The humerus is so placed that the radial border, external in man and quadrupeds, looks upwards, with the result that the surface of the bone of the arm, which in these latter is anterior, in the former looks outwards. The humeral head, which is turned forwards and a little inwards, is convex and elongated in the vertical direction. Behind and above this head is found a crest for the insertion of muscles. It is the same for the region below, where there is a tuberosity whose inferior surface presents a pretty large opening which looks inwards to a fossa from the floor of which a number of minute openings communicate with the interior of the bone. This is the pneumatic foramen of the humerus.
It is of interest to remember in connection with this subject that in birds, in keeping with the conditions of flight, every system of organs is adapted to diminish the weight of the body. We particularly draw attention to the osseous framework, the structure of which is such that the weight of the animal is greatly lessened. This condition is secured by the pneumaticity. The bone consists of a cover of compact tissue, which, instead of enclosing marrow, is hollowed out by cavities which contain air, and communicate with special pouches, the air-sacs, which are appendages of the lungs.[10]
[10] The presence of air in the bones does not seem to be always associated with the power of flight; as a matter of fact, we find air spaces in the bones of some birds which do not fly (E. J. Marey, 'The Flight of Birds,' Paris, 1890, p. 51).
[Illustration: FIG. 21.--SKELETON OF A BIRD (VULTURE): LEFT SURFACE.
1, Cranium; 2, face; 3, cervical vertebræ; 4, spinous processes of the dorsal vertebræ; 5, coccygeal vertebræ; 6, sternum; 7, keel; 8, superior ribs; 9, inferior ribs; 10, clavicle; 11, coracoid bone (for the details of the skeleton of the shoulder, see Fig. 18); 12, humerus; 13, radius; 14, ulna; 15, carpus; 16, hand (for details of the skeleton of this region, see Fig. 31); 17, ilium; 18, ischium; 19, pubis (for the details of the pelvis, see Fig. 46); 20, femur; 21, tibia; 22, fibula; 23, osseous nodule, which some anatomists think represents the calcaneum; it is the sole vestige of the tarsus; 24, metatarsus; 25, foot; 26, first toe (for the details of the skeleton of the foot, see Fig. 48).]