404 SPECIAL ANATOMY. 



a. Ram. anterior, passing under m. obliq. capit. inferior for- 

 wards and outwards ; gives branches to : the loops with the 

 first and third cervical nerves, ram. descend, and kypoglossi, 

 nerv. vagus, accessorius, m. rect. capit. antic, major, sterno- 

 cleidomast. 



b. Ram. posterior, sometimes larger than a, gives ascending 

 and descending branches to the posterior loops, besides to : 

 mm. obliquus capit. infer., trachelomast., complexus, sple- 

 nius, semi-spinal, cervic., and the 



Nerv. occipitalis major. This perforates the superior ex- 

 tremity of the biventer cervicis and m. cucullaris, sup- 

 plies these, ascends between nape and occiput internal to, 

 art. occipital., is then situated beneath the skin, gives a 

 curved branch to the middle line, others outwards and 

 upwards, and reaches as far as the middle line of the 

 vertex. It unites with ram. poster, of the third cervical, 

 probably, also, with the temporal nerves. 



653. 3. N. cervicalis III., 



passes obliquely upwards and outwards between the muscles, and 

 transverse processes, through the second intervertebral foramen, 

 and divides immediately into : 



a. Ram. anterior. Uniting with the second and fourth cervical 

 nerves, the first cervical ganglion of the sympathicus, recur- 

 rens hypoglossi, it passes from behind into the centre of m. 

 sterno-cleidom., and gives : 



1. N. occipitalis minor ; frequently only a branch of the 



occipit. major, passing forth behind m. sterno-cleidomast. 



over m. splenius capit. and proc. mastmd. upwards, to 



the outer border of the occiput, ramifying in the skin. 



Branches to the muscles, to n.facialis, and the: 



J!V. auricularis superior for the skin of the superior 

 part of the external ear and m. attolens ; it unites with 

 n.facialis and occipit. major. 



2. N. auricularis magnus, inclines round m. sterno-cleido- 

 mast., forwards and upwards to its anterior border, where 

 it divides (at the angle of the lower jaw), giving an auricu- 

 lar branch to the posterior part of the auricle from below 

 upwards, which unites with n. facialis, and another to the 

 occiput, which unites with n. occipitalis. 



3. Nn. subcutanei colli (3). The superior inclines from be- 

 hind over m. sterno-cleidomast., obliquely forwards and 

 upwards, external to v. jugular, externa, supplies the skin 



