964 THE OSTEOLOGY AND MYOLOGY OF THE DEATH ADDER, 



The first of these columns is called by Hofi'mann the "rectus 

 anticus major," and the second one the ''minor." The only objec- 

 tion to be offered to this is the fact of the different directions of 

 the muscles, since they run from within outwards instead of from 

 without inwards. 



The form of these muscles is similar in all the snakes examined, 

 and is much the same in Hydrosaurus. The reason for this great 

 development is to be found in the fact that they are the main 

 muscles by which the snake " strikes." 



M. LONGUS COLLI. 



The longus colli is not described in snakes, although we shall 

 show that it is really represented. 



The muscle which we have described above as the subvertebral 

 rectus is continued forward to the skull. The first bundles spring 

 from the basioccipital and run backwards to the hypapophysis of 

 the atlas. This muscle might be described as a rectus medialis, 

 but it is not met with in the higher forms, its place being occupied 

 by the accessory ligament of the anterior occipito-atlantal. The 

 succeeding bundles spring from the hypapophyses, and run outwards 

 and backwards, thus resembling the longus colli ; more posteriorly 

 we have the subvertebral rectus, developed to a different degree in 

 various forms, as we have shown above. 



The Muscles of the tail, perns, and anus. 



On reflecting the integument from the posterior portion of the 

 body, we find that the columns of the spinalis and longissimus 

 muscles are continued back to the extremity of the tail, while the 

 sacro-lumbalis becomes much reduced, and is represented by a small 

 band of muscle only. The bundles of the external oblique end 

 immediately anterior to the anus, while the pretrahentes costarum 

 superiores and inferiores run back to the last rib, where tliey 

 coalesce with the bundles of the flexores caudse. Posterior to the 

 anus we have the flexor caudae superficialis springing from the 

 costo-transverse processes. The muscle meets its fellow of the 



