158 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



the newly-developing regional physiographic in- 

 fluences, into the desert type, the steppe type, and 

 the forest type." 



It is now time to devote attention to the physical 

 attributes of the Arab, of which, so far as general 

 external features are concerned, an excellent 

 summary is given by Prof. David Law,^ who adopts 

 the view that these are due to adaptation to sur- 

 roundinofs. 



" Arabs," he writes, " are more compact than the 

 horses of Barbary, having a rounder body, shorter 

 limbs, with more of sinew, or what is termed bone. 

 Yet they are of the smaller class of horses, very 

 little exceeding, on a medium, fourteen hands, or 

 fifty-six inches, in height. As compared with the 

 horses of countries abounding in the grasses, their 

 aspect is lean, their form slender, and their chest 

 narrow. But the slimness of figure of these horses 

 is not inconsistent with muscular force ; and their 

 movements are agile, their natural paces swift, and 

 their spirit is unmatched. The power of their 

 delicate limbs is indicated by the well-marked 

 muscles of the fore-arm, and the starting sinews 

 of the leg. The shoulder is sufficiently oblique ; 

 the withers are elevated : the back is moderately 

 short ; and the quarters are good. The head is 

 well formed ; the forehead is broad ; the ears are 



^ Domesticated Animals of the British Islands^ 2nd ed. p. 476. 



