108 THE BONES. 



oblique downwards and inwards ; it presents a curvature forwards. The body of the bone 

 is prismatic and triangular in its middle part ; the posterior border of this prism forms a 

 somewhat salient crest, which takes the place of all the insertion eminences on the pos- 

 terior aspect of the femur in animals, and is designated the linea aspera. This line 

 bifurcates above and below ; below, the branches margin a triangular or popliteal space. 



Fig. 69. 



HUMAN PELVIS; FEMALE. 



1, Last lumbar vertebra; 2, 2, Intervertebral substance j 3, Promontory of the 

 sacrum ; 4, Anterior surface of the sacrum ; 5, Coccyx ; 6, Iliac fossae ; 7, Antero- 

 superior spinous process ; 8, Antero-inferior spinous process ; 9, Acetabulum. 

 a, Its notch ; 6, Body of ischium ; c, Its tuberosity ; d, Its spine ; e, Pubis ; /, 

 Symphysis pubis ; g, Arch of the pubes ; h, Angle of os pubis ; i, Spine of pubes, 

 with crest between it and h ; k, k, Pectineal line ; I, I, Ilio-pectineal line, with its 

 prolongation, m, m; n, Ilio-pectineal eminence; o, Smooth surface for femoral 

 vessels ; p, p, Great sacro-ischiatic notch. 



The head is supported by a long neck, inserted obliquely into the superior extremity. 

 The two coudyles are joined together in front by the trochlea, which is wide and 

 shallow. 



C. LEG. Three bones : the tibia, fibula, and patella. 



The tibia is very long ; its crest (or spinous process) is much more developed than in 

 any of the domesticated animals, and describes a kind of curve like an italic S. On the 

 inner aspect of the inferior extremity is seen a voluminous process which occupies, inwardly, 

 a portion of the tibio tarsal articulation : this is the internal malleolus. The articular 

 surface is not exactly formed to correspond with the whole articular surface of the 

 astragalus. 



The fibula is as long as the tibia. It is prismatic, and slightly twisted on itself. It 

 articulates above and below with the tibia. The lower extremity responds to the astra- 

 galus, and forms a prominence named the external malleolus. 



There is nothing particular to note in the patella. 



1). FOOT. The foot of Man is situated in a horizontal direction. Its upper aspect is 

 convex ; its inferior face is excavated, and it rests on the ground by its two extremities. 



1. Tarsus. In the tarsus there are seven bones, three of which are cuneiform The 

 astragalus articulates with the tibia and fibula ; it responds to the scaphoid by a well 

 detached convex articular surface, named the head. 



In the bones of the lower row, it is remarked that the cuboid responds to the fifth 

 and fourth metatarsals : the first cuneiform to the third; the second cuneiform to the 

 second metatarsal, and the third to the first. 



2. Metatarsus. The metatarsus is composed of five bony columns, nearly parallel to 

 each other. They are enumerated from without to within, and increase in length from 

 the first to the fourth ; the fifth is the shortest and most voluminous. 



