174 ANATOMY OF VERTEBRATES. 



branches to these and the villous stratum of the sole. The 

 external plantar passes between the flexor tendons, and then on 

 the outer side of these, and gives off the deep plantar nerve ; it 

 is continued down on the outer side of the tendon, gives filaments 

 to the sheath and fascia, receives the branch from the inner plantar, 

 and gives off a branch which communicates with the outer branch 

 of the anterior tibial nerve, and is distributed on the side of the 

 foot ; its ultimate distribution resembles that of the posterior tibial. 

 The deep plantar gives filaments to the ligaments, then divides 

 into two branches ; the inner passes down beneath the tendon, 

 then near the edge of the bone to the foot to communicate with a 

 branch of the saphenus nerve, and of the inner plantar, to be dis- 

 tributed on the skin at the inner side of the foot; the outer 

 branch passes near the edge of the bone, gives a branch to the 

 ligaments, and then joins the outer branch of the anterior tibial 

 nerve. The peroneal nerve passes to the outer side of the leg, 

 and gives small branches to the fascia and skin ; it sends the long 

 branch dow r nward which gives filaments to the fascia, and termi- 

 nates in the skin covering the dorsum of the cannon-bone. It 

 gives filaments to the ligaments and fascia on the outer side of 

 the knee-joint, and branches to the peroneal muscle, the extensors 

 of the toes, and the anterior tibial muscle. It gives off the 

 anterior tibial nerve, which passes down the leg between the 

 peroneal and anterior tibial muscles, then between this and the 

 bone along with the anterior tibial artery underneath the annular 

 ligament, where it divides into two branches ; the outer one gives 

 filaments to the joint, and is contained with the anterior tibial 

 artery on the outer side of the cannon-bone, giving filaments to 

 the periosteum, and on the outer side of the foot receiving the 

 outer branch of the deep plantar nerve ; it then becomes connected 

 with a branch of the outer plantar nerve, and is distributed 011 

 the ligaments and skin on the outer side of the foot ; the inner 

 branch of the anterior tibial passes down on the cannon-bone, 

 gives filaments to the periosteum and fascia, and terminates on 

 the skin at the inner side of the foot. 



In the Pig, the posterior tibial nerve, having given branches 

 to the muscles of the leg, and sent the branch down at the back 

 of the gastrocnemius muscle to the outer side of the leg, gives 

 filaments to the inner side of the heel, and near the part divides 

 into the inner and outer plantar nerves ; the inner is continued 

 onwards, and supplies the small inner toe (zV), the first large 

 toe (Hi), and the inner side of the next (iv). . The outer plantar 

 nerve passes underneath the flexor tendon, and is continued on- 



