SKELETON OF BRUTA. 



397 



In the skeleton of the Great Anteater {Mp^mecophaga juhata, 

 fig. 263), the vertebral formula is : — 7 cervical, 15 dorsal, 3 

 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 35 caudal. The atlas is pierced in two 

 places obliquely at the fore-part of the neural arch on each side. 

 The axis has a transverse perforation on each side the neural arch 

 anterior to the transverse process, which is imperforate. The 

 transverse processes of the three succeeding cervicals are imper- 

 forate, the vertebral artery entering the neural canal behind, and 

 perforating obliquely the base of the neurapophysis, anteriorly. 

 In the sixth cervical, the canal for the vertebral artery runs 

 through the base of the transverse process. These processes are 

 much extended antero-posteriorly in all the cervicals and overlap 



263 



Myrmecophoga jubata. 



each other : their di- and pleur-apophysial . portions are very 

 distinct in the fifth and sixth cervicals. The spine of the seventh 

 is lono^er than the rest and truncate above ; it is much exceeded 

 in antero-posterior diameter by the spine of the first dorsal. A 

 metapophysial tubercle is developed from the outer side of the 

 prozygapojohysis in all the five posterior cervicals. It is placed 

 more outwardly in the first and second dorsals, and gets ujDon the 

 top of the diapophyses in the succeeding dorsals. In the eleventh 

 dorsal the metapophysis begins to resume its former position, and 

 developes an articular surface from its under part, which joins the 

 upper articulating surface of the anapophysis of the preceding 

 vertebra. In the thirteenth dorsal, the metapophysis is half-way 



