1898.] MYOLOGY OF THE TERRESTRIAL CARNIVOBA. 157 



The Oaudo-femoralis {Agitator caudce) is an intermediate 

 muscle between the ectogluteiis and the biceps, though it is usually 

 more closely associated \xith the former than the latter; in some 

 cases it is a perfectly distinct muscle, while in others no trace of 

 it is recorded. By many authors its presence seems to have been 

 entirely ignored, though others have evidently noticed it and 

 described it as a part of the ectoglutens. It seems to have very 

 little action on the tail and, for this reason alone, its name is not 

 a particularly happy one ; it is further liable to objection for the 

 following reason — if the muscle does act on the tail its crural 

 attachment must be considered the origin and its caudal the 

 insertion : this is just the opposite to the manner in which the 

 attachments of the ectcgluteus and biceps are, we think rightly, 

 described. Tor these reasons we pi'efer the name of caudo-femo- 

 ralis for this muscle. The oi'igin is from the anterior two or three 

 caudal vertebrae, either continuous with, or deep to, the ectogluteus, 

 while the insertion may be anywhere into the shaft of the femur, 

 from the middle to just above the external condyle or, in some 

 cases, as low as the patella. 



Among the Telidae the muscle is present in Fells leo (1, 2, 3), 

 and is in each case inserted into the patella. The same description 

 applies to Felis tigris (4) and Felis jjarchis (5, 6,7). In Felis 

 pardalis (8) we found the caudo-femoralis very well marked, part 

 of it being inserted into the back of the femur and part into the 

 patella, these two parts were united at their origin and supplied 

 by the same nerve. In Felis eatus the muscle is figured by Mivart 

 (I.) and Straus-Durckheim (II.), though not specially described ; 

 its insertion does nor seem to reach the patella in this animal. 



Among the Yiverridae the muscle is very constant and is usually 

 inserted into the lower third of the shaft of the femur. It is 

 present in Cryptoprocta (13, 14, 15), Viverra civetta (16, 17), 

 Viverricula mataccensis (19), Genctta (20, 22, 23), Herpestes (29), 

 and Cynictis (31). In two specimens of Paradoxurus (2.5, 26) 

 and one of Genetta (24), the muscle was double. Herpestes griseus 

 (30) was the only member of the Viverridae in which the muscle 

 was carefully looked for and not found. Among the Hyfenidae 

 we can find no record of the presence of this muscle. Proteles (32) 

 is described as agreeing with Hyana crocuta (37) in its gluteal 

 muscles, and in the latter animal no caudo-femoralis seems to have 

 existed. Among the CanidaB we have records of six Dogs (39, 43, 

 44, 4.5, 46, 48) in which the muscle was looked for but in none 

 of which was it found (see fig. 1). It is not present either, as a 

 distinct muscle, in Canis aureus (50, 50«), Canis mesomelas (51), or 

 Canis lagopus (53), while Pagenstecher (XL.) makes no mention 

 of it in Lycaon (54). 



We have been unable to find the caudo-femoralis or any mention 

 of it in the Ursidse. 



Among the Procyonidse the muscle is absent in Procyon lotor 

 (63, 64, 65), but is present and inserted into the lower part of the 

 femur in Nama (68, 69, 70) and Gercoleptes (72). It is present 



