BONE IN THE HEART OF MOOSE—SOMERS. 75 
A number of interesting localities for rare Ferns were also 
noticed, from information furnished by Mr. Vroom, including 
new stations in New Brunswick for Adiantum, Aspleniwm 
thelypteroides, Cystopteris bulbifera Woodsia Ilvensis, Botry- 
chium Virginicum, and Woodwardia Virginica. 

Art. IX. ON THE Bonz in THE HEART OF THE Moose. By 
J. Someks, M. D. 
(Read January 8, 1883). 
IN most ruminants, especially the larger kinds, there is a 
bent bone at the base of the heart, on the septal side of the 
origin of the aorta, and imbedded in the tendinous circle which 
gives attachment to the muscular fibres of the ventricle. In 
the giraffe this bone was two-thirds of an inch in length. Two 
such ossifications of the sclerous tissue have been met with. In 
oxen and red deer, an ossified and unossified piece of fibrocarti- 
lage is more commonly observed. In the horse these bodies at 
the septal side of the aortic ring, are rarely ossified until extreme 
age. (Owen, Comp. Anat. Vol. 3, p. 523.) 
The fibrous structure of the heart consists of the firm rings 
which surround the auriculo-ventricular and great arterial ori- 
fices. All of these fibres are more strongly developed on the left 
side of the heart. The left auriculo-ventricular ring is firmly 
blended at the fore-part of its right margin with the fibrous 
structure surrounding the aortic orifice, and behind the aortic 
opening, between it and the two auriculo-ventricular openings 
there is found a fibro-cartilaginous mass, which is connected 
with the several fibrous rings, and to which the muscular sub- 
stance is also attached. In some large animals, as in the ox and 
the elephant, there is a small piece of bone in this situation. 
(Sharpey & Quain’s Anat. Am. edition, 1849. Vol. 1, pp. 
481-2.) 
. The above quotations from OWEN, and SHARPEY and QUAIN 
refer to an anatomical peculiarity in the heart of ruminants and 
