377 



The vomer forms the basis of the " septum narium," and speedily coalesces with the 

 plates which the prefrontals (14) contribute thereto. 



The nasals (ib. figs. 1 & 2, 15) are long and narrow ; their bases, less expanded than 

 in most other Marsupials, are subangular or rounded, and enter an emargination of the 

 frontals between the fronto-maxillary sutures ; the sides of the nasals articulate in two 

 thirds of their length with the maxillaries (21), in the remainder with the premaxillaries 

 (22), anterior to which the ends of the nasals are bevelled off to points, freely over- 

 hanging the external bony nostril, but not extending so far forward as the dentary part 

 of the premaxillary. The external nostril (ib. fig. 5) is vertically oval, narrower than 

 deep ; the aspect of the aperture is forward and slightly upward. 



The upper turbinal sense-capsules (ib. fig. 5, is) coalescing with the compressed 

 centrum called "vomer," and with the neurapophyses called "prefrontals," compose 

 the bone which anthropotomy terms " ethmoid." 



The palatines, descending from the pre- and orbito-sphenoids, the ethmoid, and 

 frontal (at 20x, fig. 1), internal to the hind part and entorbital plate of the maxillaries 

 ( 2iy), bend inwards at right angles to unite together at the bony palate (ib. fig. 3, 20), of 

 which they form the hind portion from the penultimate molars backwards. From the 

 sockets of these and of the last molars the palatal plates of the palatines are separated 

 by a narrow strip of the maxillaries (ib. 21"), behind which the palatines (20") extend 

 and expand to join the pterygoids (24). 



The hind border of the bony palate is feebly concave. The postpalatal apertures 

 pierce the outer angles of the palato-maxillary sutures ; they are small oval foramina in 

 some (usually the larger) species of Kangaroo (as at b, fig. 3), but extend into both 

 bones to form wide vacuities in other species \ the bony palate being one of the seats of 

 variety in the present family. The proper palatine plates may show one or more fora- 

 mina behind the normal postpalatal or maxillo-palatine vacuities. 



The orbital plate (ib. fig. 1, 20* ) of the palatine is pierced by the orbito-palatal 

 foramen, and is notched to contribute, behind, to the spheno-palatal foramen, and, in 

 front, to the palato-maxillary foramen. 



The maxillary is a large and complex bone. Articulating with the fore and outer 

 parts of the palatine, it develops the alveolar tract for the grinders, also the part of 

 the bony palate between the palatines and premaxillaries, and the main part of the 

 floor of the orbits where it is pierced by the entorbital canal (e) and notched by the palato- 

 maxillary foramen (f). Then extending from the orbit forward, beneath or internal to 

 the lacrymal and malar bones, the maxillary forms the side wall of the face (fig. 1, 21) 

 as far as the premaxillary (ib. 22). This facial wall is sinuous, convex vertically at its 

 upper part, concave at its lower part, the concavity being deeper in the larger kinds of 

 Kangaroo : it articulates behind with the frontal (11), lacrymal (73), and malar (26), above 

 with the nasal (15), in front with the premaxillary (22). At the lower part of the maxillo- 



1 PI. LXXXIV. fig. 3 (Halmaturus ucdabatus) : PI. XC. fig. 1 (H. brachyurus). 



