50 ANATOMY OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL 



The Pubis. Location. The pubis is located along the inferior 

 margin of the ischium and extends further back than the posterior 

 border of the ischium. 



Description. The pubis is a long, slender, rib-like bone. It 

 forms the lower and front portion of the acetabulum. The ischiadic 

 foramen formed by the ischium' and pubis is single and nearly 

 circular in fowls, double in pigeons, and in geese and ducks it is 

 elongate. 



THE HIND LIMB (Fig. 4, Nos. 35, 47, 4, 49, 5, 5i, 52, and 53; Fig. 12) 



The pelvic, or hind, limb supports the body. The bones of 

 each leg are the femur, which constitutes the thigh, the tibia and 

 the fibula, which represents the leg, and the metatarsus and the 

 phalanges, which form the foot. 



The Femur (Fig. 12, A and B). Location. The femur, or os 

 femoris, the first bone of the hind extremity, extends obliquely 

 downward and forward, articulating with the acetabulum above 

 and the tibia, the fibula, and the patella below. 



Description. The femur, one of the largest, thickest, and strongest 

 bones of the body, belongs to the class of cylindrical bones, 

 and presents for examination a shaft and two extremities. 



The superior, or proximal extremity, is provided -with a head, 

 caput femoris; the neck, collum femoris; and the trochanter. The 

 head is relatively small, and is marked by a depression above for the 

 round ligament which fills the cavity in the acetabular wall. Its 

 axis is nearly at right angles with the shaft. A neck joins it to the 

 body at the proximal end. External to the head of the femur is 

 the trochanter. The trochanter presents an outer convexity over 

 which the tendon of the gluteus maximus extends to become inserted 

 below. The trochanteric ridge, which is opposite the articular 

 head, presents an outer flattened surface which possesses impressions 

 for muscular attachments. The trochanteric fossa, or fossa tro- 

 chanterica, is shallow. 



The shaft, or corpus femoris, is shorter than the tibia, is in general 

 cylindrical, bent forward, and the lower half is flattened and ex- 

 panded transversely. A nutrient foramen is located in the median 

 portion of the shaft. The shaft shows muscular linear ridges. 



The distal extremity is large in both directions and comprises the 

 trochlea in front and two condyles behind, one internal and one ex- 



