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

trie left maxillary of the same individual exhibits 13 foramina, 9 in one line above the crista dentalis, and 4 on, and inward from, respectively, the crista narialis oss. max. (mihi); another, nearly grown up, though considerably smaller specimen of the same species (Mus. Hung.) counts 15 foramina on the right, and 13 on the left maxillary both their number and disposition varying on either side. The skull of an adult V. Dumérili (MÜLL.) SCHLEG. (MUS. Hung.) counts 9 foramina on the right, and 8 on the left maxillary, none of them passing over to the ala superior. — These accidentally choosen examples, drawn from Varanians, may sufficiently prove what an inconstancy with respect to number and disposition the foramina in question are setting forth within the Lizards. With respect to these nerve-outlets there remains but one point I should like to touch upon. Mr. ETHERIDGE Jr., in referring to the foramina dealt with, designates them as „foramina of the maxillary artery branches (anterior branch of external carotid)"',

11 and this designation prevails throughout all his discussions of, or references to, the subject.

42 This designation, though not being, in any way, incorrect, is, nevertheless, unusual and not precise enough. The osteology of Reptiles is very well known and thoroughly studied, indeed, whilst most insufficient attention has been paid to those details, even within the domain of osteological research, which bear upon neurological and angiological conditions. There is, so far as I am informed, but one monographical work dealing with the brain-nerves of Saurians, i. e. a paper by J. G. FISCHER, „Die Gehirnnerven der Saurier", appeared in 1852 (Abh. aus d. Geb. d. Naturwiss., II, Abth. 2, Hamburg, 1852, p. 109—212, Taf. I—III), and but little work has been done since in that part of anatomical research.

43 No doubt, there are some modern studies on saurian neurology, among which especially those by Miss TILLY FDTNGER. Francfort o/M., on the cranial nerves in fossil forms should be here mentioned, but all these papers are merely discussing various defind this name to be, from the standpoint of topographical anatomy, misleading, and so I propose to change it into the correct term crista intranasalis. 41 Op. cit. p. 127. 42 Op. cit. 128, & 133: Expl. of Pl. VIII, sub Fig. 1. 43 The best synoptic work we possess on the subject is, still, C. K. HOFFMANN'S, in BRONN'S „Klassen u. Ordnungen", but this one dates from the end of the last century, and cannot, thus, correspond to all the requirements arising in the course of modern inquiry. It is just a base, and a solid one too, to build upon.