THE EQUID^E, OR HOUSES. 221 



of skeletons found at Solutre point to the so- 

 called Ardennes horse, one of the long-headed races 

 of the domestic horse. One feels tempted to look 

 round and see whether there are not other 

 horses that approach as close to the Solutre branch. 

 In doing this we think, in the first place, of the 

 small horse that lives in a semi- wild state on the 

 Carmargue, in the delta of the Ehone. There also 

 exist in Alsace the last offshoots of an old race of 

 this kind. In stature and proportions these ani- 

 mals resemble large ponies. The head, in the 

 specimens which seem most purely to represent 

 the race, is large and ugly, but the body, in spite of 

 the want of actual care, is well formed ; the limbs 

 very powerful. The animals, which are good- 

 natured and easy to manage, perform extraordinary 

 feats in the way of drawing weights. At times, 

 when there is little work doing, they are kept for 

 weeks in the meadows to the east of Schlett-stadt, 

 and are met with, in fact, in other districts besides 

 Schlett-stadt as far as the Ehine. 



To throw proper light upon this possible con- 

 nection, it would be necessary to make the most 

 careful examination and measurements of the 

 various parts of the skeleton, and this has not yet 

 been done. How this would have to be done has 



