276 



THOMAS DWKillT OX 



(rroup C 



H-o. Cat. '.l.-i71)-40. 



Female, prohjililv old. (In.saiie.) ('. (1. T. VI. L. (>, S. G, C. 4. 



This is a verv rcmarkalile, if not unique, case. Thei'e ai"e only si.K eervical vertebrae, 

 and of these the atlas and a.\is are fused. The fusion is so complete that the only points 

 of separation ari' the intervertebral foramina. The odontoid, the anterior arch of the 

 atlas, and its lateral masses are all indistinguishable. A projection 8 mm. long extends 

 upward, above the rest, presumably from the odontoid. Its front surface is oblique, slant- 

 ing upward and backward, and is smooth, as if luuing 

 rested against some ai'ticulai" facet. The posterior 

 ai'ch of the atlas, however, is well develojjed and 

 shows clearly tlie groove for the vertebral artery 

 behind the articular facet. This facet is very far 

 from normal. It is nearly plane, facing upwards, 

 backwards and inwards. Tlie right one. which is 

 the higher and al.so the longer, is very slightly 

 concave. It is uufortimate that we know nothing 

 of the head. The (itli vertelira would pass as a very 

 fair .specimen of the Tth. It is not possible to speak 

 of the ")th. for the tip of the spinous process is 

 broken. Tlic 7tli vertebra is a 1st thoracic. The 

 1st pair of ribs, arising from it, is not perfect, but 

 they seem undoubtedly to deserve the designation. 

 The left one, with well-developed head, neck, and 

 tubercle, measures 7 cm. in a straight line fi'om the latter to the end of the shaft, 

 which is rounded and free. By "rounded" is meant, not that it ends in a knob, but that 

 the shaft retains its flatness, the outei- and inner borders rounding off the angles as they 

 turn to meet. Tlie riglit 1st I'ili is cut. so tliat its termination is unknown, but thei'e is no 

 reason to doubt that it was a fairly typical 1st rib. Tlu' last ribs, the \'1\\\ pair, ari' decid- 

 edlv long. consi(k'ring llie small size of this feni:de llioi'ax. The right nu^asures \'l. cm. 

 and the left I i.-i cm. along the cur\'e. There is ;i slight lateral twist in the uppi'r pai't of 

 the thorax, to the right. Se\eral ot tlu' thoracic Ncrtebrae liaxc low bodii's. as if com- 

 pri'sst'd. and most of them are fused Ijy a [)athological process. There are se\eral 



