ANIMAL FORM AN INDEX OF QUALITIES. 375 



ably susceptible to the influence of exciting causes of 

 disease. 



The brisket, in itself considered, is of but little 

 value, but its form is nevertheless of great impor- 

 tance. A narrow-pointed brisket may have a consider- 

 able development in depth, and it may be prominent 

 when viewed from the side, but it will usually be ac- 

 companied with a chest that is too narrow at the base 

 and lacking in depth behind the arm, a light fore-flank, 

 and a deficiency in the development of muscle and cel- 

 lular tissue between the base of the neck and the arm. 



Too often this form of brisket will be found in 

 animals with upright shoulders and defective crops. 



When the brisket is broad, filling out the space on 

 the inside of the arm in front, and its lower surface 

 projects but little below the under-line of the body, 

 the base of the chest will be well developed and its 

 sides well covered with flesh, giving a good fore-flank ; 

 and there will be, as a rule, a greater compactness and 

 uniformity in the general symmetry of the fore-quar- 

 ter, and a better quality of flesh. 



The hind-quarters present some peculiarities in 

 the correlation of parts that are of particular interest 

 to the breeder. 



An extreme illustration of this may be seen in 

 what are popularly called "pumpkin-buttocks," "ly- 

 ery," or black-fleshed " cattle (Fig. 8). The loins of 

 these animals are very narrow, and the rump corre- 



ehest is incompatible with the rapid production of fat ; but, as this 

 assumption is based on an exploded theory of respiration, it does not 

 require further notice. (See Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 vol. v., p. 255.) 



