CRANIA OF RUMINANTS FROM THE INDIAN TERTIARIES. 69—146 
The horn-cores are very closely approximated at their base, and are placed on the 
summit of a high ridge, formed by the junction of the very distinct planes of the 
parietals and frontals ; the former bones apparently form a distinct and broad band 
across the cranium behind the horn-cores, as in the sheep and antelopes, and are con- 
sequently much larger than in the oxen ; the intercornual ridge is very far removed 
from the plane of the occipital surface ; the horn-cores themselves have a triangular 
transverse section, which forms very nearly an equilateral triangle ; their internal 
surface is placed nearly antero-posteriorly, and the external border immediately 
above the orbit ; their direction is upwards, outwards, and a little backwards, dimin- 
ishing regularly and somewhat rapidly in diameter, without any curve or twisting ; 
their anterior border is continuous with the plane of the frontals : the base of the 
horn-cores is situated directly over the anterior half of the temporal fossa, leaving 
the posterior half uncovered above ; there is a very short interval between the base 
of the horn-core and the adjacent border of the orbit. The orbits are somewdiat 
worn and broken in this specimen, but naturally, as shown in other specimens, are 
non-salient, somewhat depressed below the general plane of the frontals, and having 
their antero-posterior diameter rather longer than their transverse diameter. From 
behind the orbit the temporal fossae gradually increase in depth, and curve round on 
to the plane of the parietals, so that they are closely approximated at this point, the 
parietals being proportionately narrow. From the very forw^ard position of the 
horn-cores and intercornual ridge, the antero-posterior diameter of the frontals is 
very short, considerably less than the transverse diameter {see table of measurements 
given on page 66). The cranium is but very slightly constricted in width, either above 
or below the orbits, the front view showing an almost complete parallelogram ; the 
intercornual ridge is deeply concave; this concavity extends downwards to the 
middle of the frontals ; there is a high rounded prominence on the inner side of the 
orbit : below this there is an oblique channel running outwards and downwards from 
the frontal hollow, while the apex of the nasals again rises as a prominent pyriform 
swelling ; the apex of the nasals extends upwards on the forehead, as high as the 
lower thud of the orbit. On referring to Falconer’s figures of the cranium of this 
species in the unpublished plates of the “Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis,” we find that 
the facial portion is double the length of the frontal portion ; the nasals are wddest 
at their infra-orbital angle, and the premaxillse are of unusual length, and extend 
upwards between the nasals and the maxillae. 
There is a prominent angle leading from the orbit to the nasals ; and the lateral 
surfaces of the maxillae are nearly parallel and of great depth. 
The anterior angle of the horn-core runs downwards as a kind of buttress on to 
the surface of the frontals ; the base of the horn-core is burred. 
Turning to the parietal and occipital regions of the cranium, w^e find the two 
occupying entirely separate and distinct planes, the occipital plane being bounded 
superiorly by the occipital crest ; the plane of the parietals forms an obtuse angle 
with the planes of the frontals and the occipital. 
