27 
of these fascicles are inserted successively into the posterior oblique 
processes of the twelfth to the sixth cervical vertebra inclusive ; the 
two fasciculi next in succession receive no accessory fibres from the 
longus colli posticus; the anterior one derives an extensive origin 
from the upper transverse processes of the eighth, seventh, and sixth 
cervical vertebrae. It must be observed, however, that the whole of 
each fasciculus is not expended in the strong round tendinous inser- 
tion above described; the portion which arises from the anterior 
ridge of the transverse process passes more directly inwards than 
the rest, and is attached to the tendon which terminates the fascicu- 
lus immediately behind ; at the middle of the neck these accessory 
fibres approach to the character of distinct origins. The tendons of 
insertion, moreover, severaily receive accessory fleshy fibres from 
the base of the oblique processes of the two vertebre next behind ; 
and thus they become the medium of muscular forces acting from 
not less than five distinct points, the power of which is augmented 
by each tendon being braced down by the oblique converging series 
of muscles immediately anterior to it. The fasciculus from the 
eighth cervical vertebra, besides its insertion by the ordinary tendon, 
sends off externally a small pyramidal bundle of muscular fibres, 
which soon terminates in a long and slender tendon which is in- 
serted into the oblique process of the third cervical vertebra. Cor- 
responding portions of muscle are detached from the two anterior 
fasciculi, which converge and terminate in a common slender tendon 
inserted into the posterior oblique process of the fourth cervical ver- 
tebra; and thus terminates this complex muscle or series of muscles. 
Longus colli posticus—The most internal or mesial of the super- 
ficial muscles of the dorsal aspect of the thoracic and cervical regions, 
called cervicalis ascendens by Meckel, and compared in part with 
the spinalis dorsi by Cuvier, cannot be the representative of either 
of these muscles, since they both co-exist separately with it in the 
Apteryx. At its posterior part the muscle in question seems to be 
rather a continuation of the /ongissimus dorsi ; its anterior part offers 
a strong analogy with the mesial portion of the complerus and bi- 
venter cervicis ; it appears to me to be evidently the analogue of the 
first, or mesio-dorsal series of oblique fibres of the muscular system 
in Fishes, but I shall adopt the name of the longus colli posticus 
applied to it by Cuvier*. It commences by long and slender, but 
strong, subcompressed tendons from the spines of the sixth, fifth and 
fourth dorsal vertebre : these tendons gradually expand as they pro- 
ceed forwards and downwards, and send off from their under surface 
muscular fibres which continue in the same course, and begin to be 
grouped into distinct fasciculi at the base of the neck: the first of 
these bundles joins the fasciculus of the longissimus dorsi, which is 
inserted into the posterior articular process of the thirteenth cervical 
vertebra; the succeeding fasciculi derive their origins from a broad 
and strong aponeurotic sheet attached to the spines of the fourth, 
third and second dorsal vertebre ; the second to the eighth fasciculi 
* Lecons d’Anat. Comp., 2nd edit. vol. i, p, 284. 
