Till-: VERTERHAL CO 1. 1 M\ 31 



tninsver.-e pr.-cess, and on tlie other, on its posterior margin, after pursuing n certain 

 track in the substance, of tlit- bone. 



Tin- odontoid pn'ivss of tin- njcis is constricted at its l>.t-e. This vertebra i distin- 

 gui.-hed by it> high and thin .-pinous i>rotv.-> inclining slightly bock, by its trail- 



Mi being but slightly prominent and perforated by an enormous vertebral 

 (bmnen. 



In tin- jiiur sii<;-ieili>j r. rt, Ir.-i ', the spinous process terminates in a blunt i*>int, and 

 inclines fur ward; slightly salient in the first, it gradually ri.ses in tin oth. r-. Tin- Irans- 

 ; m two prolongations : one, the superior, is tuberculous, and is joined 

 lo tin- anterior articular procc.-s by a plate of bone, which is pierced by a foramen; the 

 otlier, the inferior, flattened on both sides, bent downwards, and large, as it belongs to 

 the posterior v. rt l>ne. transforms the inferior face of these vertebral bodies into a large 

 groove. The necenth us provided with a spinous process aa long as those of the dorsal 

 . A perforated bony plate, as in the preceding vertebras, unites the anterior 

 articular procc.-s to the -ingle tubercle composing the transverse proofs; the latter is 

 continued back nearly to the posterior notch by a second plate, also perforated with a 

 forain :. 2j. 



-. I >t T -<d vertebrx. The Pig has fourteen dorsal vertebrae, which, in their general 

 <li>lition, are not unlike those of the Ox. Aa with that animal, the inter vertebral fora- 

 mina are double, each vertebral lamina being perforated laterally by an ojiening situated 

 in front of the posterior notch. In addition, the vertebras of the Pig present this pecu- 

 liarity. that their transverse processes are generally traversed at the base by a single or 

 multiple foramen which communicates with the preceding. 



With regard to the special characters proper to some of the vertebrae, these are, as with 

 'her animals, very few, and may be described as follows: 1. The transverse pro- 

 ceases of the four vertebrae preceding the last project but slightly; 2. In the fourteenth 

 this process resembles those of the lumbar vertebrae ; 3. The articular facet of the trans- 

 process in the four last vertebras is confounded with the anterior lateral facet 

 corresponding to the head of the rib; 4. The articular processes of the last five vertebrae 

 are arranged like those of the lumbar vertebrae ; and the prominence formed by the 

 tulx-rcle on the outside of the anterior articular process replaces, to a certain degree, the 

 transverse process of these vertebra. 



3. Lumltar vertebrx. These bones in the Pig greatly resemble those of ruminant 

 animals. It commonly happens that seven are met with; but in this case the supple- 

 mentary vertebra is generally a sacral one. It is not denied, however, that seven lumbar 

 vertebrae may exist in the Pig, along with the normal number of sacral vertebrae. 



4. Sacrum. This is formed by four vertebrae, which are a long time in becoming 

 fused together ; and it is often dillicult to discover where the sacrum ends und the coccyx 

 begins. 1 The spinous processes are entirely absent. The vertebral lamina) are not 

 consolidated ; so that the spinal canal is half cut through in its upper portion, as in the 

 ci rvieul region ; this canal is also much compressed above and below. 



5. Coccygeul vertebra-. These vertebras in the Pig are more particularly distin- 

 gni-hcd by the presence of articular processes, by means of which the foremost bones 

 corresjHtnd with each other. 



C. VEUTEBU.K OK THE Dor. AND CAT. 1. Cervical Vertebra-. In these animals, the 

 cer\ i'-al vertebrae are long and thick, and much resemble those of solipeds. NevertL 

 besides their smaller volume, they arc distinguished : 1, By the disposition of their 

 corresponding articular surfaces; the anterior, or head, is nearly Hat, and is even slightly 

 excavated in its centre ; the posterior, or cavity, is but little hollowed to receive the head 

 of the next vertebra; 2, By the width of the vertebral lamina-, which exactly cover one 

 another; 3, By the height of their spinous processes, which increases as the vertebra; 

 extend back: 1, I5y the great extent of the anterior and |xt< rior articular processes, 

 which an- united by means of a continuous and very salient bony plate, that considerably 

 :its the transversal diameter of each vertebra. 



In the atlo*, the articular surface for the odontoid pivot is confounded in front with the 

 cavities which corns|md to the occipital coiidyles. The- two facets which aie annexed 

 posteriorly to this articular surface, instead of being plane or gently undulated, as in the 



1 This can always be made out, however, by consulting the disposition of the 



articular processes. Thus, in the t-acral veitebra- tli..-e minences if we except the 



unterinr ones of the tir.-t ami the jx>sterior of the la-t--n-ver < xi.-t except in a rudi- 



;te; while in the other five coccygeal vertebrae they re-appear with all their 



