THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



so employed. Then began the difficult task of mounting. The 

 result is considered completely successful. It throws light not 

 only upon the osteology of the draught horse, but on the signifi- 

 cance of various features of the skeleton in general. 



In studying the mounted skeleton we have to imagine that 

 the shoulders rest against a collar, against which the horse is 

 throwing its weight and exerting its energy. To this end the 

 head and body are lowered, the fore limbs acting chiefly as sup- 

 ports, although part of the weight is thrown against the col- 

 lar. The hind limbs are doing the greater amount of the work ; 

 they are the real propellers of the body. In the side view the 

 exact position of each of the limbs is shown, and the flexure of 

 the various joints, also the fact that the backbone is lowered 

 toward the ground and that the head is thrown over to one side. 



A still more striking point of view is that from above and 

 behifid. We here note that the right half of the pelvis has been 

 lowered and thrown well to the left, so that the right hip joint 

 has been brought much nearer the mid-line than the left. The 

 purpose of this is to transmit the energy from the hind limb as 

 nearly as possible through the central or main axis of the body. 

 This is further facilitated by the curvature of the backbone. 

 At the next moment the left leg will get its "purchase," the 

 right being released ; the pelvis then swings to the right side, 

 the curve in the backbone becomes reversed, and the power of the 

 left hind limb is applied similarly along the main axis of the 

 animal ; and so on from step to step. 



The skeleton of an animal is popularly considered its least 

 interesting part; but this method of illustrating its adaptation 

 for special purposes, by representing it in various kinds of action, 

 immediately transforms the skeleton into a subject of the great- 

 est interest. In fact, the wonderful evolution of the Horse as it 

 will be shown in the fossil series can only be thoroughly under- 

 stood when taken in connection w^th the special motions and 

 actions of the living Horse. 



The race horse will be mounted as running at full speed ; the 

 Shetland pony as in the act of grazing. Another mount, nearly 

 ready for exhibition, is of a rearing horse held in check by a man. 



