NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HORSE. 79 



creation to distinguish, without a preceptor, the useful from the 

 hurtful, while man is left to his own inquiries." On putting 

 the finger into the nostrils, at the upper and outward parts, 

 they pass into blind pouches of considerable dimensions. These 

 curious cavities have nothing to do with smelling, because they 

 are lined with a reflection of common integument, but they may 

 possibly be of use in mechanically distending the external en- 

 trance of the nostrils, and thus materially facilitate respiration 

 during violent exertion. They are also brought into use when 

 the animal neighs ; and the Hungarian soldiery slit them up, to 

 preclude the possibility of being prematurely discovered to the 

 enemy by the exercise of this habit. It is worthy of remark, 

 in this connection, that the preference of Arabs for the mare to 

 the horse, for warlike purposes, is attributable to the fact that 

 they do not neigh when they scent the vicinity of other horses, 

 as stallions invariably do — the Arabs never attacking, save by 

 surprise. Those nations which fight by open force have no 

 such preference, but mainly use the stallion. On the lower part 

 of the nostril, toward the outer edge, may be seen the mouth of 

 a small tube, which conveys the tears from the inner canthus, 

 or corner of the eye. It opens on the skin just before it joins 

 the lining membrane of the nose. This little cavity has often 

 been mistaken, by unqualified persons, for an ulcer common in 

 glanderous affections, and the poor animal has frequently fallen 

 a victim to the error. 



Their eyes are large in proportion to those of some other 

 quadrupeds, and the pupilar opening is of an oblate elliptic 

 form, with its long axes parallel to the horizon, thus increasing 

 the lateral field of vision. Round the edges of the pupil is a 

 curious fringe of deep plum-colored eminences, supposed to bo 



