DEVELOPMENT OF THE SKULL IN THE BATKACHIA. 
G5 
almost to the prootic and parasphenoicl. The angle of the fork is somewhat rounded, 
so that the large Eustachian opening (eu.) is sub-triangular. The bony plates (pa., pg.) 
are normal, but thin and lathy. 
The quadrate region or outer fork is very long, and retreats as far back as the 
middle of the stapes : this is one of the deepest cheeks to be found in the group. The 
cartilage is very slightly ossified by the quadrato-jugal (q.j. ); the condyles (q.c.) have 
the peculiarly elegant form seen in the Oriental Ranee, viz.: a very large, long, postero¬ 
internal trochlea, and a rounded, small, antero-external convexity. 
The annulus (fig. 3, a.ty.) is rather large and perfect, as in the congeners of this 
species ; the stapes (st.) is large, oval, and umbonate. The medio-stapedial ( m.st .) has no 
proximal intervening segment cut off, the extra-stapedial ( e.st .) is spatulate, and the 
supra-stapedial is confluent above. 
The mandible (fig. 3) is normal, the condyle ( ar.c .) is long and subreniform. The 
stylo-liyal (fig. 2, st.h .) is narrow at first and confluent; it widens gradually up to the 
hypo-hyal bend below (fig. 4, city., h.liy.) ; over the curve there is now a small thin 
extra-hyal (e.lvy. for ex.hy.). The notch in front of the basal plate is wide, and the 
whole structure is normal; the front lateral lobes are now fan-shaped, and the hinder 
ligulate. The thyro-hyals ( t.hy .) are large and bent outwards. The investing bones are 
very thin and splintery; the fronto-parietals ( f.p .) are feeble and arrested in front; the 
nasals (n.) are feeble and ragged, like the newly-formed osseous centres of a young 
specimen; the premaxillaries ( px .) are wide and well developed as to their processes ; 
there is a pah' of small seed-like septo-maxillaries ( s.mx .). The maxillaries (mx.) are 
high, but thin ; they are notched in front where they overlie the angle of the nasal 
floor, and have a bilobate ascending plate ; they stretch along more than half of the 
temporal space behind. The dentiform quadrato-jugals (q.j.) are only slightly grafted 
on to the quadrate ; the squamosals (sq.) lie well over the narrow tegmen, and have 
a shortish diamond-shaped postorbital process. The descending bar (fig. 3, sq.), is of 
great length, and widens gradually downwards. 
The parasphenoid (fig. 2, pa.s.) is quite Ranine, and its basi-temporal plates are very 
large and bilobate externally. The vomers (v. ) are Cystignathine; of the three spurs 
the foremost is twice the size of those which fence in the inner nostril (i.n.) ; the body 
is oblique, arcuate, almost reaches the middle, and is armed with an almost straight 
crest of teeth; the two crests form somewhat more than a right angle, but their sharp 
outer end is strongly turned forwards. As compared with that of our Native Frog, 
this skull is— 
1. Much broader and deeper. 
2. The hinder centres of the endocranium are smaller, and the girdle-bone is larger. 
3. There is only the main fontanelle, which is rather small. 
4. The parotic wings are extremely outstretched. 
5. The interorbital region is very narrow in front. 
6. There are distinct superorbital “eaves.” 
MDCCCLXXX I. K 
