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Show 452 DR. J. MURIE ON SAIGA TARTARICA. [June 9, to 42 vertebrae, the last, however, being a mere diminutive ossicle. Pallas* states that there are 5 lumbar vertebrae, without mentioning how many are in the tail. In a very complete and excellently mounted skeleton f, in the College of Surgeons' Museum, of an adult Saiga, wild, or procured in its native haunts, I find that there but 11 caudal vertebrae, the final 2, as above, being ossified bodies of very minute size. Tbe other vertebral regions agree with what has been mentioned as existing in the Society's animal. The cervical vertebrae (fig. 1), possess characters by which individually they can readily be distinguished the one from the other. Their long diameters are unequal, as are those of the spinous and other processes. Fig.l. The cervical vertebra?, about one-third their natural dimensions. I., VII. First and seventh vertebra?, v.f. Vertebral foramen of atlas, pl. Rudimentary pleurapophyses of axis and third vertebra, hyp. Hyperapophyses or bifid spine-tubercles of second, third, and fourth cervicals. m. Fourth, fifth, and sixth metapophysial elements, r. First rib-facet. But to proceed seriatim with the Society's male specimen, the atlas is remarkable on account of the great lengthening of the tranverse processes. These are somewhat flattened from above downwards, directed obliquely outwards and backwards, terminating in a roughened slightly bulbous manner. From tip to tip they measure 3f inches. The spinous process is well nigh obsolete, with deepish muscular depressions in front; the laminae posteriorly have a low broad arch. The anterior shallow articulating surface presnts to the eye a crown-shaped outline, the lower and somewhat obliquely backwardly descending articulating surface of the concavity being mesially divided by a sharp ridge, so that the facets move on the post-basioccipital processes when the head is bent downwards. The * Op. cit. p. 45. + This male skeleton (No. 3729 A, interleaved Catalogue) is stated to have been obtained in South Russia, and purchased of Herr Moschler, 2nd October, 1867. |