Vol. XVI., Second Series. 



ROCHESTER, N. Y., OCTOBER, 1855. 



No. 10. 



PEDTCIPLES OF IMPROVING DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

 THE HOUSE. 



Op the domesticated animals whose form and pro- 

 perties have escited the greatest observation and in 

 tcrest, the horse is said to occupy the highest raiili. 

 His powers of speed, of bearing burdens, and haul- 

 ing loads are well known ; and perhaps no other quad- 

 raped diflcrs more in size, or the shape of its bones, 

 according as it has been bred and kept for particular 

 purposes. If one wishes to have horses possessing 

 the faculty of speed, he unites in blood those that 

 possess the form and properties which he seeks to re- 

 produce in the progeny; if he desires horses having 

 strength as ivell as action, fitting them for sertice on 

 the road, he will select females and males whose ex- 

 ternal form indicates their adaptation to the use re- 

 quired; and if he wishes horses adapted to heavy 

 work on the farm, or in carts and drays in commer- 

 cial towns, he will breed only from such animals as 

 have great weight of carcass, and the most powerful 

 muscular developments. For family use as saddle 

 horses, ponies, and animals that approximate them in 

 character have many advantages. They are easily 

 kept, generally hardy, and able to perform a good deal 

 of labor without extra food, or liability to disease. 



In the horse, as in all mammiferous animals, there 

 is a long chain of distinct bones termed vertelra, 

 which, bound together by joints, cartilage, and liga- 

 ments, constitute the spinal column. Each bone has 

 a perforation through it, so that when the whole 

 vetebra: are connected together, there is a continued 

 canal pa.ssing along the interior. Besides the perfora- 

 tion forming this canal, each bone in the spinal 

 column has two lateral projections, called transverse 

 piocesses; one upwards, termed the spinous process 

 the latter forming the sharp elevation of bones which 

 commences with the withers, and extends along the 



back. The bones of the head, called cranium, are 

 at the anterior termination of the spinal column. 

 The bones of the face are in two divisions; the first, 

 the lower jaw, is in one large piece; the second, the 

 upper maxillary bones, and various other pieces, unit- 

 ed together. In the sockets of the bones of both 

 jaws arc inserted the teeth. These consist of six in- 

 cisor teeth in each jaw, that is twelve incisors, (cut- 

 ters) commonly called nippers; of two canine teeth 

 in each jaw, one on each side of the incisors, and 

 four canine teeth or tusks in all; and nest to these, 

 and at some distance from them, are six molar, or 

 grinding teeth on both sides of each jaw, that is, 

 twenty four grinders in all. By adding the above 

 numbers together, it will be seen that the horse has 

 forty teeth for the proper mastication of his food. 



In the head, there are fen distinct bones; namely, 

 two frontal bones, which form the forehead, two tem- 

 poral bones, in which lodge the internal orgars of 

 hearing, and others that need to be seen to be under- 

 stood. Within the cranium, and filling it, is tho 

 brain, the substance of which extends along the 

 whole length of the back bone to the tail, and ia 

 called the .spinal cord. From this cord and the brain 

 proper, proceed fine cords, termed nerves, which are 

 distributed to every sensible part of the body. Nest 

 to the bones of the head are those of the neck, called 

 cervical vertebra?, which are seven in number; next to 

 these are the bones of the back eighteen in number, 

 called dorsal verfebrfe ; next are lumbar vertebr<e, 

 five or six in number; next is the sacrum so called 

 consisting of five vertebra; united together, and form- 

 ing a single piece; and last are caudal vertebra;, or 

 bones of the tail, which vary in number from thirteen 

 to eighteen. 



In the following figure, 1, is the lower jaw, 2, 3, 4, 

 .5, are the other bones of the face ; b b the bones of 

 the neck, or cervical vertebrae ; c c the dorsal verte- 



