Jávorka Sándor - Soós Lajos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 29. (Budapest 1935)

Fejérváry, G. J.: Further contributions to a monograph of the Megalanidae and fossil Varanidae - with notes on recent Varanians

form outline, whilst each serration appearing in the form of a small, subtriangular bony lamella slightly emarginate at its lower edge. On the outer surface 7 foramina are present, being the outlets for the rami gingivales & cutanei rami alveolaris superioris which is given off by the nervus infraorbitalis. The two last foramina are quite close to one another, so as to form a sort of one double, „dunibbelT'-shaped foramen

34 which „enlarges inwards and upwards immediately beneath the lachrymal bone (PI. 8, fig. I)".

35 According to Mr. ETHERIDGE Jr. the second foramen too is double,

36 a feature not to be discerned on the figure. Thus the full number of the foramina in question would amount to 8, or, if the double foramina be counted in both cases as one only, to 6, equalling the number communicated by Mr. ETHERIDGE Jr.

37 According to this author ,,the two meati are united whilst still exhibiting evidence of a former separation."

38 I should like to point out the fact that the number and disposition of these foramina varies, more or less, within all Lacertilia, as long ago stated by the late Vienna Osteologist F. SIEBENROCK in his various papers dealing with the skeleton of Lacertilians, so that one ought to abstain, in general, from indicating one certain number of them as characteristic of a species. According to Mr. ETHERIDGE Jr.: ,

;

In the Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) these foramina are nine in number. The posterior terminal is simply transversely elongated instead of dumb-bell shaped, and it is the most anterior, instead of the second anterior as in Megalania, that is double. In the Australian V. varius Shaw, there are again nine foramina, all single, and the posterior opening as in V. salvator."

39 In a young V. salvator (Mus. Hung.) I too found nine foramina, though none of them being double. In an old specimen of V. niloticus L. (Mus. Hung.) there are 10 foramina on the right side maxillary, 6 of them lying in one line just above the crista dentalis, and 4 much higher, on, and inward from, respectively, the strong crest delimiting, in senil specimens of the species, the base of the ala superior,

40 whilst 34 ETHERIDGE, op. cit. p. 128. 35 L. c. 36 L. c. 37 Op. cit. p. 127 & 128. 38 Op. cit. p. 128. 39 L. c. 40 This one ends in a crest meeting the intranasal bone, and was named, by me, in my Monograph (op. cit. p. 385 & 414: on Fig. Í6c), crista nasalis. I