mUE VERTEBRA. 21 



Cervical Region. 



, Dorsal Region. \ 

 Vertebral / I Sternum. 



Column. \ Lumbar Region. 

 I Sacral Region. 

 (^Coccygeal Region. 



Appendicular Skeleton. 

 Pectoral Arch and Limb. 

 Pelvic Arch and Limb. 



Axial Skeleton, 

 vertebral column. 



The vertebral or spinal column may be considered the found- 

 ation of the skeleton, from which all other parts proceed. 

 Extending the whole length of the body, it consists of a 

 series of single bones, termed vertebrce, firmly united, and it 

 presents a succession of curves ; thus, in the horse, the neck, 

 back, and croup are usually curved, while the loins are nearly 

 straight. 



The vertebral cliain may be divided into five regions, exclusive 

 of the cranial portion, which Ave regard collectively as the skull. 

 These are the cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal — 

 respectively the regions of the neck, back, loins, croup, and tail ; 

 and, while all possess certain points of conformation in common, 

 special peculiarities distinguish the vertebrse of any one region 

 from those of another. 



Vertebrse are either true or false ; true vertebrae possess 

 certain typical parts, which they retain throughout the life of 

 the animal, and they never, in health, unite by ossification ; 

 while false vertebrse either do not possess the essential characters 

 of true, or they may become so united; 



TRUE VERTEBRAE. 



A true vertebra consists of a body or centrum, an arch, called 

 the neural arch, notches, and spinous, transverse, and articular 

 processes. The body is the solid block of bone on which all the 

 other parts are built, and which, in quadrupeds, lies below the 

 spinal canal. Its anterior end is convex,' and its posterior 

 correspondingly concave, both being discs of compact bone 



