B I R 



«ond rib, by tendon, which, on coming upon the neck, re- 

 ceives feven flips of mufcle, which defcend from the fpincs of 

 the feven inferior cervical vtrtebrx. The mufcle tlien p^o- 

 ceeds on the neck as a diftincl flip, and at the upper part 

 produces three tendons, wliich gn to the back of the arti- 

 cular proccfrcs of the fccond, third, and fourth cervical ver- 

 tebra. Thife tendons receive mufcular flips from the back 

 of the fpine as lo«r as the fcventh vertcbrce, or where the 

 other flip began to defcend. The afcerding fafciculi furiiifli 

 the tendons to the fifth and fixth vcrtcbrx. and to the atlas. 

 This mufcle is enabled, on account of its defci-ndin!; and af- 

 cending fafciculi, to extend the neck even while the head is 

 creiSed. Cuvier defcribes the mufcle fomcwhat differently 

 in the heron and buzzard. The above account is from the 



There is a curious fliaped mufcle along the inflJe of the 

 preceding, which Cuvier compares to the hivcnlcr cerx'icis. 

 It commences by a flendcr tendon from the fpinous procefs 

 of the firft dorfal veitcbra, becomes flefliy at ilie lower part, 

 tendinous along the middle, and again flefliy near the head, 

 and is inferted into the occiput. Although it extcrd; the 

 whole length of the neck, it is fo fleuder that its tendon is 

 not thicker than a piece of twine or thread. It aflills in 

 the extenfion of the neck and elevation of the head. 



The trachrlo-majlolileiis arifis in birds from the anterior 

 ■part of the fecond, third, and fourth cervical vertebrae, and 

 IS inferted upon the fide of the occiput. 



The comflrxus proceeds from but a few of the articular 

 procefl"es of the neck ; and the fphmus does not exift; in 

 birds. 



Cuvier defcribes three red'i capitis pnjlict ; but thcfe mufcles 

 do not deferve to be fo called. 



The firll, which he names the reSus maximus, arifes from 

 the fpine of the dentata, and is inferted into the fide and 

 back of the occiput. It brings the head backwards, and to 

 one fide, and rcfembles in figure and office ihe jpitnius ca- 

 pitis. 



The fecond, or redus major pqflicus, proceeds obliquely 

 from the fpine of the dentata, under the preceding, to the 

 deprcflion on the back of the occiput. 



The third, or rcdus minor, is only a few fibres mixed with 

 the ligamer't, which connedls the head with the fpine. 



The mufcles of the bach confift of a few flefhy fibres inter- 

 mixed with portion of tendon, which are moftly oflltied 

 in full grown birds ; they lie on each fide of the dorfal 

 fpine, which thty tlrengthen but cannot move. 



The nnfcles of the tail are diftinft, and generally large ; 

 fome are calculated to raife the tail, fome to deprefs it, 

 others to move it laterally, and others again to unfold the 

 quills of this pare. 



The firfl is the levator coccygis of Vic d' Azir; it arifes from 

 the back of the facrum and the tranfverfe and fpinous pro- 

 Cefles of the firft caudal vertebrae, and fends diftinft tendons 

 to each of the fpinous procefles of the tail and the caudal 

 bone. There is a flefliy flip alfo accompanying the laft 

 tendon. This mufcle, as its name imphes, elevates the 

 tail. 



The fecond, or ileprejfor coccyfis of Vic d'Azir, is fituated 

 within the pelvis, and arifes from the end of the facrum and 

 the ifchium, where they join ; alfo from the tranfverfe pro- 

 cefles of the bones of the tail. It is inferted by tendons 

 into the fpinous procefles of the under furface of the caudal 

 Tcrtcbrse, and diftributes a number of mufcular fibres in dif- 

 ferent diredions on the bafis of the lateral quills. This 

 mufcle deprcfles the tail, and appears alfo, from its attach- 

 ment to the hgament of the quills, to be capable ©f converg- 

 ing them. 



