THE CANCELLI OF BONES 109 



proacnes nearer the truth, though he seems to 

 have misconceived the plan of its structure. He 

 recognizes three series of fibres, one of which 

 extends from the head to the under surface of 

 the neck (Fig. 31, a) ; another forming a series of 

 pointed arches which abut on the outer and inner 

 walls of the base of the neck (66); and a third 

 extending from the summit of this arch to the first 

 series (c) ; the whole of which he compares to a 

 bracket (d) ; series (a) resisting by its rigidity, (c) 

 by its tenacity, and (b) forming the " archwork,' 3 

 which gives the last its points of resistance. The 

 cancelli of the triangular interval between these 

 three, he says, present no determinate arrange- 

 ment. In the sequel it will appear that neither 

 the interval which he describes nor the archwork 

 exists. 



According to the view which I wish to advance, 

 and which seems to approach much nearer the 

 truth than either of those above referred to, two 

 series of cancelli exist ; one of these (Fig. 30, a a) 

 rests or abuts on the convex surface of the thick 

 shell which forms the under wall of the neck, and 

 from this they diverge towards the upper portion 

 of the head, neck, trochanter major, and that 

 portion of the shaft just below this last; those 

 which extend into the head are much the longest. 

 The fibres of the second series (b b) are arranged 

 in parallel curves, the extremes of which are at- 



