130 



PAET IV. 



Locomotion of Man and of the Horse. 



§ 127. Locomotion in man and in quadrupeds, 

 although apparently so dissimilar, is yet, in its 

 chief points, really so alike, that after discussing 

 the action of the horse it will need only a few ad- 

 ditions in order to adapt the description to the 

 human frame. And tlie locomotion of the horse 

 being also the nearer step in the transition from 

 that of the snake, we shall commence with it. 



§ 128. The trot, for reasons which will appear 

 as we proceed, is more fully based on the ophidian 

 action than any of the other paces, and will there- 

 fore more perfectly fit on to the discussion of the 

 various tractions given in the preceding sections. 

 On this account, we select it as the fundamental 

 gait with which we shall compare all the others. 



The trot not only exhibits the ophidian action 

 in the change of bearing from the outer to the 

 inner sides of the feet employed as appuis, (equiva- 

 lent to the change of bearing on the ground end 

 bevels of the snake's ribs, but the movement com- 

 menced in the chest at the ophidian S takes, as in 

 the snake, a nearly synchronous spring from the 

 diagonal points d'appui. 



