214 
MR. W. K. PARKER ON THE STRUCTURE AND 
continuous, above, with the ethmoid, and, behind, the dilated post-palatine is not 
segmented from the pterygoid cartilage as it is in other species of this genus. 
The whole of the cartilage of the palatine region is a large |_-shaped band, it 
narrows at its starting from the ethmoidal wing ( e.pa .), dilates into the pre-palatine, 
and forms a rounded projection, behind, where it passes into the pterygoid band 
{pg.). The palatine bone [pa., pa'.) is composed of two pieces, imperfectly soldered 
together; the main piece is the ectosteal plate, the normal Anurous bone, it is large 
and falcate. The superficial bone is one-fourth the size of the other ; it is an irregular 
rod, with a distinct suture in front, and lies somewhat obliquely on the middle of the 
fore edge of the main bone. This is the true counterpart of the dentigerous palatine 
“parostosis” of the Urodeles, and belongs to the same category as the vomers. The 
pterygoid bone {pg.) is very large, falcate, and two-membered, behind ; contrary to rule 
it overlaps the pre-palatine, above (fig. 1), where, abnormally, it is more developed 
than below, and throws the remains of the unused cartilage on the ventral aspect, instead 
of the dorsal. Also, unlike the other species, it has a large, free, Ranine pedicle, the 
pterygoid only ossifying the surface of the thick stump of the original pedicle, and not 
binding it down ; hence the joint is free; it is an oblong condyle moving in a shallow 
glenoid cavity. 
Below the confluent otic process, hidden by the squamosal (fig. 1, sq.), the outer 
member of the suspensorium forms the partially retreated quadrate condyle (q.c.); 
this is very oblique, long, reniform, and has the quadrato-jugal a little confluent with 
the cartilage of which it is the base. Between these short thick forks we have the 
large semi-oval Eustachian opening (eu.), the hinder boundary of which is formed by 
the large confluent stylo-hyal {st.h.). 
The “ annulus ” (a.ty.) is three-fourths the average size, and like that of B. vulgaris, 
is widely open above, and not a perfect ring as in most of the species of this genus. 
The stapes (fig. 5, st.) is large, thick, umbonate, and notched in front; the medio- 
stapedial ( m.st .) has an upper rounded, and a lower lip-shaped, cartilaginous process, 
but no separate inter-stapedial. The shaft is twisted and carinate in front, and is 
bent outwards to reach the outer edge of the suspensorium ; I do not see here, what 
in old specimens of B. vulgaris can be plainly seen, namely, a partial segmentation of 
the bone at this outward bend. The extra-stapedial {e.st.) is sub-peltate, and the 
supra-stapedial band (s.st.) is perfect and confluent, above. 
The mandible (fig. 3) is normal, but the articular bone (ar.) is feebly developed ; 
the condyle ( ar.c.) is long and reniform, and from it the rod {ml:.) is scarcely lessened. 
T1 le dentary {d.) is three-fifths the length of the ramus, and the mento-Meckelian 
{m.niJc.) has only ossified half of the inferior labial. 
The cerato-liyal (fig. 4, c.hy.) is broad, and doubles its width in the lower half; there 
is a small hypo-hyal lobe, and the notch of the basal plate [b.h.br.) is deep. The 
plate itself is of good width and of great length ; the fore lobes are large and ear¬ 
shaped, the hind lobes ligulate and uncinate, inwards, 
