THE GREASE. 79 



ed with long hair on their legs. But it must be 

 considered, that the blood horse is not originally 

 the produce of this country. The climate in 

 which he is generated is much warmer, and the 

 surface of the soil is generally sandy and free 

 from moisture. In this country, however, his 

 legs are well protected by the closeness of the 

 hair, for his skin, which is finer and more 

 compact in its texture than that of the cart 

 horse, produces three hairs in the same space as 

 would be occupied by two only in the latter. 

 Independent of this property, his natural habit is 

 more vigorous, and less subject to those diseases 

 which attend habits of the indolent and phleg- 

 matic kind. 



The necessity of a covering to the skin of 

 animals which are much exposed to the cold 

 elements, may, in an analogous point of view, 

 be carried still farther, viz. to v^'ater-fowl and 

 fish. 



The 



