THE EPICRANIAL MUSCLES 169 



THE EPICRANIAL MUSCLES 



M. Epicranius, p. n. (occipitofrontalis), comprises the 

 occipital and frontal muscles on either side, united by the 

 galea aponeurotica, p. n. (epicranial aponeurosis). This covers 

 the upper surface of the skull without division, closely attached to 

 integument and loosely to pericranium. Behind, it is attached 

 to the occipitales muscles, to the occipital protuberance, and 

 supreme curved lines; it terminates anteriorly in the fron tales; 

 laterally has no distinct margin, but beneath it a thin fascia 

 springs from the superior temporal line and passes under 

 the auricular muscles to the pinna. The frontalis muscle (mus- 

 culus epicranialis frontalis) rises from the aponeurosis between 

 the coronal suture and the frontal eminence; inferiorly it ends in 

 subcutaneous tissue at the root of the nose (pyramidalis nasi 

 is a part of it, Henle), inner can thus of the eye, and whole 

 length of the eyebrow, continued into the pyramidalis nasi 

 and interlacing with the corrugator supercilii and orbicularis; 

 the margins of the right and left are united near the root of 

 the nose, but separated higher up. 



The occipitalis muscle (musculus epicranialis occipitalis) 

 is attached to the outer two-thirds of the superior curved line 

 and to the mastoid process; its fibers, 1 to 2 inches long, ter- 

 minate in tendon, and that in aponeurosis ; an interval between 

 the muscles is occupied by aponeurosis. 



Henle describes the auricular muscles as a part of the epi- 

 cranius; the musculus epicranialis temporalis is the auricularis 

 anterior of Quain; rises from the root of the zygoma and bony 

 external auditory meatus; connected with the helix and cap- 

 sule of the lower jaw, its fibers pass up and forward to the 

 edge of the frontalis muscle and orbicularis oculi, and meet 

 the platysma below. 



The musculus (epicranialis) auricularis superior rises from 

 the galea aponeurotica, and converges to the helix by one 

 tendon, and by another to an eminence on the inner surface 

 of the pinna. 



The musculus (epicranialis) auricularis posterior rises from 

 the mastoid, sternomastoid aponeurosis, and outer part of 

 the superior curved line, and is inserted into the vertical ridge 



