184 THE MYOLOGY OF THE RAVEN. 



numerous dissections of tlie tliighs of birds by the genius 

 of Garrod. 



In the Raven, as in so many of the cLass, it is, next to 

 the biceps criiris, one of the most interesting muscles 

 that our scalpel reveals for us. 



In form it is a long narrow spindle, flattened from 

 side to side. Its caudal extremity is drawn out into a 

 delicate tendon, which, arising from the base of the 

 pygostyle of the tail-skeleton, passes between the lateral 

 caudal muscles towards its insertion. 



Its anterior extremity is also tendinous, but thin and 

 flattened in the same plane with the muscle. This is 

 inserted upon the outer aspect of the shaft of the femur, 

 below the trochanter, at about the junction of the upper 

 with the middle third of the bone. With the limb fixed, 

 and the muscle acting from its femoral end, it would 

 assist the lateral caudal muscles in drawing the coccyx, 

 and with it the tail, to its own side ; but with the coccyx 

 fixed, it would, in contracting from that end, tend to 

 pull the femur backwards and slightly rotate it out- 

 wards. 



In describing the origin and insertion of this muscle 

 for the class generally, Garrod says that " it arises from 

 the (anterior) transverse processes of the two last coc- 

 cygeal vertebrse, and is inserted into the linea aspera 

 of the femur, at about one-third its length from the 

 trochanter." The fact that it arises from the base of the 

 pygostyle (Fig. 24) in our present subject forms quite 

 an interesting exception to the general' rule as laid down 

 by the talented anatomist just quoted. 



Ohne Namen. Meckel, /System, p. 356, No. 5, unci p. 357, No. 7 ; 



Archiv, p. 265, letzter Absatz vor No. 10, und p. 262, No. 6. 

 M. quadratus femoris ; Adductor hrevis. Owen, Apteryx, p. 292, 



291." (Bronn's Klassen des Thier-Reichs, vi. Band. p. 158.) 



