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Show 48 1 PROF. w. H. FLOWER ON THE [NOV. 11, end, which is flattened and has a rounded outline, turned backwards. The front end is truncated, or, rather, hollowed to receive the angle of the jaw, and has a short process projecting inwards. The gland is, moreover, bent upou itself nearer the anterior than the posterior end, at an angle which varies according to the position of the head of the animal; when the head is stretched forwards it is straightened, and then measures 2"*2 in length. The greatest vertical thickness is 1". The duct (Wharton's) leaves the gland on the internal surface, near the anterior extremity. It is of the thickness of a small crow-quill, and runs forwards, internal to the external pterygoid muscle, between this and the mucous membrane, and along the floor of the mouth, to just in front of the fraenum of the tongue, where it terminates iu an orifice situated on the inferior surface of a flattened leaf-like projection of the mucous membrane with a dentated edge. This process is *2" in length, of the same breadth, and its inner edge is less than *1" from the median line. The sublingual gland is long and narrow, and is in contact with the outer side of Wharton's duct for nearly the whole of its lengtb. Its duct opens on the inferior surface of tbe same sublingual process, to the outer side of the orifice of Wharton's duct. The epiglottis forms about half a cylinder, with an internal diameter of half an inch, and a length of *7". Its free extremity is rounded and everted. The anterior portion of the thyroid cartilage is narrow vertically (*4" in middle line), forming a wide rounded arch above, and with no fissure (as in the Bears) on the lower margin. Posteriorly its alae form broad, well-marked, ascending and descending cornua, of which the former is broadest and most rounded. The posterior border is nearly straight, l"l in height. The cricoid cartilage in the middle line in front is only *3" deep ; posteriorly it is very high (*95"), rising to form a pointed apex in the middle line. The inferior border is nearly straight, with slight undulations, all round. The arytenoids are broad and low, placed very laterally, so that they do not rise so high as the apex of the cricoid. The vocal cords form on each side two broad, flat, contiguous bands, with parallel borders, *45" long, and *35" (the two) from above downwards, about equal in size, and separated only by a slight groove, without any ventricle. The upper (or false) cord is softer and more rounded ; the lower flatter and firmer, and more fibrous in appearance. Above the rounded margin of the upper cord, and separating it from the lateral part of the base of the epiglottis, is a deep narrow sinus*. It will be observed that the structure of the larynx accords more with that of the Felidce than of either the Canidce or Ursidee, as described by Cuvier f, though not precisely agreeing with either. I * C. Mayer says, in Hycena striata " only one vocal cord, the lower one, is present, and is broad and thick with folds, without ventricle" (" Ueber den Ban des Organes der Stimme,'' Nova Acta Acad. Natural Curios, vol. xxiii. 1851, p. (104. t Lecons d'Anatomie Comparee, 2nd edit., tome viii. p. 780 (1846). |