THE WALK 27 



Certain phases of the facts of Animal Locomo- 

 tion will alone be treated upon, as demonstrated by 

 photographic research. 



The illustrations and condensed definitions of the 

 various gaits were prepared by the Author for the 

 *^ Standard Dictionary." Before studying these it is 

 essential that the meaning of the terms step and stride 

 should be distinctly understood. 



A STEP is an act of progressive animal motion, in 

 which one of the supporting members of the body is 

 thrust in the direction of the motion and the support 

 transferred, wholly, or in part, from one member to 

 another. 



A STRIDE is an act of progressive animal motion, 

 which, for its completion, requires all of the support- 

 ing members of the body, in the exercise of their 

 proper functions, to be consecutively and regularly 

 thrust in the direction of the movement until they hold 

 the same relative positions in respect to each other as 

 they did at the commencement of the notation. In 

 the bipedal walk or run a step is one- half of a stride 

 or full round movement. With all quadrupeds, except 

 the kangaroo and other jumpers, four steps are nec- 

 essary to complete the stride. 



THE WALK. 



The WALK is a method of progressive motion with a 

 regular individual succession of limb movements. In 

 the evolution of the terrestrial vertebrates the walk was 

 probably the first adopted method of locomotion, and 

 its execution is regulated by the law that the move- 

 ment of the superior limb precedes the movement of 



