Knee-joint. 



41 



be too violent a motion for so vast a body ; but a shuffle, 

 that he can increase at pleasure to a pace as rapid as 

 that of a man at full speed, but which he cannot main- 

 tain for any considerable distance. 



It is to the structure of the knee-joint that the elephant 

 is indebted for his singular facility in ascending and de- 

 scending steep acclivities, climbing rocks and traversing 

 precipitous ledges, where even a mule dare not venture ; 

 and this again leads to the correction of another gene- 

 rally received error, that his legs are " formed more for 



forms one of the " Bridgewater Trea- 

 tises,'" has exhibited the reasons de- 

 ducible from organisation, which show 

 the incapacity of the elephant to spring 

 or/?(7/like the horse and other animals 

 whose structure is designed to facilitate 



agility and speed. In them the various 

 bones of the shoulder and fore limbs, 

 especially the clavicle and humerus, are 

 set at such an angle, that the shock in 

 descending is modified, and the joints 

 and sockets protected from the injury 



occasioned by concussion. But in the 

 elephant, where the weigilt of the body 

 is immense, the bones of the leg, in 

 order to present solidity and strength 

 to sustain it, are built in one firm and 

 perpendicular column ; instead of being 

 placed somewhat obliquely at their 



points of contact. Thus whilst the 

 force of the weight in descending is 

 broken and distributed by this arrange- 

 ment in the case of the horse ; it would 

 be so concentrated in the elephant as to 

 endanger everj' joint from the toe to 

 the shoulder. 



