112 COMPARATIVE OSTEOLOGY. 



rotate ; laterally are the condyles articulating with the glenoid cavities of the 

 atlas. The remaining cervical vertebrae diminish as they proceed backwards, 

 and in most cases have large neural spines, which gradually increase from the 

 third backwards. ' . 



The dorsal vertebra, 13 in number, vary witli the breed ; the pedicles contain 

 large posterior notches in place of foramina. The sphious processes are strong ; 

 the four or five anterior ones are equal in height, while the succeeding ones 

 decrease, and incline backwards. There are 7, sometimes 6, strong lumbar 

 vertebra; the bodies are compressed from above downwards, the posterior 

 notches are large, and the neural spines inclined forwards. The transverse 

 processes slope downwards and forwards ; the anterior articular processes 

 expand laterally, receiving between them the posterior ones of the contiguous 

 vertebra. These vertebrae possess anapophyses diminishing backwards. 



The sacrum usually consists of 3 segments, and is frequently as broad behind 

 as in front ; the first segment resembles the last lumbar. The sacral spine is 

 thin, and serrated superiorly ; the transverse processes are bifid, consisting of 

 upper and lower portions, the upper resembling those of the lumbar region. 

 The coccygeal bones vary from 16 to 21, the anterior ones having the characters 

 of true vertebrae. 



There are usually 13 pairs of ribs, 9 true and 4 false ; their size and 

 curvature vary much, but they are usually somewhat thick and straight. 

 The sternum consists of 8 elongated cylindrical sternebrae, which resemble 

 somewhat in form the terminal coccygeal bones of the horse. 



APPENDICULAR SKELETON. 

 PECTORAL LIMB. 



The scapula is very large, the spine being almost central, and terminating 

 inferiorly in an acromion process, which descends close to the glenoid cavity, 

 where it curves backwards. The cartilage of prolongation is wanting. The 

 humerus is long, slender, considerably curved, but not much twisted ; the 

 external trochanter is well developed, the internal almost wanting ; the bicipital 

 groove is single. The condyles are large, and the coronoid and intercondyloid 

 fossae united, but not always, by a canal which penetrates the bone. In the 

 Felidee there is a supracondyloid foramen, situated above the internal condyle, 

 between the humeral shaft and an outer plate of bone. The radius and ulna 

 are about equal in volume, the ulna, if anything, being the larger ; these bones 

 articulate with each other solely by their extremities, above, by an articular 

 concave facet on the ulna, and a convex one on the radius ; below, by a concave 

 facet on the radius and a convex one on the ulna ; the two, as it were, cross 

 each other, the upper extremity of the ulna articulating behind and to the 

 inner side, the lower extremity to the outer side. 



The bones of the carpus are 7. The upper are the scaphoid and lunar united, 

 the cuneiform, and trapezium ; the remainder correspond mostly with those 

 of the hog. 



There are 5 metacarpal bones, 4 large and 1 small. The digits of the former, 

 homologues of the four fingers of man, have three phalanges each, and two 

 sesamoids, the third sesamoid bone being replaced by a ridge on the third 

 phalanx. The fifth and most internal digit has only two phalanges, the median 



