and Autopsy of two Giraffes killed by Fire. 191 



A portion of the obturator internus appears to pass through 

 the obturator foramen, therefore resembling in a degree what 

 Mr. Mivart and I found in Hyrax^ ^ wherein we named a 

 muscle which pierced the foramen obturator tertius. 



The biceps femoris is double-headed and very flesh}'' ; its 

 anterior portion has coarse fibres, directed obliquely forwards 

 and downwards. The semimembranosus is another very bulky 

 muscle, the seraitendinosus less so. In an old male the 

 gastrocnemius had attained great fulness of proportion ; both 

 heads were strongly muscular, particularly the inner one. 

 The Toulouse Professors remark that the plantaris is absent ; 

 but in the animal last spoken of I certainly met with it. 

 Arising by a short tendon from the outer side of the linea 

 aspera, its muscular belly terminates above the middle of the 

 tibia. The continuation of its lower tendon winds round the 

 inner side of the gastrocnemius, and, superficial to it at the 

 OS calcis, spreads out and has an attachment on each side. 



The inferior tendon of the tibialis anticus is relatively very 

 thick; and the extensor communis digitorum I observed to be 

 double-bellied, these lying in close apposition. MM. Joly 

 and Lavocat also mention two muscles ; but, as they say, one 

 " est I'extenseur propre du doigt interne," a muscle (the ex. 

 long, pollicis) which I met Avith independent of the duality 

 of belly above spoken of. They allude to but one peronasus : 

 I satisfied myself of there being two, the smaller being situated 

 most anteriorly. The disposition of the other flexors of the 

 leg and foot corresponded pretty well with the description 

 given by the authors of the " Recherches." Their remarks 

 upon the mechanism of action of the leg-muscles and tendons 

 are very appropriate. 



5. Autopsy of two Animals hilled through afire. 



A few years ago a fire accidentally broke out at night in the 

 giraffe-house of the Zoological Gardens. Three animals were 

 occupants — an old male, and a female with her young about 

 two months old. It was in the stall of the latter that com- 

 bustion had set up, their bedding of straw and part of the 

 boards being consumed before attention was drawn to the 

 casualty. When entered, the atmosphere of the building was 

 stifling through smoke. The male giraffe was got out safely 

 to the adjoining yard ; but the young one and her dam suc- 

 cumbed speedily amongst the smoky fumes and smouldering 

 embers of the scorching straw. As no record of the autopsy 

 has hitherto been published, it therefore forms a fit appendix 

 to the present anatomical communication. 



* Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G5, p. 348. 



