On the myology of Hyrax capensis / by James Murie and St. George J. Mivart.

  • Murie, James.
Date:
[1865]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the myology of Hyrax capensis / by James Murie and St. George J. Mivart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    bone, and is inserted, by a small tendon, into the fascia adjoining the innermost sesamoid (fig. 8, J. 1). The second single interosseous arises from the plantar surface of the os naviculare and one of the cuneiform bones, and is inserted into the outer surface of the proximal end of the proximal phalanx of the index digit by a small tendon (fig. 8, I. 2). The third single interosseous muscle arises from the fascia on the under surface of the proximal end of the middle metatarsal bone, and is inserted into fascia on the inner side of the inner sesamoid bone of the middle digit (fig. 8, J. 3). ^ The fourth single interosseous muscle arises from the strong ten- dinous fascia covering the plantar surface of the cuboid, and is in- serted into the inner side of the proximal end of the proximal pha- lanx of the outermost digit (fig. 8, I. 4). The existence of the interossei of the foot is mentioned by Meckel (Joe. cit. p. 4G1), but nothing is said in the way of description. A very strong and thick ligamentous fascia covers the under and outer side of the calcaneum ; muscular fibre contained in and arising from this is inserted into the head of the outermost metatarsal bone (fig. 8, Ab. o. m. q.). Query,—Does this represent Prof. Huxley's abductor ossis metacarpi quinti, only here attached to the fourth instead of to the fifth metatarsal ? After having thus passed in review almost all the muscles of the Hyrax, it might perhaps be expected that we should express some decided opinion as to the value of these in reference to the zoological affinities of the animal. But this we are not prepared to do. It is true that such characters as the attachment of the sterno- mastoid to the mandible, the development of the sterno-scapular, the very small size of the deltoid, but enormous proportions of the triceps, and great extent of the brachialis anticus, together with the arrangement of the glutei, the vast size of the semimembranosus, the attachment of the extensor longus digitorum to the femur, &c, tend rather to confirm than otherwise those ungulate affinities which have been attributed to the Hyrax. But, on the other hand, we find so many resemblances to the Rodentia, as exemplified in the Guinea-pig (specially selected by us for comparison as the most Pachyderm-like of accessible Rodents), that we are indisposed, from the consideration of the muscular struc- ture alone, definitely to assign the Hyrax to one or other of the existing orders constituting the class Mammalia. [From the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, April 11, 1865.] [24]