M. Roulin on Domestic Animals. 333 



moment they perceive a man, and never stop till out of sight, 

 the motions of these animals are beautiful, especially those of 

 the chief of the troop, but their form, although not clumsy, is 

 generally deficient in elegance. 



In the hatos of the llanos, the horses are almost entirely 

 left to themselves, being only brought together from time to 

 time to prevent their becoming entirely wild, as well as for the 

 purpose of ridding them of the larvae of oestri, and of marking 

 the foals with a hot iron. In consequence of this independent 

 life, a character belonging to the unreduced species, the colour 

 becomes uniform, chesnut being not only the predominant, but 

 nearly the only, tint observed among them. I imagine some- 

 thing of the same kind may happen in Spain, among such of 

 these animals as are left to wander in the mountains (cavallos 

 cerreros), for in Spanish proverbs the horse is often designated 

 by the name of el bayo, as the ass is by that of rucio. 



In the small hatos that occur on the platforms of the Cordil- 

 lera, the effects of domestication are more perceptible ; the co- 

 lours of the horses are there more varied ; there is more differ- 

 ence ill their size, that is to say, there are many among them 

 smaller, and some a little larger ; their hair, so long as they 

 live in the fields, is pretty long and tufted, but a few months' 

 stabling is sufficient to render it short and glossy. The race of 

 the.^e horses is in part renewed by stallions which are brought 

 from warmer climates, and especially from the valley of the 

 Cauca. It appeared to me, that in certain places where this 

 practice was neglected, the horses had become perceptibly 

 smaller, although in other respects the pastures were celebrated 

 for their goodness. Their hair had grown extremely long, but 

 they had scarcely lost any of their useful qualities, and those of 

 a certain district were even distinguished for their speed. 



When a horse is brought from the llanos of San Martin or 

 Casanare, to the platform of Bogota, it must be kept in the 

 stable until it becomes habituated to the climate; for if let loose 

 at first in the fields, it falls off, is covered with scab, and often 

 dies in a few months. 



The pace which is preferred in saddle horses, is the amble 

 M\iMe pas releve. They are trained to them at aa early age, 

 and when ridden, are carefully prevented from using any other 

 JUI.V OCTOBKR 1829. ''< 



