268 THE MYOLOGY OF THE RAVEN. 



minor rather pulls it downwards, while the corn- 

 plexus, no doubt, is an auxiliary to the more powerful 

 extensors found at the back of the neck. 



The single carotid artery becomes nearly superficial 

 in the median line, near the posterior apex of the pre- 

 sent muscle, formed by the union of the two inferior 

 flexors of the head, just described, being covered only 

 by the nearly transparent common envelope of fascia. 



It bifurcates soon after its emergence from the point 

 in question, and each lateral branch is harboured in 

 the sulcus formed by the present muscle and the rectus 

 capitis anticus minor, until the vessel arrives at that 

 foramen which affords it, on either side, ingress to 

 the cranial cavity. 



126. Tlie rectus capitis posticus major 1 is, on either 



1 The only muscle I can find in literature wherewith to compare 

 the present one is the rect. cap. posticiis of Gadow, who presents us 

 with the subjoined synonymy for it, and in Bronn's Klassen des Thier- 

 Reichs (loc. cit., p. 112) gives a description for it : 



" 8. M. EECTUS CAPITIS POSTICUS. 



Kleiner Kopfheber. Merrem. 



Le petit muscle droit posterieur ; petit complexity. Cuvier. 



Rectus capitis posticus major et minor. Tiodemann, 205-206. 



d' Alton, p. 8. 

 Ohne Namen. Meckel, /System, p. 298. 

 Recti capitis postici. Selenka, p. 99, No. 16. 

 Grand et petit droit posterieur. Gervais et Alix, p. 14. 

 Rectus capitis posticus minor. Watson, p. 63. 

 Splenius capitis. Watson, p. 63." 



Note. The muscle is by no means a small one in the Raven, 

 that is if I am correct in comparing my rect. cap. post, major with 

 the above one of Grulow and other authors. A comparison of the 

 synonyms of the recti muscles throughout the class Axes is 

 sufficient to convince anyone of the fact that they still stand in 

 need of careful diagnosis ; and further comparative research in 

 representatives of divers groups of birds is a thing much to be 

 desired, in so far as their myology goes. 