B I R 



The third arifes from the pofterior edge of the anterior 

 part of the pubis, and the te- don covering the lower part of 

 the belly, and is inferted on the bafe of the ligament which 

 fuftahis the lateral quills. When this mnfcle ;ic'ts fingly, it 

 brings the tail downwards and to one fide ; if, with its fel- 

 low, it deprefles the tail diiertly ; but at all times it tends 

 to fpread the quills of the tai'. 



The fouitli is the motor lateralis cnccygis of Vic d'Azir, who 

 defcribes its origin diffcent from what we have obfervtd it 

 to be. It arifes fr.im the lall tranfverfe procefs of the fa- 

 crum and the firit of the coccyx, and it turns round to be 

 inferted in common with the preceding mufcle upon the root 

 of the ligamentous fubflance, which connedls the lateral 

 c'lills. It moves, when acting alone, the tail to one fide; 

 but combined with its fellow and other mufcles, unfolds the 

 quiiis of the tail in the manner of the flicks of a fan. 



The fifth mufcle is in part covered by the third ; it is at- 

 tached to the whole of the pofterior margin of the pelvis, 

 except the extreme portion of the pelvis, and in the goofe 

 fpreads even upon the p:;rietes of the belly rcu;id the anus ; 

 it then proceeds to be inferted, along with the depreffor 

 coccygis, on the under part of the caudal or laft bone of 

 the tail. Its office is, with its fellow and tlie depreflbr, 

 to lower the tail. 



The fixth is the cruro-coccygcus of Vic d'Azir ; it arifes by- 

 thin tendon from the inner and back part of the thigh bone, 

 where it is conjoined with one of the mufcles of the thigh. 

 It is inferted, along with the other mufcles of the tail, into 

 the under part of the caudal bone. This mufcle draws the 

 tail to one fide ; but when its aftion is combined with its 

 fellow, it is the moll powertul flexor or depreffor of the 

 tail. 



The mufcles of the trunk deviate more from the ftrufture of 

 mammalia than the mufcles of birds do in general, and 

 have been but very imperfeftly deicribcd by Cuvier and 

 others. 



The f-aleni are merely two flips of mufcle, which defcend 

 from the next tranfverfe procefs upon the firft and fecond ribs. 



The triangularis flerni takes its origin from the fuperior 

 corner of the fternum and the four fuperior ribs, where they 

 join this bone, and is inferted into the moveable angles of 

 the four fuperior ribs after the firft. It comprefles the 

 fuperior part ot the thorax, and thus brings forwards the 

 lower end of the fternum ; it is, therefore, a mufcle of ex- 

 piration. 



The abdominal mufcles confift of three layers. 



The firil reprefents the obliquus externus, although its 

 fibres are arranged tranfverfely. It arifes from the edge of 

 the ilium and pubis by a very thin tendon, and from the 

 lower edges of the ribs, by diftinft tendinous procefles, and 

 is inferted into the fide and lower edge of the fternum, and 

 the middle line of the be'ly, to unite with the mufcle of the 

 oppchte fide. From this mufcle pafling over the moveable 

 angles of the ribs, its action influences the whole cavity of 

 the body ; for at the fame time that it comprefles the abdo- 

 men, it raifes the anterior part of the fternum, by drawing 

 the pofterior part backwards, and thus dilates the thorax, 

 and becomes a mufcle of infpiration, explaining by this means 

 the effeft we have already reprcfciitcd infpiration to produce 

 upon the abdominal air-cells. 



The fecond is the obliquus afcendens ; it is made of two 

 portions, the one a little overlapping the other ; the anterior 

 is analogous to the reSus abdominis, and arifes from the pu- 

 bis and middle line of the belly ; the other portion arifes 

 from the edge of the ilium and loweft rib. The fibres of 

 each portion afcend in their proper direftions to be inferted 

 OQ the lower edge of the ilernum, aud the tendon filhng 



tlie 



