106 



TOPOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY OF THE 



two, aud appears in the present dissectiou by emerging from the trans- 

 verse foramen of the atlas. It crosses the atlanto-epistrophic joint to 

 unite with the terminal portion of the vertebral artery. Twigs are 

 contributed to the caudal oblique muscle. 



The occipital branch (ramus occipitalis) of the occipital artery is a 

 large vessel that leaves the fossa atlantis by the alar foramen. Dorsal 

 to the atlas and epistropheus, it supplies branches to the two oblique 

 and the two straight muscles of the head, the semispinalis capitis, the 



M. interscutularis. _ 



N. occipitalis.-^ 



M. semispinalis capit 

 M. sple 



Ligamentum nuch 



M. rhomboideus cervical 



AI. rectus capitis dorsalis major. 

 Scutular cartilage. 

 Annular cartilage. 



Conchal cartilage. 



rotid gland. 

 _M. obliquus capitis cranialis. 

 'N. auricularis magnus. 

 -,M. rectus capitis dorsalis minor. 



~~A. occipitalis (ramus descendens). 

 -Submaxillary gland. 

 ~-K. accessorius (ramus dorsalis). 

 —-2nd cervical nerve 



- ^I. longissimus atlantis. 



- M. longissimus capitis. 



- M. semispinalis capitis. 



Fig. 44. — Dissection of the oocipital region. First (left) and fourth (right) stages. 



splenius, and the posterior auricular muscles and superjacent skin of 

 the ear. It anastomoses with the deep cervical and posterior meningeal 

 arteries and its fellow of the opposite side of tlie body. During its 

 passage through the alar foramen, the occipital ramus gives off the small 

 cerebrospinal artery (a cerebrospinalis) which at once enters the 

 vertebral canal by the intervertebral foramen of the atlas. 



N. OCCIPITALIS. — The occipital nerve is the dorsal branch of the 

 first cervical nerve. Appearing between the greater straight and the 

 caudal oblique muscles, it supplies the occipital group of muscles, as 

 well as those behind the ear, and ends in the skin of the occipital 

 region. 



