THE FOOT. 231 



ner, a small face, which articulates with the second metatar- 

 aal; externally, it also presents, at its superior corner, an arti- 

 cular facet, which joins the fourth metatarsal. 



Its body and anterior extremity, do not present any essen- 

 tial points of difference from the second metatarsal. 



Of the Fourth Metatarsal Bone. 



It is somewhat shorter than the third, and is placed upon the 

 internal of the two anterior faces of the cuboides. 



The posterior extremity, or base, is more quadrangular than 

 the base of the preceding bones. It presents an articular face 

 to the cuboides, which is also square or nearly so, flat, and slopes 

 outwardly. On its sides it is irregular ; internally, at the superior 

 margin, it has two articular facets, continuous with each other, 

 but forming thereby an obtuse angle; the anterior joins the third 

 metatarsal; and the posterior, which is much the smaller, touches 

 the cuneiforme externum. Below these, the surface is rough. 

 The articulation with the cuneiforme externum is occasionally 

 deficient. I have observed the latter, particularly in the negro, 

 and it seems to arise from the unusual development of the cu- 

 boides. The external surface of the base has at its superior 

 corner an articular facet for the fifth metatarsal bone, and be- 

 lo\v it an oblique deep fossa, before which is a tubercle. 



The anterior extremity and the body of this bone, though 

 smaller than those of the preceding, do not present any essen- 

 tial points of difference. 



Of the Fifth Metatarsal Bone. 



.This is shorter than any of the others, excepting the first, and 

 is placed on the front of the cuboides, externally. 



Its base is remarkable, and distinguishes it strongly, by being 

 projected considerably beyond the external margin of the cu- 

 boides, and forming there a large tubercle, into the superior part 



