ARTERIES OF THE PELVIC LIMB 619 



uterine arteries. The umbilical artery is usually largely o]:)literated and its terminal 

 branches receive their blood through anastomosc^s with the internal pudic. It 

 gives off near its origin two small vessels, the ureteral artery (A. ureterica) and the 

 deferential artery (A. deferentialis), which accompany the ureter and the vas 

 deferens respectively. The middle uterine artery {\. uterina media) is very large. 

 It is distributed chiefly to the cornu of the uterus, and compensates for the 

 small size of the utero-ovarian artery. (2) The ilio-lumbar artery is relatively 

 small and is distributed chiefly to the sublumbar muscles. It is sometimes 

 replaced by branches of the circumflex iliac and gluteal arteries. (3) The 

 anterior gluteal artery is commonly represented l)y several vessels. (4) The 

 obturator artery is represented by several small l)ranches which supply the 

 obturator and adductor muscles. (5) The iliaco-femoral and lateral sacral 

 arteries are absent. The absence of the latter is compensated by the middle sacral 

 and gluteal arteries. (6) The posterior gluteal (or ischiatic) artery is large. It 

 emerges through the lesser sciatic notch and ramifies in the biceps femoris and 

 adjacent muscles. (7) The internal pudic artery (A. urethro-genitaUs) is the direct 

 continuation of the internal iliac. It gives off branches to the rectum, bladder, 

 urethra, and genital organs. In the male it supplies the accessor^' genital glands 

 and divides into dorsal and deep arteries of the penis; the a. dorsalis penis runs 

 along the dorsum penis to the glans and gives twigs to the prepuce; the a. profunda 

 penis gives off a perineal branch and enters the corpus cavernosum penis. In the 

 female it gives off a large posterior uterine artery, which supplies the posterior 

 part of the uterus and gives branches to the vagina and bladder. It ends as the a. 

 clitoridis, which supplies the clitoris and adjacent parts. 



ARTERIES OF THE PELVIC LIMB 



The external iliac artery has the same course as in the horse. The circumflex 

 iliac artery is large. A l^ranch from it emerges between the al)dominal and lumbar 

 muscles near the external angle of the ilium and ramifies like the terminals of the 

 ilio-lumbar artery of the horse. 



The femoral and popliteal arteries pursue a similar course to those of the horse. 

 The chief differences in their branches are as follows: 



1. The external pudic artery is distributed chiefly to the scrotum in the male. 

 In the cow it is usually termed the mammary and is very large, especially during 

 lactation. Each divides at the base of the mammary gland into two branches 

 which are distributed to the anterior and posterior parts ("riuarters") of the gland. 

 A small branch accompanies the subcutaneous abdominal vein to the xiphoid region. 



2. The deep femoral artery gives off an obturator branch which passes up 

 through the obturator foramen to supply the obturator internus and compensates 

 otherwise for the absence of the obturator artery. 



3. The anterior femoral artery is large. It often gives off the external cir- 

 cumflex artery of the thigh, which perforates the proximal end of the cjuadriceps, 

 gives branches to that nuiscle, the iliacus, glutei, and tensor fascia? lata?. 



4. The saphenous artery is large. It descends in front of the homonymous 

 vein to the postero-internal surface of the hock, where it divides into two plantar 

 branches. The internal plantar artery (A. plantaris medialis) is the direct continua- 

 tion of the sai^hcnous. It descends at first along the inner border of the superficial 

 flexor tendon and is continued as the internal superficial plantar metatarsal artery 

 along the inner side of the deep flexor tendon with tlie internal plantar nerve. 

 It anastomoses at the proximal end of the metatarsus with the perforating meta- 

 tarsal artery, assisting in the formation of the proximal plantar arch. Near the 

 fetlock it concurs with the perforating branch of the dorsal metatarsal artery in 

 the formation of the distal plantar arch. Below this it is continued as the internal 



