402 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



HORSE WITHOUT HAIR. 



A French writer, some years ago, pub- 

 lished a description of a Horse without hair, 

 which he considered as forming a variety in 

 the species, and whose state, he says, is 

 neither the effect of art or disease. 



This Horse, purchased at Vienna, and taken 

 from the Turks, appeared to be about twenty 

 years of age. He ate the same food, and in 

 about the same quantity, as other Horses ; he 

 was lean, and very easily affected by cold. 

 There was not upon t!ie whole body any hair, 

 except the eye-lashes of the lower eye-lid. 

 His skin was black, bordering upon gray, with 

 some white spots under the fore-shoulders, 

 and in the groins ; it was also soft to the 

 touch, glossy, and a little unctuous. The 

 bones of the nose were depressed, which em- 

 barrassed his respiration, and produced a 

 noise each time that he took in or emitted 

 air. The French writer, we suspect, will not 

 make many converts to his opinion of this 

 curious animal bemg a new variety of the 

 species. The loss of hair doubtless arose from 

 disease. 



AN OLD HORSE. 



An account of a Horse having entered into 

 his 64th year appeared some years ago. The 

 Horse at that period (1822,) belonged to the 

 Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company. He 

 was bred by Mr. Edward Robinson, of Will- 

 grave-farm, in Woolston, a short distance 

 from Warrington. 



When young, and indeed till he reached 

 the age of fifty, he manifested an extremely 

 vicious disposition, not only to human beings, 

 but to dogs or any other animals that hap- 

 pened to oppose his progress, or stand in his 



way ; and this was particularly shown when, 

 at the dinner hour or other periods, a cessa- 

 tion of labour took place. He was impatient 

 to get into the stable on such occasions, and 

 would use his heels and teeth to remove any 

 impediment placed in his way. 



His teeth in front are perfect, but very lono-, 

 while his bridle teeth, or tusks, after growing 

 to an unusual length, became half inverted, 

 and now describe an uncouth semicircle, con- 

 vexing towards the upper jaw. His lower lip 

 is neither so loose, nor so pendulous, as what 

 is generally seen in very old Horses. His eye 

 is described as being very remarkably placed 

 in the socket, and is at the same time so 

 bright and clear, and presents altogether so 

 perfect an appearance, as to afford a strong 

 presumption that his sight is as good as that 

 which is usually found in Horses at the age of 

 twelve or fourteen. 



Thirty years of his life, it seems, were spent 

 in a mill, and the remainder principally on the 

 Mersey and Irwell navigation, in towing 

 boats. 



When in full flesh and in the vigour of life, 

 he would scarcely have measured fifteen 

 hands hig-h. He 2:razed in summer on the 

 banks of the Mersey, and in winter was taken 

 into the stable, and fed on mashes and soft 

 food. He then possessed the use of all his 

 limbs in tolerable perfection, lay down and 

 rose with ease ; and when in the meadows 

 would frequently play, and even gallop with 

 some young colts which grazed along with 

 him. At that time there was no symptoms of 

 an early dissolution. 



The ffreat ag-e of this Horse would convince 

 us that he had been kindly treated, and we 

 must naturally suppose, never put to any very 

 violent work. Between the rounds of a wheel, 



