374 DE. B. C. A. WIN OLE AND IIB. F. G. PARSONS ON THE [Apr. 6, 



surface of the platysma, and so reaches the angle of the mouth. 

 In the Polecats (69, 70), where the head is a good deal elongated, 

 this muscle, instead of coming all the way from the ear, rises from 

 the anterior part of the zjgoma just behind the orbicularis palpe- 

 brarum (see fig. 3, p. 375). As we thinii it an advantage, wherever 

 possible, to use the names familiar to human anatomists, we shall 

 speak of this as the levator anguli oris, though it only comes from 

 the zygoma in certain cases. 



The second muscle which is covered by the platysma is the 

 sterno-facialis or sphincter colli : this rises from the back of the 

 root of the ear and meets its fellow of the opposite side in the mid- 

 ventral line of the neck, covering in its course the parotid gland 

 (see fig. 2, p. 375). In the Felidae this muscle is strongly marked 



rig. 1. 



SUP./TUR 



FRONTffl.fi, 



PosT.ROfl, 



iDtt 



\/?oorb of 



Face-muscles oi Lutra vul(jarii. 



and the anterior part comes from the fascia over the masseter. 

 In no case that we have seen does it reach, as in the rodents, to the 

 sternum^ (XLI.). The orbicularis palpebrarum is not very strongly 

 marked, from its posterior edge tw o or thi-ee bundles of muscular 

 fibres run backwards and act as retractors of the angle of the eye ; 

 these are best seen in the Canidse. The levator labii superioris is 

 always well marked aud passes from the anterior angle of the eye to 

 the upper lip, deep to it is a plane of muscle acting on the nose. The 

 orbicularis oris is well marked. The occipito-frontalis is a plane of 

 fibres which covers the scalp ; the lateral part of the frontalis is 

 attached posteriorly to the ear and forms the anterior auricular 

 muscle, while the lateral part of the occipitalis is attached ante- 

 riorly to the ear and is thickened to form the transversus nuchae ; 

 deep to this are one or two posterior auricular muscles. 



It will thus be seen that the main muscles of the face are 

 disposed in such a way as to draw the soft parts of the lips and 

 nose clear of the teeth, and also to lay back the ears ; the sphincter 



In Bathyergxis the sterno-facialis and sphincter colli are coexistent (XLII.)- 



