GENERAL CHARACTERS OF THE TERTEBEATA. 199 



nizable with great difBculty, as its parts are generally much 

 modified; but a good example may be obtained in the human 

 chest. Here, attached to the front of the vertebrae, we find a 

 series of bony arches, known as the ribs (r), followed by a 

 series of cartilaginous pieces of a similar shape, termed the 

 " costal cartilages " (p), the whole united in front by a central 

 bone, known as the breastbone or " sternum " (b). 



1^;"^ ^ "' *?° ^?*™'' ^'^"^'^ ■^«'')' showing the regions of the vertebra 

 column c Cervical region, or region of the -neck; d Dorsal region, or region of the 

 of the J,-f '™*"'' ™^"'"' <" ■'^Sion of the loins ; « Sacrum ; t Caudal regio^, or region 



As a general rule, among the higher Vertebrates, the fol- 

 lowing regions may be recognized in the vertebral column : 

 h irstly, the cervical region (Fig. 95, c), comprising a variable 

 number of vertebra, which constitute the neck, and immedi- 



I J u *® ^^^^ Secondly, the cervical region is suc- 

 ceeded by a variable number of vertebras which usually carry 

 nbs and are known as the c^orsa? vertebrte {d), or vertebr^ 

 ot the back. Thirdly, come certain vertebrae which constitute 

 the lumbar region (6), or the region of the loins. Fourthly 

 there usually follows a series of vertebrae which are immova- 

 bly united together to form a single bone, which is termed the 

 sacrum (s). Lastly, there comes a variable series of vertebree 



