File:The Quarterly journal of the Geological Society of London (14053352106).jpg

PERFECT SKELETON OF RHTTINA GIGAS.
459
The pelvis in the Sirenia is ex-
ceedingly rudimentary, consisting of
a pair of small bones suspended at
some distance below the vertebral
column. (These have not been ob-
served in Kfiytina.) There is no
trace of any hind limb ; but a rudi-
mentary femur has been noticed in
another extinct form of Sirenian
.HalWierimri) .
Ehytina: The ITead.—The head
in Rhytina is small in proportion to
the long and very thick body. The
bones of the skull are massive, but
very loosely connected together.
Sir Eichard Owen observes that
this character of the skull, taken in
connexion with the density of the
bony skeleton, and the absence of
cavities * in the bones themselves,
reminds one of the skeleton of the
Eeptilia (Owen, " On the Dugong,"
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1838, pp. 28-45).
The nasal bones are quite rudi-
mentary ; the maxillary border is
narrow and straight ; the premaxil-
lary bones, forming the rostral por-
tion of the skull, are long and con-
siderably developed in front, forming
the strongly curved border of the
nasal opening, and projecting with
a downward curve (as in Hcdicore,
but less acute), its upper and outer
contour being very convex, and the
lower and inner palatal surface
being concave.
The zygomatic arch is strongly
developed and much curved. The
occipital portion of the skull is the
by tlie earlier Toyagers, both in the East
and West Indies and on the coasts of
Africa, should hare originated the legends
of Mermaids and Sirens, seems at first
sight incredible ; but art was then in
its infancy in this country, and doubtless
the engraver, who pourtrayed at seco7id
hand the features of the " sea-siren," had
but little assistance in his delineation
from the narrator.

• Ornithopsis Seeleyi, Hulke, was not
  

then discovered.
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