THE MUSCULATURE OF THE TRUNK. 281 



sides of the dorsal neural crests, a system of X s are 

 seen to be formed by these little tendons crossing each 

 other. 



The longissimus dorsi in the Raven also arises, some- 

 what fleshy, from the diapophyses of the dorsal 

 vertebrae, and from the fascia between it and the 

 sacro-lumbalis , and also by a tendinous sheet continu- 

 ous with the origin of the longus colli posticus from 

 the free surfaces of the crests of the neural spines of 

 the last three dorsal vertebrae. 



It will be seen from all this, that the present muscle, 

 on either side, fills in the " ilio-neural canal " of the 

 pelvis ; the open angle formed by the neural spines and 

 diapophyses of the dorsal vertebras ; and is bounded 

 externally principally by the sacro-lumbalis muscle. 



Now the longissimus dorsi is further inserted by four 

 fasciculi, the anterior one being strong and tendinous, 

 into the free hinder margins of the oblique processes 

 of the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth 

 vertebrae, respectively. 



These insertions are so disposed that the olliquus 

 colli, or the series of muscles so called, seem to con- 

 stitute the harmonious continuation of them up the 

 side of the neck ; while above, the longissimus dorsi is 

 apparently so continued up the back of the neck by 

 the longus colli posticus. 



131. The obliquus colli 1 consists of a series of 



1 Turning to the sacro-lumbalis (No. 129) of the present work, 

 and consulting the footnotes there given, the following synonymy 

 is further illustrative : 



" 4. M. TEANSVERSO-OBLIQUUS. 



Extensor parvus colli. Wiedemann, p. 77 ; Tiedemann, 214 ; 



Watson, p. 58. 

 Quermuskel des Nackens. Meckel, System, p. 294, No. 5. 



