428 NAVIN ox THE HORSE. 



it is certain they possess this property to some extent. The 

 sensitive and horny Lamelke, by their peculiar union, give pro- 

 dio-ious streno,ih to the connection of the coffin-bone with the 

 wall of the hoof. The coffin-bone, v^diich bears almost the en- 

 tire weight of the animal, is suspended, or hung up, by the 

 lamellse to the wall of the hoof. It is comparatively little of 

 the weight that rests on the sole and frog. If any one doubts 

 the capability of the lamella3 to bear such weight by their union, 

 le't him take a pamphlet of one hundred pages, and let the 

 leaves of this be put between the leaves of a stiff-backed book, 

 only one-fourth of an inch, so that the margin of each leaf in 

 the one book will lie between the margin of those of the other ; 

 then press the stiff backed book firmly together, and let an- 

 other person grasp the small book and test the force necessary 

 to draw them apart. And yet this is but a feeble illustration 

 of the strength of the union of the lamellae. How different 

 from common opinion is this arrangement for supporting the 

 weight of the horse ! And yet how wise it is ! For if the im- 

 mense weight of the horse, in jumping a fence for example, 

 were thrown on the comparatively small base described by the 

 circumference of the hoof, it must soon be crushed. But by 

 the weight being suspended by the lamellae, their aggregate 

 surfaces will represent the base on which the weight of the 

 animal rests, and, as we have before seen, the surface of the 

 horny lamellae of one foot amounts to one and a half square 

 feet; by doubling this we get the surface of all the.lamellDe of 

 one foot, which we find is three square feet. This, multiplied 

 by four, gives an aggregate of twelve square feet as the sur- 

 face of all the lamellae. Hence we see that the horse's weight 

 actually rests on a base equal to twelve square feet; but the 

 elasticity of the parts is their chief protection. , 



Elastic Structm^e. — This is a layer of fibrous (composed of 

 fibers) structure, resembling the proper covering (periosteum) 

 of the bone, lining the upper side of the coffin-bone, and con- 

 stituting the connection between it and the sensitive lamella3. 



