792 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



others, which causes, on their meeting with the former, a turning back 

 or a more or less circular direction, to which has been given the names 

 epi, cowlick, and tuft. 



Tufts, or cowlicks, may be distinguished as concenti'ic and eccentric, 

 or, again, as converging and diverging, according as the hairs com- 

 posing them curl up and converge towards a centre, or, on the contrary, 

 radiate and diverge from a centre. 



Some are constant and, consequently, exist upon all horses ; these 

 are met with on the middle of the forehead, on the breast, the axilla, 

 and the superior and inferior parts of the flank ; it is useless to men- 

 tion their presence. 



The others exist only on some animals, and constitute peculiarities 

 which are ordinarily specified in a complete certificate of description as 

 to their form, their extent, and their seat. We will cite as examples 

 the epi which exists upon the lateral faces of the neck ('Roman sword), 

 that which is found along its inferior border, that which is between 

 the two ears, those of the cheeks, of the withers, of the sternal region, 

 the internal face of the thigh, the point of the buttock, etc. 



One of our collaborators, M. Ledoyen,* has endeavored to give the 

 physiological reason of the constant tufts. 



According to him, they are designed to collect the perspiration 

 upon special parts of the body in such a manner as to form drops, 

 which then fall directly to the ground instead of accumulating in 

 certain places exposed to friction, and where the skin soon becomes 

 irritated and inflamed. We can only cite this interpretation, for any 

 proof, experimental or otherwise, inclines us rather to admit the theory, 

 not to deny it. 



In France, and indeed throughout Europe, no importance is attached 

 to the presence or absence of cowlicks, but it is quite different with 

 the people of the Orient, who attribute to them great influence, aa 

 being so many good or bad omens. It would be childish to dwell 

 longer on this point. For more details we refer the reader to the book 

 of General Daumas,^ or to that which has been published by one of 

 our collaborators, Minot, of Lisy-sur-Ourcq.^ 



Curliness or Frizzles. — We will classify with the tufts a pecu- 

 liarity as to the nature of which our colleague, M. Blanc, the Paris 

 veterinarian, has had the kindness to direct our attention. It is found 



1 Ledoyen, Demonstration de la valeur des 6pis et des causes de cette valeur chez les her- 

 bivores, in M6moires de la Soci6t6 vt>t(5rinaire du Calvados et de la Manehe, 1851-1852, p. 193. 



* G6n6ral Daumas, Les chevaux du Sahara et les moeurs du desert, p. 143, Paris, 1858. 



3 Minot, Appreciation du cheval et des quallt^s intrinsfeques de cet animal pour le travail et 

 la reproduction, p. 232, Paris, 1853. 



