408 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



merely "by loose areolar tissue. In one case a slip was found con- 

 nected to the upper margin of tlie tendo oculi. In three examples 

 there was a well-marked decussation of the lower fibres of the frontal 

 portions of opposite sides. In many instances the muscle was found 

 in an extremely atrophic condition, and in a large proportion its fibres 

 ■were found split up into fasciculi, but in no case was it completely 

 absent, as in the example noted by Professor ITacalister. 



Of the occipitcdis muscle I have seen union of those of opposite 

 sides in two instances, and decussation of the lower fibres in one case. 



Transversiis omchae (F. E. Schultze). — A\'as present on both sides in 

 five of the twenty-eight bodies, and on one side only in two others. The 

 muscle is said to be always symmetrical, but in the latter instances 

 I could find no muscular fibres on the opposite side, but a small 

 transverse tendinous band took its place. The attachments were 

 the same in all : fi'om the external occipital protuberance, on the 

 inside, to the posterior border of the stemo-cleido-mastoid muscle at 

 its insertion ; while a few fibres were attached separately to the 

 superior curved line of occipital bone above the others. 



Of the muscles of the ear, intrinsic or extrinsic, although fre- 

 quently examined, I have not noted the variations with any regularity. 



Retrahens aurem. — This muscle I have seen usually formed of two 

 very distinct slips, and somewhat less frequently of three fasciculi, a 

 condition which was looked upon by Albinus as the noimal arrange- 

 ment {tres retrahentes auricidam). The lowest of the three bundles I 

 have foTind arising in two instances from the cervical fascia over the 

 upper part of the stemo-cleido-mastoid muscle. In a few cases one of 

 the bundles was found replaced by a tendinous band. 



AUoUens and Attrahens aurem I have frequently found meeting 

 at their adjacent edges so as to form one continuous plane of muscular 

 fibres, as described by Cruveilhier {inuscU auricidaire superieur oic 

 aixriculo-temporal'). The origin of attrahens aui'em from the zygoma, 

 described as normal by 'Wharton, Jones, and Harrison, I have met 

 with in eight cases. Cruveilhier describes this as a distinct muscle 

 under the name of muscle auricidaire anierieur profond, whose posterior 

 attachment is into the external surface of the tragus. 



The intrinsic muscles of the auricle have so often eluded my at- 

 tempts to define them, that I do not think I succeeded in any one case 

 in demonstrating the presence of all of them in the same subject. 



Depressor auricidae (Lauth) ; stijio-auricularis (Hyrtl). — Of this 

 muscle I found one example. In three other cases I was able to 

 define a well-marked fibrous cord, having the direction and attach- 

 ments presented by the muscular fibres when present. In my case the 

 origin was in common with that of the stylo-glossus muscle, and the 

 insertion into the cartilaginous part of the external auditory meatus. 



The muscles of the tympanum and the internal muscles of the orbit 

 I have not examined with a special view to vai'iations in attachment. 

 An accessory slip to the obliquus oculi superior {comes olliqui superio- 

 ris; ohliquus accessorius ; gracillimus ocidi ; gracillimus orhitae) I have 



