MYOLOGY OF REPTILES. 223 



and abdominal ribs : its myocommal septa describe an acute angle 

 directed backward. At the base of the tail it descends to the 

 lower border, and covers part of the third muscular column. 

 This derives a tendinous origin from the inner trochanterian ridge 

 of the femur, and from a ligament thence extending to the femoro- 

 fibular articulation: from these attachments the muscle passes 

 backward to the haemal arches and spines related thereto by- 

 alternating origins and insertions, and there assumes the myocom- 

 mal character of the lowest or haemal tract in the tail of the Newt 

 and Fish. By its anterior attachments in the Crocodile, this series 

 of muscles — the femoro-peroneo-coccygius of Cuvier — closely asso- 

 ciates the pelvic limbs with the tail in the natatory actions and 

 evolutions of the amphibious carnivore. 



The mandibular muscles are strongly developed in the Cro- 

 codile in comparison 



with other Saurians ; 142 



although they seem, 



is represented by two " -- 



muscles, One Of which, Mandibular muscles, Crocodile 



the pretemporalis, fig. 



142, e, has its origin extended forward into the orbit from 

 beneath the postfrontal, whence its fibres pass obliquely back- 

 ward: the larger temporalis, ib. f, is attached to the parietal, 

 the mastoid, and tympanic, and its fibres pass vertically external 

 to those of the pretemporal, to be inserted into the coronoid and 

 surangular. The pterygoidei are larger muscles than the tem- 

 porales ; the one from the ectopterygoid, fig. 142, h, receives 

 an accession of fibres from the long pterygoid bone, and, 

 passing obliquely backward, swells out into almost a hemi- 

 spheric prominence at its insertion into the outer side of the 

 angular elements at h. The apertor oris, or digastric, ib. g, arising 

 from the back part of the prominent mastoid, descends obliquely 

 backward to the projecting angular process behind the tympano- 

 mandibular joint. When the mandible rests on the bank, as at 

 a, a, supporting the head of the crocodile, and makes its angles, 

 ib. 29, the fixed point, the digastrici, g, acting upon the lever of the 

 mastoid, 8, open the mouth by rotating the cranium and upper 



