224 Anatomy of the Rabbit. 



(e) The semimembranosus. Origin in two portions: 



First (superficial) portion: Fascia covering the first head 

 of the biceps. 



Second (deep) portion: Lateral process of the ischial 

 tuberosity. Insertion: In common with the graciHs on the 

 fascia of. the proximal portion of the medial surface of the leg. 

 This fascia is contracted into two ligaments, one of which 

 carries the insertion of the muscle to the distal end of the 

 tibial tuberosity, the other to the distal end of the leg, where 

 it joins the tendon of the heel (tendo calcaneus). 



(f) The semitendinosus. .Origin: Ischial tuberosity. In- 

 sertion: Medial condyle of the tibia. The muscle is com- 

 pletely enclosed by the adductor magnus, which must be 

 split to expose it. 



Bloodvessels and Nerves of the Thigh. 



*The femoral artery (a. femoralis) traverses the medial surface 

 of the thigh , beginning at the dorsal side of the inguinal ligament, 

 where it continues the external iliac artery. Immediately distal 

 to the inguinal ligament it gives off the deep artery of the thigh 

 (a. profunda femoris). The latter passes to the dorsal side of the 

 pectineus and adductor brevis muscles and is distributed to the 

 posterior proximal portion of limb, chiefly to the adductores 

 longus and magnus. A second branch, the lateral circumflex 

 artery (a. circumflexa femoris lateralis), is given off from the 

 anterior wall. It passes between the second head of the rectus 

 femoris and vastus lateralis, on the one hand, and the two portions 

 of the vastus intermedius, on the other. It supplies various parts 

 of the quadriceps femoris group. A third branch of the femoral, 

 the superficial epigastric artery (a. epigastrica superficialis) , 

 given off medially, and passing to the abdominal wall, has been 

 divided (p. 178). At the beginning of the distal third of the thigh, 

 a small branch, the a. genu suprema, passes over the medial 

 condyle of the femur to the knee-joint, and at about the point 

 of origin of this vessel a large branch, the great saphenous 

 artery (a. saphena magna), arises from the posterior wall. It 

 passes across the medial surface of the distal end of the adductor 

 longus, and through the tendon of the gracilis, to the medial 



