THE RABBIT. 315 



the dorsal side of the aorta, and passing backwards to the pelvis : it 

 corresponds to the caudal continuation of the aorta (see pp. 67, 115, 



235)- 



258. The common iliac arteries (cM.a), formed by 

 the bifurcation of the aorta : each gives off soon after its 

 origin the iiio-lumbar artery (/./) to the posterior part 

 of the dorsal abdominal walls, and then almost immediately 

 divides into the internal iliac (til. a), which passes along 

 the dorsal wall of the pelvic cavity, and the external iliac 

 (e.il.a), which gives off an artery to the bladder and uterus, 

 and then, passing beneath Poupart's ligament, becomes the 

 femoral artery (/;;/.#), and supplies the leg. Immediately 

 external to Poupart's ligament the femoral gives off the 

 posterior epigastric artery (p.epg), which is distributed 

 to the ventral abdominal walls. 



259. The ilio-lumbar veins (/./), large vessels which 

 enter the postcaval just anterior to the bifurcation of the 

 aorta. 



In some cases the left ilio-luinbar instead of directly entering the 

 postcaval, turns forwards, runs parallel to the latter, receives the left 

 spermatic, and enters the postcaval a little posterior to the entrance ol 

 the left renal. 



260. Tne trifurcation of the inferior cava at its posterior 

 end into the two outwardly directed external iliac veins 

 (e.il.V), an d the median, backwardly directed common iliac 

 vein (c.ti.v). The external iliacs, like the corresponding 

 arteries to which they are parallel, are the intra-abdommal 

 portions of the femoral veins (/;;/.#), by which the blood 

 is returned from the legs ; they also receive the blood from 

 the bladder and uterus : the posterior epigastric veins 

 (P- e PS)-> open into the femorals immediately external to 

 Poupart's ligament. The common iliac is formed by the 

 union of the two internal iliac veins (i.il.v}, which run 



