Elementary Anatomy of a Hound 33 



the bone is plainly marked. The lower end of the 

 femur articulates with two bones, viz., the patella 

 or knee cap, and the tihia or second thigh. 



In Greyhounds the second thigh bone attains its 

 maximum length, extending — in a downward and 

 backward direction — from the stifle joint to the tarsus 

 or hock. The patella is a small bone attached by 

 ligaments only. Upon the great length of the bone 

 mainly depends the forward stride, so that a long 

 second thigh, if well muscled, points to speed. 



In looking at the skeleton of a dog it is somewhat 

 singular to note that the direction of the scapula 

 (shoulder blade) corresponds to that taken by the 

 first thigh bone and the humerus to that of the 

 second thigh, whilst the angles formed by these 

 joints are much more acute in the hind limb. 



There is another slender rod of bone running along 

 the side of the tihia (second thigh bone), known as 

 the fibula, which in its upper half is not in contact 

 with the tibia, but it is below in fact united to the 

 last named by small fibres. 



The lower end of both the tihia and fibula articu- 

 lates with the bones of the hock joint, of which there 

 are seven, as follows: 



Os calcis or heel. 

 \ Astragalus. 



Scaphoid. 



Inner, outer and middle Cuneiform bones. 

 Cuboid bone. 



