36 MAMMALIAN DENTITION 



the small fish should attempt to wriggle out again and resist 

 being swallowed, its backward movement causes these palatine 

 teeth to rise and form a forest of spears Avhose points are all 

 directed toward the throat, effectually preventing the escape 

 of the victim. The attachment of teeth to their foundation is 

 by no means uniform and although we are accustomed to think 



Fig. 5.— Section of palatine tooth of Pike (Esox lueius). (After Tomes.) The 

 hinged character of the attachment to the underlying bone is shown. This permits 

 change in position of the tooth. 



of teeth in Man and all Mammalia as socketed in bone yet in lower 

 forms teeth may be attached to underlying tissues in one of 

 several ways (Fig. 5). In Sharks indeed the teeth are not fixed 

 to the underlying jaws at all but simply held in place in the 

 integument. 



Very few fish can be said to masticate their food even in 



