140 



THE SKELETON OF THE HORSE. 



rhinocei'os, the hippopotamus, tlie s^vine, the horse, the sheep, the deer, 

 and many others, are nngulated or hoofed; they admit, however, of an 

 easy division. Some of them masticate, or chew their food, and it is im- 

 mediately received into the stomach and digested ; but in others the food, 

 previous to digestion, undergoes a very singular process. It is returned 

 to the mou.th to be remasticated, or chewed again. These are called 

 ruminantia, or ruminants, from the food being returned from one of the 

 stomachs (for they have four), called the rumen or paunch, for the purpose 

 of remastication. 



The ungulaia that do not ruminate are, somewhat improperly, called 

 vachydermata, from the thickness of their skins. The horse does not 

 ruminate, and therefore belongs to the order pachijdermata. 



The pachydermata who have only one toe belong to the family solipeda 



sin qle- footed. Therefore the horse ranks under the di\'ision vertebrata — 



the class mammalia — the tribe ungulata — the order pachydermata — ^and 

 the family solipeda. 



The solipeda consist of several species, as the horse, the ass, the mule, 

 and the quagga. 



First stands the Equus Caballus, or Common Horse. 



Animals are likewise distinguished according to the number, descrip- 

 tion, and situation of their teeth. The horse has six incisors or cutting 

 teeth in the front of each jaw ; and one canine tooth or tusli. 



On each side, above and below — at some distance from the incisors, 

 and behind the canines, and with some intervening space — are six molar 

 teeth, or grinders ; and these molar teeth have flat crowns, mth ridges of 

 enamel, and that enamel penetrating into the substance of the tooth. 



The whole is thus represented by natural historians : — 



Horse, — Incisors -^, canines = — :;, molar- — -. Total, forty teeth. 



A The Head. 



a The posterior maxillary or under jaw. 



THE SKEI.ETOX OF THE HORSE. 



