318 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



intimacy, and accompany him in his labors and his pleasures. The 

 species of animal whose cooperation we borrow are numerous, and 

 vary according to latitude and climate. But whether we employ the 

 horse, the ass, the camel, or the reindeer, the same problem is always 

 presented : to get from the animal as much work as possible, sparing 

 him, as far as we can, fatigue and suffering. This identity of stand- 

 point will much simplify my task, as it will enable me to confine the 

 study of animated motors to a single species : I have chosen the horse 

 as the most interesting type. Even with this restriction the subject 

 is still very vast, as all know who are occupied with the different ques- 

 tions connected therewith. In studying the force of traction of the 

 horse, and the best methods of utilizing it, we encounter all the prob- 

 lems connected with teams and the construction of vehicles. But, on 

 a subject which has engaged the attention of humanity for thousands 

 of years, it seems difficult to find anything new to say. 



If in the employment of the horse we consider its speed and the 

 means of increasing it, the subject does not appear less exhausted. 

 Since the chariot-races, of which Greek and Roman antiquity were 

 passionately fond, to our modern horse-races, men have never ceased to 

 pursue with a lively interest the problem of rapjd locomotion. What 

 tests and comparisons have not been made to discover what race has 

 most speed, what other most bottom, what crossings, what training 

 give reason to expect still more speed ? 



Lastly, as to what is called the exterior of the horse, and his varied 

 paces, specialists have for long devoted themselves to this department. 

 The horseman is trained to distinguish between these different paces, 

 to correct by the education of the horse those which seem to him de- 

 fective, to fix by habit those which give to his mount more pleasant 

 reactions or a much greater stability. The artist, in attempting to rep- 

 resent the horse, seeks to transfer his attitudes more and more faith- 

 fully, to express better and better the force, the suppleness, and the 

 grace of his motions. 



These questions, so complicated, I wish to bring before you by a 

 new method, and I hope to show you that the graphic method makes 

 light of difficulties which seem insurmountable, discerns what escapes 

 the most attentive observation ; finally, it expresses clearly to the eyes 

 and engraves upon the memory the most complicated notions. The 

 graphic method was almost unknown twenty-five years ago ; to-day it 

 is widespread. Thus, in almost all countries, recourse is had to the 

 employment of graphic curves as the best mode of expression to repre- 

 sent clearly the movement of administrative, industrial, and commer- 

 cial statistics. In all observatories apparatus known as registering or 

 recording, trace on paper the curves of variation of the thermometer, 

 the barometer, rain, wind, and even atmospheric electricity. Physi- 

 ology utilizes still more largely recording apparatus ; but I shall only 

 require to show you a very small number of these instruments, those 



