back on each side of the 

 head. Just within the lips there is a curved edge, answering to the 

 form of the mouth, similar to a gum ; this is covered by a horny or 

 rather tortoiseshell substance, which has a cutting edge all round. 

 There is one of these on each jaw, having a deep groove on that side 

 where they are attached to the gum, enclosing the gum for their fixture, 

 not being fixed in sockets. The cutting edges of each oppose one 

 another. That which is on the lower jaw is longer, or goes further 

 back in the mouth than that which is on the upper ; they seem to be 

 made for the simple division of substances. "Within these cutting 

 instruments, which should be called the ' bill,' are two series of teeth. 

 on each jaw [one on each side] which may be called ' holders,' acting 

 until the above-described bill divides the morsel. Those in the upper 

 jaw are the largest. The two sets of teeth in each jaw are near one 

 another at their anterior ends, but diverge as they pass backwards ; the 

 teeth form [short oblique close-set] rows of processes perpendicular to 

 the surface, so that this animal has both bill and teeth 1 . 



The tongue is broad and has very little motion ; it has a bone as in 

 birds, frogs, toads, turtles, <fcc. The nose is very singular : there are 

 two small nostrils, one on each side ; the external openings are situated 

 midway between the fore-part of tbe mouth and its angles, very near 

 the lip. The upper part is membranous, so that they look like a slit : 

 the [nasal] canals pass back towards the eyes, becoming something 

 larger, and near the bottom of the orbits they pass downward to the 

 mouth, and enter that cavity on the outside of the posterior ends of the 

 superior [palatal] teeth, by a narrow opening like a slit. They are 

 somewhat irregular in their passage, and in the size of the cavity 2 . 



1 [Odontography, p. 1S8, pi. 62. figs. 5 and 6.] 



2 [Cuvier says, " Les narines communiquent avec la bouche par un trou perce\ 

 conime dans U proteus, entre la levre et l'os du palais qui porte les dents " (Oss. 

 Foss. v. pt. ii, 420); and he adds in a note, " J'ai fait cette recherche sur l'invitation 

 de M. Oken (Isis, 1821 xii. Cahier) qui y mettoit avec raison de l'importance, attendu 



