Vol. XIV 

 1914 



1 Leach, The Myology of the Belt-Magpie. 



it certainly has a muscle stratum under the skin of the head. If 

 this is not what Shufeldt meant, then it is a muscle not described 

 by him. Shufeldt noticed in a living domesticated Raven that 

 the bird could make the feathers above the eyes, " lateral crests," 

 stand up so as to be very evident, not to say conspicuous. 



2. The circumconcha [2] [2d] in the Strepera is, as Shufeldt 

 describes, a muscle in the " periphery of the ear-conch." It is 

 closely attached to the skin, and arises by a neat little tendon 

 from the end of the supraoccipital crest. 



3. The dermo-temporalis [3] [6a] [10] is, in Strepera, an important 

 skin muscle. It is probably connected with all the skin muscles 

 except the dermo-idnaris (11). In Strepera the two dermo- 

 temporales fuse directly with the dermo-iliacus (10) at either side 

 of the narrow dorsal feather tract ; anteriorly, they are united 

 by means of a strong fascia. The two dermo-temporales unite on 

 the ventral surface and ensheathe the neck. Fibres from the 

 dermo-trachealis (8) and from the dermo-tensor patagii (6), the 

 muscle which sends a tendon along the propatagium to the wrist, 

 unite with the dermo-temporalis on each side. Fibres from the 

 muscle {13) of the ventral feather tract join at about the same 

 place, thus intimately connecting the various skin muscles (3), 

 (6), (8), and (13). 



The dermo-temporalis on each side arises fleshy from the hinder 

 part of a ridge outside the orbit and above and anterior to the 

 temporal fossa. It extends down the sphenotic process, behind 

 and partly under the ear, covers the temporal muscle {14), and 

 runs back to the dorsal feather tract, where part of it passes 

 directly back on to the dermo-iliacus (10). It spreads round the 

 throat, and covers the cleido -tracheal is (8), some fibres fusing with 

 that muscle. The two dermo-temporales muscles (3) fuse in front 

 of the neck, thus ensheathing it, as shown in figure [10]. 



4. The dermo-dorsalis [4] is the skin muscle underlying the dorsal 

 feather tract ; it is covered with fat. Along each side of it the 

 dermo-iliacus (10) runs as a definite narrow muscle. Strepera 

 agrees with the Australian Raven, Gymnorhina, and Cracticus in 

 the arrangement of this muscle. The American Raven, as 

 described by Shufeldt, differs. He says : — " It (the dermo-dorsalis) 

 is most prominent in the middle of the neck, where it is enclosed 

 in a fold of the integument." In the Australian birds it is the 

 dermo-iliacus (lo) that is enclosed in a fold of the integument at 

 the side of the feather tract. 



The dermo-dorsalis becomes fainter as the head is approached, 

 but is probably continuous with the dermo-frontalis (i). The 

 dermo-dorsalis (4) is lost posteriorly over the caudal region. 



5. The platysma-myoides [5] is a thin fascia with a few muscle 

 fibres, and meets its fellow of the other side under the chin. 



6. The dermo-tensor patagii [3] [6a] [10] [22]. — Shufeldt separates 

 the propatagium from the parapatagium, the fold between the 



