MOUNTING A LARGE DISARTICULATED SKELETON. 301 



FIG. 76, Middle 

 of Hind Leg '. 

 View. 



Joint 

 Rear 



stiff brass, and extend through the entire length of the tail, the 

 tapering end being tiled small so that the small vertebrae can 

 fit over it. The small side wires of soft ' brass 

 (/, /) should only extend through a few of 

 the larger tail vertebra 1 , and are for making- 

 things firm. 



To articulate the bones of the hind leg, first 

 arrange them so as to know the precise place 

 of each. Take first the tarsal and metatarsal 

 bones. In articulating these it is necessary 

 for one to use his judgment largely, and put 



wires through so as to 



make the joint firm. 



Bore holes through the 



astragalus and os cal- 



cis (Fig. 75, a, a) so as 



to put a double wire through these and 



hold them together firmly. Next send 



two strong double wires through these 



and through the other 



tarsal bones, and bring 



them out on the pos- 

 terior surface of the 



metatarsal or canon 



bone (c and d). 



Next articulate the bones of the feet. This 

 is very simply done by passing a single heavy 

 wire through the lower end of each half of the 

 canon bone to each set of phalanges, making 

 a loop at each end of the' wire (see Figs. 77 

 and -78). In large skeletons it will frequently 

 be found necessary to further strengthen the 

 articulations of the phalanges by means of 

 brass pins, as shown in the figure at a. The 

 sesamoids are fastened 011 by two stiff brass 

 pins through each at />. 



The femur and tibia can be fastened to- 

 gether by a double brass wire passing through each condyle 

 of the femur, and through each side of the head of the tibia, or, 



FIB. 77. Bones of the Foot : 

 Side View. 



Fio. 78. Bones of the 

 Foot : Rear View. 



