HEAD AND NECK OF THE HORSE 



105 



the superior nuchal line of the occipital bone and the base of the 

 jugular process. 



Dissection. — Remove the caudal oblique muscle entirely. Cut across 

 the cranial oblique muscle close to the wing of the atlas, and turn it 

 forwards as much as possible. 



M. RECTUS CAPITIS DORSALis MINOR. — The smaller dorsal straight 

 muscle lies close upon the capsule of the occipito-atlantal joint, with 



M. frontoscutularis. ■^- 



M. interscutularis. 



Long levator. ( 



M. temporalis. 

 Rotators. 



N. occipitalis. 



^'^^ Parotid gland. 



M. obliquus capitis cranialis. 



M. semispinalis capitis. ~-^ 



M. splenitis. — 



Til. rhomboideus S^— \- 



cervicalis. 



-M. rectus capitis dorsalis major. 

 -M. obliquus capitis caudalis. 



Ligamentum nuchae. 



M. longissimus capitis. 



M. semispinalis capitis. 



Fig. 43.— Dissection of the occipital region. First (left) and third (right) stages. 



which its deeper surface is connected. It springs from the dorsal arch 

 of the atlas, and is inserted near the occipital attachment of the 

 ligamentum nuchas. 



A. OCCIPITALIS. — The removal of the caudal oblique muscle has 

 revealed the two terminal branches of the occipital ^ artery, both of 

 which have origin in the fossa atlantis. 



The descending branch (ramus descendens) is the smaller of the 

 1 Occiput { = ob + ca}mt, the head) [L.], the back of the head. 



