﻿466 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [40 
  J 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  the 
  four-limbed 
  inainrnals 
  generally 
  there 
  are 
  three, 
  or 
  at 
  most 
  

   four, 
  muscles 
  described 
  as 
  occupying 
  the 
  iliac 
  region, 
  viz 
  : 
  the 
  psoas 
  ma- 
  

   jor, 
  psoas 
  minor, 
  iliacus 
  and 
  quadratus 
  lumborum. 
  But 
  in 
  cetaceans, 
  

   as 
  most 
  writers 
  state, 
  there 
  is 
  only 
  one 
  enormously 
  large 
  inferior 
  lumbo- 
  

   caudal 
  muscle, 
  which, 
  at 
  first 
  sight, 
  might 
  be 
  supposed 
  either 
  to 
  repre- 
  

   sent 
  the 
  psoas 
  magnus 
  alone, 
  or 
  the 
  psoas 
  minor, 
  iliacus, 
  and 
  quadratus 
  

   lumborum 
  incorporated 
  with 
  it. 
  Whatever 
  relation 
  exists, 
  division 
  at 
  

   least 
  is 
  inappreciable 
  in 
  G. 
  melas. 
  This 
  enormously 
  developed 
  sacro- 
  

   coccygeus 
  muscle 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  fusiform. 
  On 
  each 
  side 
  it 
  occupies 
  the 
  lat- 
  

   teral 
  and 
  inferior 
  surfaces 
  of 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  and 
  their 
  transverse 
  processes 
  

   from 
  the 
  ninth 
  dorsal 
  vertebrae 
  backwards 
  ; 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  transverse 
  proc- 
  

   esses 
  of 
  the 
  caudal 
  elements 
  are 
  lost, 
  it 
  still 
  continues 
  upon 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  

   shape 
  of 
  a 
  bundle 
  of 
  tendons 
  continued 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  spinal 
  

   column. 
  The 
  volume 
  of 
  its 
  solid 
  fleshy 
  fiber 
  may 
  best 
  be 
  comprehended 
  

   in 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  ranges 
  in 
  our 
  specimen 
  of 
  GloMocephalus 
  from 
  one 
  

   foot 
  to 
  six 
  inches 
  in 
  transverse 
  diameter, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  corresponding 
  thick- 
  

   ness 
  or 
  depth. 
  Further 
  to 
  particularize 
  attachments 
  and 
  relations, 
  it 
  

   passes 
  beneath 
  the 
  diaphragm, 
  has 
  the 
  kidneys, 
  &c, 
  lying 
  upon 
  it, 
  and 
  

   narrowing 
  behind 
  the 
  rectum 
  sends 
  off, 
  downwards 
  and 
  backwards, 
  su- 
  

   perficially, 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  flat 
  tendons. 
  These 
  are 
  so 
  connected 
  together 
  as 
  

   to 
  constitute 
  a 
  very 
  strong 
  tendino-aponeurotic 
  sheath, 
  spreads 
  out 
  and 
  

   is 
  continued 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  inferior 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  broad 
  fibrous 
  tail. 
  The 
  main 
  

   body 
  of 
  the 
  fleshy 
  mass 
  meanwhile 
  terminates 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  strong 
  tendon, 
  

   which 
  passes 
  direct 
  along 
  the 
  spine 
  and 
  is 
  fixed 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  last 
  verte- 
  

   bra. 
  Moreover, 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  appreciable 
  flat 
  layer 
  of 
  fleshy 
  fibers, 
  which 
  

   come 
  from 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  and 
  spread 
  over 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  afore- 
  

   said 
  tendinous 
  sheath. 
  This 
  muscular 
  layer 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  

   reduplication 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  muscle 
  itself. 
  

  

  "A 
  muscle, 
  the 
  exact 
  counterpart 
  of 
  the 
  supracaudal, 
  lies 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  transverse 
  processes 
  of 
  the 
  caudal 
  vertebrae, 
  and 
  it 
  bears 
  

   the 
  same 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  sacro 
  coccygeus 
  that 
  the 
  supracaudal 
  does 
  to 
  

   the 
  longissimus 
  dorsi, 
  save 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  inversion 
  of 
  position. 
  I 
  distin- 
  

   guish 
  it 
  as 
  the 
  infracaudal. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  long 
  spinal 
  muscles 
  of 
  Cetacea 
  have 
  received 
  different 
  names 
  and 
  

   significations 
  from 
  successive 
  anatomists, 
  though 
  tbe 
  descriptions, 
  save 
  

   that 
  of 
  Stannius, 
  tally. 
  Meckel 
  * 
  demonstrates 
  the 
  parts 
  in 
  the 
  narwal 
  

   (Monodon 
  communis) 
  and 
  the 
  dolphin 
  (Phoccena 
  communis?). 
  His 
  text 
  

   appears 
  to 
  me 
  to 
  imply 
  that 
  he 
  considers 
  present 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  dif- 
  

   ferentiated 
  : 
  1. 
  An 
  equivalent 
  of 
  the 
  spinalis 
  dorsi, 
  biventer 
  cervicis, 
  

   and 
  complexus, 
  a 
  longissimus 
  dorsi, 
  trachelo 
  mastoid, 
  and 
  splenius 
  cap- 
  

   itis 
  ; 
  2. 
  A 
  sacro-lumbalis 
  with 
  cervicalis 
  ascendens 
  anteriorly 
  ('trachelo- 
  

   mastoi'dien, 
  ou 
  l'intertransversaire 
  ducou' 
  of 
  his 
  translators) 
  ; 
  3. 
  Flexor 
  

   caudae 
  lateralis 
  ; 
  4. 
  Depressor 
  caudae, 
  quadratus 
  lumbarum, 
  psoas 
  and 
  

   iliacus; 
  5. 
  An 
  inferior 
  depressor 
  caudae. 
  Frederick 
  Cuvierf 
  speaks 
  of 
  

  

  * 
  Anat. 
  Comp. 
  Vol. 
  VI., 
  p. 
  128 
  et 
  seq. 
  

  

  t 
  Art. 
  Cetacea. 
  Cyclop. 
  Anat. 
  and 
  Physiol. 
  I, 
  p. 
  569. 
  

  

  