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316 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 





was shaved nearly to its tip, where was left a 

 luft of hair, which was frizzled, and very like 

 that of a cow. The tail felt very fleshy, and 

 at its base the skin was loosely attached ; and 

 the vagina was without colour, and hung down 

 as in a cow. The patellae were very thick and 

 large, and the hinder extremities, above the 

 hock, were totally dissimilar to a Horse. The 

 raammse were not very large, nor was the 

 udder unnaturally distended. At this time I 

 related the facts to many veterinarians, and 

 among others to Mr. Sewell. 



" A short time since I called upon Mr. J. Skilt, 

 V. S., at Southwark Bridge, and he informed 

 me that he had seen the skeleton of a very 

 strange animal at the knacker's ; and wished 

 me to go and examine It with him. I did so ; 

 and was much surprized and pleased once 

 more to have an opportunity of surveying the 

 monstrosity I have just been describing; and 

 I am enabled to add the following particulars 

 to my previous description of her : — The 

 occipital and pterygoid processes are large, 

 and the former very broad and projecting, and 

 differing from the triangular-shaped process of 

 the Horse. There are no signs of horns. Just 

 above the three anterior molars on each side 

 is a large projection, similar to specimens of 

 disease wherein the teeth have still remained 

 in their sockets. The three first molars are 

 perfect cow's teeth. The ileum and pubis 

 are laid nearly flat, as in the cow. The num- 

 ber of ribs and vertebrae are the same as in 

 the Horse. All the joints seem to be unusually 

 large. The greatest peculiarity is, however, 

 in the off fore foot ; and I am sorry that, from 

 the tenacity of the knacker respecting it, I am 

 pbliged to be very concise in my account of 

 Vit. Articulating with the lower head of the 

 ^rge metacarpal bone is another, altogether 



shorter and broader than the large pastern of 

 the Horse, and cleft nearly to its middle ; and, 

 articulating with each division, are the remam- 

 ing small bones of the foot. There are two 

 hoofs, separately joined, with a natural secre- 

 tion between them ; but they Jiave grown 

 enormously since I saw the animal alive. The 

 knacker imformed me that he did not perceive 

 any thing in the stomach diff'erent from that 

 of the Horse. Any gentleman who wishes 

 for more information can examine this, and 

 many other curious specimens, at Winkley's 

 Yard, in Fryer's Street, Borough. The only 

 history I could learn of the animal was, that 

 the owner had purchased her from the breeder, 

 who stated, that her dam, when very old, had 

 been put out on Finchley Common with a 

 bull ; that no horse could have access to her ; 

 and that this very singular animal was pro- 

 bably the offspring of the mare and the bull." 



The rail-road from London to Liverpool 

 being now nearly, if not quite finished, has 

 driven almost all the coaches off the road. 

 Whether coaching ere long will revive again, 

 seems a matter too problematical to prophesy 

 upon ; although we know it is the opinion of 

 some dragsmen that such will be the case. 

 Perhaps the wish is father to the thought ; 

 for it cannot be agreeable for any man to be 

 compelled to give up his employment, and it 

 may be very natural for him to indulge a hope 

 that it may yet return. He expects that the 

 expences of the rail-road will be too absorb- 

 ing to leave any profits, which he says a little 

 time will soon show, and the project will be 

 abandoned in disgust. 



We have just given the conversation we 

 have had with one of the dragsmen who had 

 been put off the road, without being made a 

 convert to his opinion ; for we know that 



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