1897.] MYOLOGY OF THE TERRESTRIAL CARlirlVOEA. 387 



capitis ; consequently when they state that this is absent the muscle 

 may still rise from the whole length of the ligamentum nuchas. 

 Among the relidae the rhomboideus anterior is always present ; 

 this is the case in F. leo (1 «), F. tigris (3), F. pardus (4), F. catus 

 (6), and Vi/tuflurus (9). The Vivei-ridse are remarkable for the 

 frequence with h hich the rhomboid sheet fails to reach the skull, 

 due probably to tlie great distance which there is between the head 

 and the shoulder-blades in many of these animals. In Crypto- 

 pvocta (10), Viverra civetta (12, 13, 14), Viverricula malaccensis 

 (15), Oenetta tigrina (16), Genetta vulgaris (18), and Paradoxurus 

 typits (19) the rhomdoideus anterior never reached further forward 

 than the level of the spine of the axis ; another specimen of 

 Paradoxurus (20) showed a fascial continuation of the muscle up 

 to the occiput, while in Herpestes nepahnsis (23) and Herpestes 

 griseus (24) a definite occipital origin was noticed. Proteles (25) 

 has no occipital origin for its rhomboids. Among the Hyfeoidaj 

 the occipital origin was found in H. striata by Meckel (27), but not 

 by Young (2(5) or Cuvier (28) ; it is also wanting in H. crocuta 

 (29). 



In the Canidse there is an occipital origin in Canis familians 

 (31, 32, 33, 37, 39) and C. aureus (41). 



Among the Ursidis the rhomboideus anterior is well developed 

 and comes from the skull in U. maritimus (45), in two specimens 

 of U. americanns (48, 52), and in U. arctos (47). In two other 

 specimens of U. americanus (49, 50) the occipital portion was 

 absent. 



Among the Procyonidse the occipital origin is well marked and 

 the whole muscle forms one continuous sheet in Prooyon (53, 54, 

 55, 56, 57), Nasua (58, 60, XXXIX.), and Cercoleptes (61). 



In the Mustelidse the portion of the rhomboid which rises from 

 the occiput is always present and usually is a separate slip (see 

 fig. 5, p. 381) ; this is the case in Galictis vittata (63), Galictis 

 barbara (64), Mustda putorius (65), Mustela foina (6(j, 67), Ictonyx 

 zorilla (69), Ictonyx lybica (70), Ileles taxus (71, 72, 73), Lutra 

 vulgaris (74, 79), and Lutra cinerea (78). 



It is interesting to note that these Mustelidfe in which the gap 

 between the occipital and cervical portions of the rhomboid sheet 

 is so constant are equally remarkable for the constant presence of 

 the rhomboideus profundus muscle. This muscle, as has already 

 been stated, is fused with the rhomboid at its insertion, and by 

 many authors is described as pare of the rhomboid. We cannot 

 help throwing out the suggestion, though we have no direct proof, 

 that the gap in these animals between the occipital and nuchal 

 portions of the muscle is caused by a sinking down of some of the 

 fibres to acquire a new origin from the transverse process of the 

 atlas, so that the rhomboideus profundus is a displaced portion 

 of the rhomboid sheet. 



To sujii up, the rhomboid always seems to have an occipital 

 origin in Ihe Fellda?, Caindic, Procyonidse, and Mustelidse. In 

 the Viverridse and Hysenidse the occipital origin is the exception. 



