THE RABBIT. 265 



have disappeared or not ; the inner face of the epiphysis bears two 

 ridges corresponding with these grooves. It is thus easy to tell from the 

 appearance of a vertebra whether its epiphyses are present or not. 



16. The neuro-central sutures, oblique division planes 

 separating the centrum proper, in the young animal, into 

 three portions; the middle piece is a distinct bone, the 

 lateral pieces are continuous with the neurapophyses. 



17. The tubercular facet, a small surface near the end 

 of the transverse process and serving for the articulation of 

 the tubercle of a rib (§ 29). 



18. The capitular demi-facets, two semilunar surfaces 

 at the junction of the centrum and neurapophysis, one at 

 the anterior the other at the posterior border of the verte- 

 bra, and furnished partly by the vertebra proper, partly by 

 the epiphysis : the anterior demi-facet serves for the articu- 

 lation of the head of the rib (§ 29) belonging to the vertebra 

 in question, the posterior for that of the next following rib. ■ 



IV. In the remainder of the vertebral column note : 



19. The last three thoracic vertebrae : note the 

 diminished size of the neural spine, which is vertical in the 

 eleventh (anticlinal vertebra), and slopes slightly forwards 

 in the twelfth, becoming at the same time compressed from 

 side to side ; the shortness of the transverse processes, and 

 the absence of a tubercular facet ; the entire capitular facet 

 for the head of the rib, there being no half-facet on the 

 posterior edge of the centrum ; the metapophysis, a large 

 process near the anterior border of the neural arch, just 

 posterior to the anterior zygapophysis, and projecting 

 upwards and slightly forwards. 



20. The lumbar vertebrae : note the short, forwardly 

 directed, laterally compressed neural spine ; the large 

 metapophyses ; the anterior zygapophyses looking directly 

 inwards, the posterior outwards; the large transverse 



