The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



hair at its termination becomes a coloured line. 

 The colom* of the very early horse was most 

 probably dun, and the dun pony and horse of 

 to-day often carry, even as adults, the most 

 pronounced vestigial zebraical markings. The 

 colours and markings of horses are a most 

 fascinating study. In grey horses the zebra 

 markings sometimes appear as white stripes. 

 Tiie white " trees," on the hind legs of grey 

 horses with dark points, are a subject worthy 

 of extended comparative examination and 

 record. 



Then see the curious white excrescences, 

 attaching; themselves hke snowballs at the 

 base of those beautiful feet. Tliey are worthy 

 of the most careful and special examination. 

 They are fibrous, soft and springy, almost 

 like greasy rubber, but they project so far 

 that clearly they would interfere with his walk- 

 ing. Little smears and pieces are already 

 breaking away. Obviously their attachment 

 is temporary. Do you know what they are 

 for ? They are lubricating cushions on the 

 sharp edges of the hoofs, to fend them from 

 cutting the caul when the foal is approaching 

 maturity and exercises the muscles of his legs. 

 So long as the membrane remains intact, the 

 action of the lungs does not begin. All births 



most unfortunately the subject of an accident in which they 

 were all destroyed. Naturally, the lost pictures were the 

 best of all those taken. 



194 



