386 
MR. W. K. PARKER OK THE SKELETON 
the following description of the sections; the figures of the undissected Fish (Plate 8, 
figs. 7-9) will also be found useful. 
Vertically transverse sections of the adult Myxine glutinosa. 
Before describing these sections, I may remark that the nasal passage carries the 
upper lip far in front of the lower ; but the lower lip, even in the Ammoccete, is far 
back ; whereas, in the adult Lamprey, the lower lip, when the sucking disc is in action, 
projects beyond the “ anterior dorsal cartilage,” and its enclosing skin, the upper lip. 
The end of the external nasal passage is protected by nasal barbels, and the mouth 
opens further back; there are two pairs of oral barbels, the outer unciform and 
the inner mammillate. There are three nasal barbels on one side and four on the 
other ; six thin sections of this part, one of which was drawn, show this ; and, 
corroborative of this fact, Dr. Gunther, in his ‘ Study of Fishes ’ (p. 695, fig. 320, A) 
gives, in a woodcut, the same number in Myxine Australis. 
Section 1 (Plate 11, fig. 1).—Here the interior valvular opening of the external 
nasal duct ( e.n .) shows four points of cartilage ( n.hh .) cut through on one side, 
and three on the other ; the lesser barbels are close to the passage, and the larger 
further out; the fore end of the prepalatine reaches to this point.* 
Section 2 (fig, 2).—The nasal canal or passage (n.p.) is now complete, and the first 
ring is cut through in three places, above, and on each side (see also Plate 10, fig. 1); 
for this imperfect annulus has a rostrum. Right and left of the vertically elliptical 
passage, the largest nasal palpi (n.hh.) and the propalatines are cut across. The 
median line, below, is concave ; this hollow leads to the oral passage further back. 
The upper outline of this section shows two sub-marginal shallow grooves 
Section 3 (fig. 3).—In this the sub-marginal grooves above are nearly obsolete, and 
the middle part of the top is slightly crested ; it is slightly grooved in its broad, lower 
part. The prepalatine cartilages (pr.pa.) are now flatter and wider apart; the section 
is through their arch in the middle. This shows a wider but lower passage (n.p.), 
widest below, and it is also seen that the annulus just reaches the bottom, and is 
thickened there. Under the nasal passage, the dilated fore end of the front inter¬ 
trabecula (a.i.tr.) is cut across ; the bend downwards of its edges makes it like a 
Chinese bridge. 
Section 4 (fig. 4).—Here, in this larger section, both the upper and lower surfaces 
are hollow in the middle ; the nasal canal is becoming pyriform, with the narrow end 
below. The annulus is like that of the last section, but larger; but the prepalatine 
and front intertrabecula ( pr.pa., a.i.tr.) are both flat in section ; here the prepalatine 
has evidently been cut through very obliquely. The hard front inter trabecular bar is 
club-shaped in section in this and the next, the thick part being above. 
* The lower, larger sections of cartilage are, by mistake in tin's and tlie next figure, lettered, with the 
rest, as nasal barbels (n.bb.) ; they are the free ends of the prepalatine spurs. 
