THE MUSCULATURE OF THE TRUNK. 285 



132. The longus colli anterior is that complicated 

 muscular mass which is found running the entire 

 length of the anterior aspect of the neck, superficially. 

 To be properly studied it must first be carefully un- 



spine of the last cervical vertebra : the rest of the fibres of the 

 second fasciculus join the portion of the longissimus dor si which is 

 implanted into the posterior oblique process of the last cervical 

 vertebra. The three inserted tendons of the spinalis dorsi are also 

 the medium, of attachment of fibres continued from the muUifidus 

 spince, beneath them. 



" The series of muscles called multijidus spince arises by fleshy 

 fibres from the diapophyses of the five last dorsal vertebrae, which 

 pass upward, forward, and inward, to be inserted by four flat tendons 

 into the spines of the seventh to the third dorsal vertebrae inclusive, 

 and by the tendons of the spinalis dorsi into the two anterior dorsal 

 spines. 



" Obliquo-spinales. The removal of the muUifidus spince brings 

 into view a series of long, narrow, flat tendons, coming off from the 

 spines of all the dorsal vertebrae, and slightly expanding as they 

 proceed forwards and obliquely downwards and outwards ; they 

 become fleshy half-way from their origin, and are inserted into the 

 posterior oblique and transverse processes of the six anterior dorsal 

 vertebra;, and into the posterior oblique processes of the three last 

 cervical vertebrse " (pp. 88, 89). 



Although these muscles are of no particular importance as com- 

 pared with far more constant elements of the muscular system, and 

 still less so with such muscles as can be effectively utilized in classi- 

 fication, still their study and investigation affords not a little 

 material of interest when we come to search for them as facts 

 simply to illustrate our comparative researches. 



To this end they may be advantageously compared with the dorsal 

 muscles of Echidna and Ornithorhynchus and the lower forms of 

 birds. 



For still further information upon this point see Gadow's (" 9. M. 

 MULTIFIDUS + SEMISPINALIS ") account in Bronn's Klassen des Thier- 

 Reichs, vi. Band, pp. 113, 114 ; also Selenka in the same work (M. 

 multijidus spince}, p. 96, No. 7 ; likewise the works of Gurlt (p. 18), 

 and Meckel's System, p. 292, No. 2. The subject demands more 

 extended research and comparison. 



