Xatvirc lias produced even more distinct breeds than those pro- 

 duced t)y man, or lathcr greater extremes of structure and of habit. 

 Thus very early in eciuine history among the race of Mesohippus the 

 so-called Forest Horse api)eared. These horses browsed on shrubs 

 and soft ])lants ratlun' than grazed, and seeking this kind of food in 

 soft and swampy ground are distinguished by broad, spreading feet 

 with three hoofs, and by short-crowned teeth resembling those of a 

 tapir. These animals lived for hundreds of thousands of years and 

 found their wav e\(>n into western Asia. 



SERIES EOCENE TO OLIGOCENE 



In the other extreme is the high speed mechanism of the grazing 

 or DESERT HORSE which has limbs as finely drawn as those of the 

 existing Virginia deer and was undoubtedly an animal capable of very 

 high speed. This ty])e is r(>i)resented by Xcohipparion ichitnciji, or 

 "Whitney's New Hipparion," the name having been given in honor of 

 the late INIr. William C\ \Vhitney. This is the most perfect skeleton of 

 a fossil horse ever discovered, so perfect in preservation that even the 

 cartilages of the ribs are fossilized and preserved as well as all the 



