2. =A. femoralis= (Fig. 127).--This is the continuation of the external iliac onto the medial surface of the thigh. The artery lies in a triangular depression between the borders of the sartorius (1) and gracilis (9) muscles. The floor of the depression is formed by the adductor longus (6), pectineus (5), vastus internus, and rectus femoris (3) muscles. This triangular depression is known as the =iliopectineal= fossa, or Scarpa’s triangle; it contains also the femoral vein (_a_) and saphenous nerve (_g_), which pass along with the artery. The artery extends distad, and at about the middle of the length of the thigh it passes, along with the vein and nerve, into a groove between the vastus medialis and the adductor femoris. This groove is converted into a canal by the overlying aponeurosis; it is known as =Hunter’s canal= or the =canalis adductorius=. At the distal end of the adductor femoris the femoral artery ceases to be superficial and passes between the vastus medialis and the semimembranosus to the popliteal space; it now receives the name =A. poplitea=. Branches of the femoral artery: _a._ =A. circumflexa femoris lateralis= (Fig. 127, _d_).--The lateral circumflex arises from the femoral about one centimeter from its emergence from the abdominal cavity. It passes craniad and laterad and divides into two main portions. One part passes between the rectus femoris and vastus medialis, gives branches to these muscles, and sends an ascending branch to the structures about the hip-joint, and a descending branch into the vastus medialis muscle. The remainder of the lateral circumflex passes along the inner (lateral) surface of the sartorius (1) to the cranial border of the leg, giving branches to the sartorius (1) and tensor fasciæ latæ (2). _b._ A large =muscular= branch (_e_) passes caudad (or ventrad) and distad across the distal end of the adductor femoris (7) and between the gracilis (9) and semimembranosus, supplying these muscles. Other small muscular branches may be given off from both sides of the femoral. _c._ =A. articularis genu suprema= (_h_).--The superior articular artery arises from the femoral, either in common with the saphenous artery or separately, a little proximad of the point where the femoral ceases to be superficial. It passes toward the knee, between the vastus medialis and semimembranosus, and covered by the sartorius (1), and ramifies over the medial surface of the knee-joint and in the structures just proximad of the joint.