DR. J. MURIE ON HYNA BRUNNEA. 509 
3. Some Myological Features. 
Hyena brunnea does not seem to have come under the scalpel of Meckel or Cuvier, 
who both refer less or more to the muscles of //. striata. In the ‘ Recueil’ of Cuvier 
and Laurillard, plates 129-142 are devoted to the “ Myologie de la Hyéne-rayée;” it 
remains for me, therefore, to make some remarks on the more interesting points. 
In the Brown Hyena (//. drunnea), as in the genus generally, the muscular system, 
taken as a whole, is well developed, although certain portions (corresponding to the 
peculiarities and habits of the animal) are more extraordinarily marked than others. 
The most prominent and characteristic fleshy masses are those of the head and neck. 
For example, the temporal muscle is enormous, even for a carnivore; and those of the 
neck, in a similar manner, are of a most powerful kind—in fact, almost rendering those 
parts of the subdermal frame-contour deformed, so great is their bulk. The shoulder- 
muscles are also strong; but the fore limbs in their entirety seem less developed, because 
of the great fulness of the head and neck. The body to a certain extent corresponds 
with the anterior regions. The hind quarters, on the other hand, are comparatively 
weaker than the parts in advance of the middle of the body; they nevertheless are 
firmly knit with muscular tissue. Contrasted with this old female, none of Laurillard’s 
sketches impress one with the exceeding bulkiness of the neck and head of the bone- 
crushing scavenger Hyena, though he has indicated the coarseness of the superficial 
fibre. 
Exemplifying the terrible crushing-power of mastication possessed by this creature, 
is the aforesaid voluminous temporal muscle. ‘This reaches to the parieto-occipital 
median crest above, and is inserted into the coronoid process of the mandible below, 
where, as Meckel observes’, a line of demarcation is not readily perceived between 
its fibres and some of those of the masseter. Additional strength and purchase is 
moreover given to the muscular fibres of the temporal by a most powerful central 
tendinous fascia. The superficial diameter of the entire muscle is several inches in 
extent, and, in its thickest part, in depth or bulk is nearly equivalent to this, thus 
representing dynamically an enormous conservation of physical force. The masseter 
is clearly divisible* into two layers, notwithstanding Meckel’s® assertion that this is 
less marked in the Hyena than in the Cat. The external larger and stronger part 
arises from the malar arch, and, with fibres directed downwards and backwards, is fixed 
partially to the posterior and outer surface of the mandible; but fibres turn round the 
ascending ramus, and are inserted on the inner surface. ‘lhe deeper and smaller layer 
fills the hollow of the ascending ramus, and, with tendino-muscular fibres running nearly 
crosswise to those of the upper layer, ends in a tendon fixed into the posterior and inner 
surface of the zygoma. According to Meckel‘ this tendon attaches itself to the inferior 
border of the pterygoid apophysis. Professor Haughton® shows that in the Lion, where 
* Loe. cit. vol. viii. p. 654. >. Lettered j and j' in the “ Myologie.” 5 Tbid. p. 655, 
* Loe. cit. p. 655, 5 Notes on Animal Mechanics, R. I. A., 25rd May 1864, 
YOL. Vi.—PART vil. November, 1871. 4¢ 
