NERVES OF THE NECK. 511 



The branches of this nerve are, first, those which com- 

 municate, on the outside of the condyloid foramen, with 

 the pneumogastric, sympathetic, spinal accessory, and first 

 and second cervical nerves. As it crosses the occipital 

 artery it sends off the descendens-noni, which descends 

 in front of and outside the sheath of the common caro- 

 tid artery, to the middle of the neck, where it meets 

 with branches from the second and third cervical nerves, 

 forming a plexus which is distributed upon the sterno- 

 hyoid, thyroid, and omo-hyoid muscles. About the os-hy- 

 oides, filaments of the lingual have been traced to the 

 constrictors of the pharynx, stylo-pharyngeus, and thyro- 

 hyoid muscles ; and on the hyo-glossus, communicating 

 branches form a plexus with the gustatory branch of the 

 fifth pair. 



The facial nerve is described under the organs of expres- 

 sion, to which the reader is referred. 



The cervical plexus (Fig. 153) is divided into the anterior 

 B,nd. posterior cervical plexuses. The former is formed by the 

 union of the anterior branches of the four superior cervical 

 nerves, and is situated upon the side of the neck, between 

 the trapezius and sterno-mastoid muscles, corresponding to 

 the second, third, and fourth vertebra?, and covered by the 

 platysma and fascia. This plexus rests upon the origin of 

 the splenius and levator anguli scapulas muscles, and com- 

 municates with the eighth and ninth nerves, and the su- 

 perior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic. Its branches 

 are divided into ascending and descending, and these again 

 into superficial and deep. 



The superficial consist of Superficialis colli, Auricu- 

 laris magnus, and Occipital. 



The superficialis colli comes from the second and third 

 cervical nerves, winds round the mastoid muscle, and as- 

 cends, along with the external jugular vein, to the angle 

 of the jaw. supplying filaments to the lower part of the 

 face, and to the integuments of the lateral and anterior 

 regions of the neck, and connecting with the cervico-facial. 



The auricularis magnus comes also from the second 



