INVESTIGATIONS NEEDED. Ud 



harmony of their structure. Noav I believe that these are words 

 without a definite lueauing. I do not believe that it is possible 

 with any microscope at the present time to discriminate be- 

 tween the fibre of one breed and the fibre of another breed. 

 We have not the means of such minute investigation, and yet 

 it is assumed as a matter of course that a fine and delicate, or 

 coarse fibre, constitutes the essential difference between some 

 animals as compared with others. I have no doubt that there 

 is something by which . farmers are able to appreciate the 

 difi'erence, but Avhen they speak of it as being in the fineness 

 or coarseness of their fibre, all who are accustomed to examine 

 the tissue of animals under the microscope know that there is 

 nothing with which we are conversant that corresponds with 

 such expressions. Now, I should like to know what is meant 

 by that, and I think it would be very useful to us if those 

 who use such expressions would tell us what it is, practically, 

 that suggests to their minds the differences between diflerent 

 animals. 



And so it is with the words "harmony of structure," "well- 

 proportioned relations of the members of the whole frame," 

 and so on. I do not think that we have, anatomically, the 

 means for determining them. I do not think that there exists, 

 in all the agricultural colleges of the United States put to- 

 gether, in all the medical schools put together, a sufficient 

 number of skeletons of any one breed of domesticated animals 

 by which it could be determined what is the normal propor- 

 tion of an}'' one joint as compared with any other. Now, that 

 is an important investigation, and the investigation would not 

 be difficult if we would go to work in the right way. The 

 first step would be to get a large collection of skeletons, and 

 after we have studied the skeletons, we shall be able to exam- 

 ine the muscles that move the head ; and after we have exam- 

 ined those, we shall go one step further, and examine the 

 nerves and blood vessels ; but that will take generations. We 

 cannot expect to have the information next year ; it will take 

 generations ; but we shall have the result the sooner, the 

 sooner we go to work and make the collection upon which 

 such investigations can be based. Now, I would reiterate my 

 request to farmers, to supply the museum at Cambridge with 

 carcases of such animals as are known to them, the pedigree 



