The Skeleton of the Posterior Limb. 



169 



The pubis (os pubis) consists of a basal portion, or body lying 

 immediately below the acetabulum, a superior or acetabular 

 ramus extending from the body to the symphysis, and an inferior 

 or symphyseal ramus extending backward along the symphysis 

 to its junction with the ischium. The 

 anterior margin of the bone, described 

 as the pecten oss. pubis, is thin and 

 sharp. Near the symphysis it bears 

 a minute elevation, the pubic tuber- 

 cle (tuberculum pubicum), and 

 laterally a more extensive elevation, 

 the iliopectineal eminence (emin- 

 entia iliopectinea) . The latter is more 

 conspicuous in older specimens, where 

 it is easily recognizable by its jagged 

 outline. Its lateral margin is con- 

 tinuous with the iliopectineal line. 



THE FEMUR. 



The femur (Fig. 70) is a some- 

 what S-shaped bone, the body being 

 very slightly arcuate, while of the two 

 extremities, the distal one is bent 

 downward, forming the articulation 

 of the knee, the proximal one, with 

 its various processes, slightly upward 

 in association with the pelvis. In 

 considering the general form, it will 

 be remembered that in the natural 

 sitting posture of the rabbit, the 

 position of the femur is approximately 

 horizontal, the convex surface of the 

 shaft, which is equivalent to the 

 anterior surface in man, being uppermost. 



The proximal extremity of the femur bears an extensive rounded 

 portion or head (caput femoris), for articulation with the pelvic 

 girdle. This portion is separated from the main part of the 



em.- 



crti- 



Fig. 70. Anterior surface of the left 

 femur: c.l. and cm., lateral and 

 medial condyles; cl.f., neck of femur; 

 cp.f., articular portion (head); e.l., 

 and e.m., lateral and medial epicon- 

 dyles; f.p., patellar surface; t.mi., 

 trochanter minor; t.mj., trochanter 

 major, including t.p. and t.t., the first 

 and third trochanters. 



