360 
ANATOMY OF THE CAT. 
Schneiderian membrane and olfactory nerves, constituting a 
greater range for the sense of smell, so pecidiar in the carnivora. 
Another peculiarity in this, and the family canida generally, is 
the foramina existing in the os brachii for the passage of the bra¬ 
chial artery: I once saw this in the human subject, but here it was 
an anomaly, but in the families already mentioned I believe it is 
always found. The ribs are thirteen on each side, and the sternum 
is composed of five or six pieces of bone, united by cartilage, and 
is long and narrow, and on which the apex of the heart is sup¬ 
ported. There exists a xyphoid cartilage, and I once examined an 
old cat in which it was ossified. The caudal vertebrse I have 
generally found to be twenty-three, but Dr. Fyffe, in his Outlines 
of Comparative Anatomy, says they are but twenty-two: possibly 
they vary, and we may be both correct. This animal possesses 
no uvula. The teeth are. 
Tusks... 4.2 superiorly and 2 inferiorly. 
Incisores 12 to 14.. 6 or 7 ditto and 6 or 7 ditto 
Molares 12. 3.... ditto and 3 . . . ditto on each side. 
The coronoid process of the lower jaw projects considerably above 
the arch of the zygoma. At the posterior and external margin of 
the orbit, is a small space, which is filled up with cartilage. This 
animal possesses the frontal suture, if such it may be called, being 
merely a line of separation between the two frontal bones. The 
mastoid processes are smooth, round, and hollow wuthin, not like 
the human mastoid process, which is cellular internally, and adapt- 
•ed for the origin and insertion of muscles, being rough and 
scabrous on its surface. The intestines of the cat, according to 
Dr. Fyffe,* measure as 6, taking the body as 1; but in the 
wild cat only 3 to 1. The intestines are considerably dilated, and 
the colon is very short, but possesses no transverse arch, or 
appendix vermiformis caeci, which last is only found in man 
and some of the • quadrumana. The external angular process 
is very acute, and also the temporal portion of the orbital pro¬ 
cess of the os jugale is similar. The anterior palatine foramina 
are two in number, whereas in man there exists but one. The 
lower jaw is united at its symphysis by means of synchondrosis, 
i. e. an intervening cartilage. The posterior part of the cra¬ 
nium exhibits a spinous process; and, surrounding the foramen 
magnum^ occipitale, near the margin of tlie os occipitale, are 
two triangular spinous processes) to which the superior muscles 
of the neck are inserted. The pericardium is very transparent, 
through which the motions of the heart can be seen. The liver is 
composed of five lobes, three on the right side, two on the left, and 
the lobulus spigelii. The gall-bladder exhibits the usual ap- 
♦ Outliues, p. 13 U 
