408 



I)B. B. C. A. WI>fDLE AND MB. I'. G. PAllSOXS ON TUE [Apr. 6, 



Summing up the above results, we find that in the IlyaenidEe and 

 Proteles the short thumb-muscles are absent, in the Canidae they 

 are iil-developed, while in the other families there is usually an 

 abductor and flexor brevis, but occasionally a small opponens may 

 be developed. 



Ifi/pothenar Muscles. — The minimus has, in all cases, a double 

 flexor brevis, as have the other digits ; there is also an abductor 

 minimi, which rises from the pisiform and is inserted into the 

 inner sesamoid bone on the palmar surface of the head of the 

 fifth metacarpal. Shepherd (XX.) describes an opponens minimi 

 in Ursus americanus (49). Macalister (IX.) mentions two abduc- 

 tors of the little finger in Viverra civetta (13), while in Lutra 

 cinerea (78) he found the usual abductor of that finger in two 

 layers, as well as an additional one from the unciform. In our 

 specimen of C'a«i"s /rtwi^iam (31) the abductor seemed to have 

 missed its insertion into the sesamoid and to liave acquired a new 

 one into the fifth metacarpal, thus becoming an opponens. 



Adductor Muscles of the Hand (First layer of deep muscles). — 

 With regard to the layer of adductor muscles, which rise from the 

 palmar ligaments of the carpus and lie superficial to the flexores 



Fig. 11. 



PJi. 



opp./^w.£>/a.. 



ffPDW/f. 



ffBO. POL , 

 ftDD.PnL. 



.0£EP Bl^ 



—ffOO /A/O. 



Maiuis of Canis famUiaris, showing the deep muscles of the palm. 



breves of the fingers, there can be no doubt that the normal 

 arrangement in the Carnivora is, one for the pollex, another for 

 the index, and a third for the minimus ; of these the one for the 

 minimus is as a rule the largest, and that for the pollex the 



