THE AGE. 437 



found under the wen. The pressure of the garter causes an 

 absorption of the muscles under it and of the shin-bone, mak- 

 ing a little notch in it. 



l^ow, as we have seen that the germ of the permanent tooth 

 lies immediately under the root of the temporary tooth, when 

 this germ begins to grow it will commence pressing on the 

 root of the temporary tooth, and a gradual absorption of the 

 root takes place. This pressure being continued by the new 

 tooth still growing, the root will eventually be entirely ab- 

 sorbed below the surface of the gum, and the old tooth will 

 fall off, having nothing left to hold it, or, perhaps, being loosened 

 from the gum at one side, will be held by a small bit of skin 

 at the other, and, peeping up in its place, will be found the 

 new tooth. 



Hence, we see that the old tooth is not "pushed up, or punched 

 or crowded out," as many suppose, but is merely replaced by 

 the new one. 



Occasionally, however, nature does not do her work just 

 exactly according to rule, and the new tooth does not come up 

 immediately under the old one, but comes up by the side of 

 the root of the milk-tooth, and thus the pressure is made along 

 the whole length of the tooth-crown as well as fang, which 

 crowds it out to the fore-part of the first grinder, where it 

 will remain for some time under the name of wolf's-tooth, 

 causing soreness and tenderness of the gums, and not unfre- 

 quently wounding the cheek. This would probably be quite 

 absorbed, but not for some time. Hence, it is proper to 

 remove it as soon as it is discovered, for the horse can not eat 

 without some inconvenience while it remains. 



I shall now proceed to explain the order of the shedding, or 

 casting, of the temporary, milk, colt, or deciduous teeth, and 

 the appearances of the permanent set ; and this takes place 

 much in the same order as the appearance of the first teeth. 



At the age of two years the first grinders give place to large, 

 permanent ones. In the spring, before the colt arrives at three 



