The Vascular System 207 



f, the chief vein of the posterior appendage. 

 After receiving small branches from the muscles 

 of the thigh, the femoral receives near the knee 

 a small branch from the posterior surface of the 

 lower leg, fb, and a larger one, t, that leads from 

 the anterior surface of the lower leg and foot. 



The veins of the pes were so small, in the com- 

 paratively small animals it was necessary to use, 

 that their distribution could not be determined with 

 certainty, though they seemed to parallel very closely 

 their corresponding arteries to be described below. 



A short distance caudad to the iliac veins, each 

 epigastric receives one or two fairly large branches 

 from the pelvic region, called by Bronn the ischiadic 

 veins, is. Caudad to the ischiadics and dorsal 

 to the cloaca, each epigastric is united with a short 

 but wide renal portal or renal advehente vein, rp, 

 leading to the posterior border of its respective 

 kidney and receiving, on the way, a short branch 

 from the pelvic region, shown just cephalad to 

 the reference lines rt and rp. 



Very close to its junction with the renal portals 

 each epigastric gives off a small branch which 

 unites with its fellow of the opposite side to form 

 a median vein, rt, the rectal leading from the 

 posterior part of the large intestine. A very short 

 distance caudal to these last veins, in the region 

 just dorsal to the anal opening, the epigastrics 

 are formed by the division of the caudal vein, cv, 

 which, of course, brings blood from the tail and is, 



