OCR Text |
Show 458 DR. J. MURIE ON SAIGA TARTARICA. [June 9, 1st, the extraordinary shortness of tbe nasal region, the face, as it were, being scooped out, leaving only an exceedingly narrow extension forwards of the maxillary and premaxillary bones ; 2nd, the great vertical depth of the naso-maxillary region ; 3rd, the relatively prominent, large, and staring orbit ; 4th, the very small, shallow zygomatic arch ; 5th, the moderate-sized, roundish, occi-pito- temporal region ; 6th, the long, erect, tapering horns. In bird's-eye view, or from above, the skull is elongate, somewhat diamond-shaped, the palato-maxillary being considerably longer than the parieto-occipital segments. The orbits form two salient projections, behind and above which the horns start forth. Examined in front, or facially foreshortened (as in fig. 4), the horns appear to slant well backwards, the frontal bone being rather depressed. The broad orbital rings stand well out. The short nasals are raised, below which the turbiual bones are exposed ; and beneath these, between the inner borders of the maxillaries, is an immense narial vacuity. The irregular-surfaced, long, narrow palato-maxillary shelf forms the floor of the forwardly jutting nares. Foreshortened facial view of skull and mandible of the Society's adult male Saiga. Fr. Frontal. Na. Nasal. Mx. Maxillary. Pm.r. Pro-maxilla. Mn. Mandible. Vo Vomer. * Points to pit of lachrymal duct, From behind, the cranium presents superiorly a broad flattened |