13 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



movements more quickly or more slowly than the one behind, we 

 see reproduced all the rhythms of the movements which characterize 

 the different paces of the horse. Many have seen in the circus the 

 figures of animals whose legs are formed by those of two men, with 

 their bodies concealed in what 'represents the body of the quadruped. 

 This grotesque imitation bears a striking resemblance to the animal 

 when the movements of the two men are so well coordinated as to 

 reproduce the rhythms of the paces. 



Assuming the horse to be composed of two bipeds walking one be- 



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Fig. 1. Notation of a Horse's Amble. 



hind the other, let these, in progressing steadily, go through the same 

 movements at the same time ; that is, let the right leg of each be ad- 

 vanced at the same time and rate, the feet striking the ground so as 

 to give but a single sound. While the body is resting on these, the 

 left legs are simultaneously thrown forward, each striking the ground 

 at the same moment, and so on alternately. The pace thus pi-oduced 

 is known as the amble, and is the simplest of all the paces of the horse. 

 The notation of its rhythms is given in Fig. 1. The upper line is 

 derived from the movements of the anterior, or foremost biped ; the 



Fig. 2. Experiment ax Apparatus to show the Pressure oi" the Horse's Hoop on the 



Ground. 



lower, from the movements of the posterior or hindmost biped. The 

 foot-falls of the right and left foot being produced at the same time 

 by the biped walking in front, and by the one which follows, must be 



