34 
Horse. Was the beginniny of the Horse then in Pleistocene times ? 
Was it ‘‘created’’ then? The answer to the last question depends 
on the meaning of creation. Thata totally new creature sprang 
suddenly into existence, a creation in the Miltonic sense,—no. 
That our Horse did not exist before Pleistocene times, but has 
existed ever since,—yes. Creation is a slow work, not an instant- 
taneous one,—a gradual change and development, extending, it 
may be over countless ages before the special form is produced. 
‘‘ Kvolution,”’ says Professor Drummond in his last work, ‘is seen 
to be ueither more nor less than the story of Creation as told by 
those who know it best.’’ In deposits of slightly older age we 
find bones and teeth, if not of horses, then of very horse-like 
animals ; in enormous numbers at Pikermi, already mentioned, in 
France, in Germany, and more sparingly in the crag of Suffolk, 
&c. To this creature the geologist has given the name Hipparion. 
It is shown on the upper half of the next slide. Notice the project- 
ing toes, the smooth upper part of the tail. 
But now, before going any further, let us notice briefly the 
characteristic points in the structure of the limb of the Horse; 
that of the fore-leg will be quite sufficient, The fore-leg, as you 
know, corresponds to our arm ; consequently there is no knee in it ; 
what is usually called the knee is really the wrist, and the space 
between it and the tip of the hoof, as it is seen in front, corresponds 
to the back of hand and fingers. Through our hand run five bones, 
to which are attached the fingers of three joints each, one much 
longer than the rest, and the thumb of two joints. But in the 
“hand ”’ of the Horse we find, not five bones, but only one, a very 
stout bone called the ‘‘ cannon bone,’’ bearing one finger only, ot 
three joints like our own, the lowest joint of the three bring 
enclosed in the hoof, which is, as already remarked, neither more 
nor less than a modified finger-nail. But now, note especially 
alongside the upper half of the cannon bone, two rudimentary bones, 
of no use whatever to the horse, and in old age becoming solidified 
with the cannon bone. These are called the splint bes, they reach 
little more than half-way down, they terminate in a point, and 
they are enclosed in the skin.—Two apparently useless, supplement- 
ary bones ; they are in fact, useless to our modern horse,—as useless 
as the letter 4 in dcwbt and other silent functionless letters. You 
naturally ask, Why are these useless bones there ? what do they 
mean-? Much; as we shall presently see. A short time before 
our modern Horse appeared, herds of a closely similar animal 
roamed over the plains,—the Hipparion already mentioned. 
Compare the fore-leg of this form with that of the Horse. Here 
are the same splint bones, but lengthened out so as to reach the 
whole length of the cannon bone, while to each of them is attached 
a slender toe of three joints,—very short however, so short that-it 
