342 ANATOMY OF THE RABBIT 



The foregoing muscles should be divided. 



{c) The rectus capitis posterior minor. Origin: Posterior 

 tubercle of the atlas. Insertion: External occipital pro- 

 tuberance. 



(d) The rectus capitis posterior major. Origin: Spinous 

 process of the epistropheus. Insertion: Laterally on the 

 supraoccipital bone. 



{e) The obliquus capitis inferior. Origin: Spinous process of 

 the epistropheus. Insertion: Dorsal surface of the trans- 

 verse process of the atlas. 



(/) The rectus capitis lateralis. Origin: In common with the 

 obliquus capitis superior, which covers it. Insertion: 

 Base of the jugular process of the occipital. 



3. Muscles of the lateral and ventral surfaces of the neck: 



(These belong to the epibranchial portion of the hypaxial 

 musculature — p. 67. The hypobranchial portion cornprises the 

 sternohyoid, sternothyreoid, thyreohyoid, and geniohyoid 

 muscles.) 



(a) The scalenus ventralis or anterior. Origin: Transverse 

 processes of the four posterior cervical vertebrae. Insertion : 

 Anterior and lateral surfaces of bony first rib. 



(b) The scalenus medius. Origin: Transverse process of the 

 fifth cervical vertebra. Insertion: Lateral surfaces of the 

 third to fifth ribs (with sometimes a slip to the second rib) . 



(c) The scalenus dorsalis or posterior. Origin: Transverse 

 processes of the fourth to sixth cervical vertebrae. Insertion : 

 More dorsal part of first rib. • 



The medius is superficial; the ventral more or less 

 separated from the dorsal by the origin on the first rib of 

 part of the cervical portion of the vSerratus anterior. 



(d) The obliquus thoracis or transversus costarum. Origin: 

 Lateral surface of the bony first rib just ventral to the 

 insertion of the scalenus ventralis. Insertion: Side of the 

 sternum from the attachment of the second costal cartilage 

 to that of the fourth, by a triangular aponeurosis which is 

 fused with that of the anterior end of the rectus abdominis 



