THE ANTERIOR LI5IBS OF QUADRUPEDS. 57 



whole weight thrown forwards; even though 

 they were as powerful as the posterior extremi- 

 ties, they would suffer fracture or dislocation. 

 We' cannot but admire, therefore, the provision 

 in all quadrupeds whose speed is great, and 

 whose spring is extensive, that from the struc- 

 ture of their bones, they have an elastic resist- 

 ance by which the shock of descending is 

 diminished." And again : "Were the bones of 

 the fore limbs connected together in a straight 

 line end to end, the shock of ahghting would 

 be conveyed through a solid column, and the 

 bones of the foot or the joints would suffer 

 from the concussion. When the rider is 

 thrown forward on his hands, and more cer- 

 tainly when he is pitched on his shoulder, the 

 collar-bone is broken, because in man this 

 bone forms a link of connexion between the 

 shoulder and the trunk, so as to receive the 

 whole shock ; and the same would happen m 

 the horse, the stag, and all quadrupeds of 

 great strength and swiftness, were not the 

 scapulaj sustained by muscles and not by bones, 

 and did not the bones recoil and fold up." 

 How wisely, then, has the Almighty provided 

 for the creatures of his hand! What fore- 

 thought, what care, what judgment, to speak 



