CHAPTER II. 

 THE MUSCLES AND THEIR WORK. 



The bony skeleton is clothed with several varieties of 

 tissue, of which the muscles -are of primary importance 

 in the study of conformation and the fitness of the ani- 

 mal for food purposes. Another tissue is connective 

 tissue, of a strong, fibrous nature, which proceeds inward 

 from, the skin, running between portions of the muscles, 

 and thus gives coarseness and the grain to meat (mus- 

 cular tissue). The less exposed a muscle is the smaller 

 the amount of connective tissue. Connective tissue also 

 forms ligaments and tendons (the gristly parts of mus- 

 cles), ensheathes bones, cartilage (gristle) and nerves. 

 If connective tissue is present in excessive quantities it 

 renders a muscle hard to define, is the cause of the 

 so-called round bone of horsemen; therefore, we can 

 make several valuable deductions with regard to the 

 animal, as follows: 1. As the thickness of the skin is a 

 measure of the amount of connective tissue, the thicker 

 the hide, other things being equal, the more connective 

 tissue in and about the muscle; these observations can 

 be made by any practical man. 2. As its action is nil 

 (passive), the more connective tissue entering into a mus- 

 cle the slower the movement of that muscle; hence, as a 

 result, a poorly defined muscle, as for example seen 

 below the knee or hock, and a thick skin may be taken 

 to imply deficiency in speed. In meat-producing ani- 



