OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 283 



oblique processes of the two vertebrae next behind ; and thus they become the medium 

 of muscular forces actinj; from not less than five distinct points, the power of which is 

 augmented by eac!i tendon being braced down by the oblique converging series of mus- 

 cles immediately anterior to it. The fasciculus from the eighth cervical vertebra, besides 

 its insertion by the ordinary tendon, sends oft' externally a small pyramidal bundle of 

 muscular fibres (PI. XXXII. n*), which soon terminates in a long and slender tendon 

 which is inserted into the oblique process of the third cervical vertebra. Corresponding 

 portions of muscle (PI. XXXII. & XXXIII. n**) are detached from the two anterior 

 fasciculi, which converge and terminate in a common slender tendon inserted into the 

 posterior oblique process of the fourth cervical vertebra ; and thus terminates this com- 

 plex muscle or series of muscles. 



Longus colli posticus (PI. XXXII. & XXXIII. fig. 1. o 1 — 9). — The most internal or 

 mesial of the superficial muscles of the dorsal aspect of the thoracic and cervical regions, 

 called cervicalis ascendens by Meckel, and compared in part with the spinalis dorsi by 

 Cuvier, cannot be the representative of either of these muscles, since they both [l** Sip) 

 co-exist separately with it in the Apteryx. At its posterior part the muscle in question 

 seems to be rather a continuation of the longissimus dorsi; its mesial and anterior part offers 

 a strong analogy with the hiventer cenicis ; it appears to me to be evidently the analogue 

 of the first, or mesio-dorsal series of oblique fibres of the muscular system in Fishes, but 

 I shall adopt the name of the longus colli posticus applied to it by Cuvier'. It commences 

 by long and slender, but strong, subcompressed tendons from the spines of the sixth, fifth 

 and fourth dorsal vertebrae (PI. XXXIII. o) : these tendons gradually expand as they pro- 

 ceed forwards and downwards, and send oft' from their under surface muscular fibres which 

 continue in the same course, and begin to be grouped into distinct fasciculi at the base 

 of the neck : the first of these bundles (o 1) joins the fasciculus of the longissimus dorsi 

 (m**), which is inserted into the posterior articular process of the thirteenth cervical ver- 

 tebra ; the succeeding fasciculi derive their origins from a broad and strong aponeurotic 

 sheet attached to the spines of the fourth, third and second dorsal vertebrae : the second 

 to the eighth fasciculi inclusive are compressed, broad and fleshy, and are inserted in the 

 strong round tendons described in the preceding muscle, and attached to the oblique pro- 

 cesses of the twelfth to the sixth cervical vertebrae inclusive : the ninth fasciculus (o 9), 

 which forms the main anterior continuation of the longus colli posticus'', is larger than the 

 rest, and receives, as it advances, accessory fibres from the spinous processes of the seventh 

 (o") to the third cervical vertebrae inclusive, and is inserted, partly fleshy, partly by a 

 strong tendon, into the side of the broad spine of the vertebra dentata. A slender fas- 

 ciculus is detached from the mesial and dorsal margin of the longus colli posticus, near 

 the base of the neck, which soon terminates in a long round tendon {o") : this tendon 

 is braced down by short aponeurotic fibres to the spine of the fifth, fourth, third and 



' Leipons d'Anat. Comp., 2nd edit. vol. i. p. 284. 



' ' Accessoires du long postt'rieur du cou,' Cuvier, loc. cit. p. 2S4. 



