of th e lateral wall of the buccal cavity. The ligament here lies along th e anterior edge of th e superficial
division, A v of the adductor mandibulae muscle, and separates into a number of ligamentous
strings. These strings soon reunite into a broad ligamentous band which passes over th e external
surface of a tough pad of fibrous tissue th a t covers th e coronoid process of th e mandible, and there
separates into two parts, both of which continue onward and have the ir insertions on the external
surface of th e articular, along a ridge th a t forms th e ventral margin of th e articular facet for th e
quadrate. As the ligament passes over th e coronoid pad of fibrous tissue there is apparently an inte rchange
of fibers with th a t pad. This ligament, in Scomber, gives insertion to a p a rt of th e deeper
division, A3, of th e adductor mandibulae muscle, and is th e tendon A3mx of my descriptions
of th a t fish.
Between th e ventro-anterior (lateral) edge of th e ligamentary process of th e maxillary and th e
proximal portion of th e shank of th a t bone, there is a wide V-shaped groove. This groove fits upon th e
dorsal edge of the premaxillary, immediately distal to th e base of th e articular process of the bone,
and also embraces the basal portion of th a t articular process itself. The articular process of the
premaxillary articulates, however, with th e shank and ascending process of th e maxillary, in th e
manner ju s t above set forth, and n o t with its ligamentary process, although this la tte r process may
have a secondary participation in this articulation.
On th e dorsal surface of th e ligamentary process, in th e angle between i t and th e lateral (distal)
surface of the ascending process of th e bone, there is a little pit-like depression which gives support
and articulation to the anterior end of the maxillary process of th e palatine, th a t process being firmly
b u t moveably bound to th e maxillary. Immediately postero-lateral (distal) to this articular surface,
th e ligamentary process gives support, on its dorsal surface, and is firmly bound by ligamentous
tissue to, th e anterior, process-like end of th e lachrymal.
On the dorso-posterior (mesial) surface of th e shank of th e maxillary, opposite th e postero-lateral
-^distal) end of its ligamentary process, there is a depression which gives insertion to a short tendon
of th e dorsal portion of th e superficial division, A x, of th e adductor mandibulae muscle; this insertion
of th e tendon of this muscle thus differing from th a t in Scomber, where it is inserted on th e inner
surface of the lachrymal.
The ascending process of the maxillary is d irected dorso-posteriorly, and its summit is thickened
to form an even, smooth and slightly curved edge, which is covered, in th e recent state, with glistening
connective, or semi-cartilaginous tissue. The postero-ventral portion of this curved edge has a sliding
articulation, through the intermediation of a pad of tough fibrous or semi-cartilaginous tissue, with
th e dorsal surface of th e dorsal limb of th e vomer. The pad of semi-cartilaginous tissue is suspended
in th a t fibrous band th a t extends from the ventral surface of th e rostral to th e proximal end of the
shank of th e maxillary, and th a t has already been described. The remaining and larger portion of
th e summital edge of th e process, although having th e appearance of an articular surface, does not
articulate with any structure. It, however, in its motion, rubs against the internal surface of th e
ethmo-maxillary ligament, against the anterior edge or internal surface of the rostro-palatine ligament,
and rubs and pushes against th e anterior surface of the nasal sac.
An ascending process of th e maxillary is doubtless present in all the Acanthopterygii and
Anacanthini; b u t it is certainly n o t always developed to the extent, and in the manner th a t it is in
Scorpaena. In Scomber, for instance, the single process of Scorpaena is represented by two separate
processes. One of these processes is longitudinal in position, articulates by its dorsal edge with th e
dorsal limb of the vomer, and was described b y me as th e dorsal articular head of the bone. The other
is represented in th e little process which n o t only gives insertion to the ethmo-maxillary ligament,
b u t also articulates, by its antero-mesial surface, with th e articular process, of the premaxillary. In
Amia, th e process is n o t evident, nor is it in Salmo (Parker, ’73), Esox, Citharinus (Sagemehl, ’84b),
Hydrocyon (Sagemehl, ’84b), Elops (Ridewood, ’04a), Megalops (Ridewood, ’04a), Albula (Ridewood,
’04a), Mormyrops (Ridewood, ’04b), Notopterus (Ridewood, ’04b), or Gymnarchus (Erdl, ’47). But
in several of these fishes there is a bend in the maxillary, near its proximal end, and a t this bend
th e re is an eminence on the bone which may quite probably represent the well-developed process
of th e Acanthopterygii and Anacanthini. This can only be determined when these fishes shall have
been much more carefully described th an they have been up to th e present time.
In Gonorhynchus Greyi, according to Ridewood (’05 b ), ,,There is no articulation between
th e ethmoid region of the cranium and th e maxilla, nor between th e ethmoid and the premaxilla“.
The premaxillary, as shown in Ridewood’s figures, is here without either ascending or articular
processes, th e maxillary is without ascending process, the vomer is. apparently without ascending
processes, and the preethmoid (septomaxillary), if present, is apparently fused with th e mesethmoid.
This all seems to need further examination.
N A S A L SAC.
The nasal sac of Scorpaena is large, and has two large diverticula. The posterior surface of
th e sac lies against the anterior surface of the ectethmoid, occupying the space between th e preocular
spinous ridge and the lateral edge of the arm of the bone. The posterior nasal aperture lies a t the
tapering dorsal end of this portion of the sac, immediately lateral to th e preocular spinous ridge;
th e anterior aperture lying slightly anterior to it, approximately between th e summit, of the mesethmoid
process and th e dorso-lateral corner of the arm of the ectethmoid. The anterior opening of the
olfactory canal through the antorbital process lies in this same region, approximately ventral to
the anterior edge of the posterior nasal aperture. As the olfactory nerve issues from its canal, it turns
dorsally, a t th e same time spreading in a postero-anterior direction, and, pushing the floor of the
sac upward, forms a s tout vertical partition which rises from th e floor and anterior wall of th e sac
.and reaches upward nearly to its roof. I t bears, on its summit, a rosette of sensory tissue, this
rosette lying directly beneath th e anterior nasal aperture. The floor of th e n asal sac extends forward,
on either side of this sensory partition, to the level of the summital edge of th e ascending process
of th e maxillary, which edge abuts against the anterior end of th e partition. The floor of the nasal
sac is thus here U-shaped. The lateral leg of th e U lies directly above th e open oval space, already
•described, th a t lies between the lateral edge of this p a rt of th e skull and the dorso-mesial edges of
th e lachrymal and palatine, this space being closed, ventrally, by the lining membrane of the
•mouth cavity.
From each leg of the U-shaped nasal sac, an important diverticulum arises, these diverticula
doubtless being the „nasal sacs“ or „reservoirs“ th a t Kyle (’00) says are found in th e Scorpaenidae,
b u t which I cannot find th a t he describes. The diverticulum th a t arises from the lateral leg of the
U is th e larger one of the two. I t passes beyond the lateral edge of the skull, and there lies in the
■space enclosed between the lachrymal above, and th e palatine below. I t has a short posterior prolongation
and a longer anterior one. The posterior prolongation lies along the ventro-lateral edge
o f the arm of th e ectethmoid, between the two articular surfaces on th a t edge. The anterior end of