102 THE ARTISTIC ANATOMY OF ANIMALS 



vexity, which is situated in front ; and the crest, formed by 

 muscular impressions, situated outside and below the con- 

 vexity. The digital fossa is situated behind and below the 

 summit of the great trochanter. With regard to the lesser 

 trochanter, it is placed so far down that it really forms 

 part of the shaft of the bone, with which, besides, we have 

 described it. 



On the inferior extremity of the femur are two condyles 

 and a trochlea ; the condyles are clearly separated from this 

 latter by a marked constriction. 



The trochlea is directed with a slight obliquity downwards 

 and inwards ; its internal lip is much thicker and more 

 prominent than the external ; this is, accordingly, a con- 

 dition exactly the opposite of that which characterizes the 

 corresponding region of the human femur. 



The knee-cap is lozenge-shaped ; its superior angle pro- 

 jects upward, and produces a prominence at the part which 

 corresponds to the base of the human patella, the part 

 which is here the thickest portion of the bone. Its anterior 

 surface is convex and rough. Its posterior surface presents 

 two lateral articular facets, separated by a crest ; this 

 surface is in contact with the trochlea of the femur, and, 

 as it is the internal lip of the latter which is the more 

 developed, it results therefrom that the internal articular 

 surface of the knee-cap is larger than the external. 



The knee-cap contributes to the formation of the region of 

 the posterior limb which is called the stifle. 



The tibia is large in its upper portion ; in its inferior part 

 it is flattened from before backwards. The posterior surface 

 of the shaft presents an oblique line, below which are found 

 vertical rough lines for the insertion of muscles. The ex- 

 ternal surface is hollowed out in its upper part. The 

 anterior tuberosity of the tibia rises just to the level of the 

 flat articular surface ; it is hollowed in its median portion 

 by a vertical groove of elongated form, which receives the 

 ligament that binds the knee-cap to the tibia. The external 

 tuberosit}'' is more prominent than the internal ; in it is 

 found a groove for the passage of the anterior tibial muscle. 

 The inferior extremity, flattened from before backwards, 



