810 



THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



Fio. 332.— Hipporaetric cane. 



A. Closed, serving a.s a cane. 



B. Unfolded, forming a standard. 



and would be inconvenient of ap- 

 ' plication in the horse-market, at 

 the cattle-show, or in the farm- 

 yard, unless a large number of 

 animals were to be measured. 

 Besides, it gives erroneous results 

 whenever the ground upon which 

 the measurement is made is not 

 perfectly horizontal. 



For these reasons we much pre- 

 fer the hippometer without a pedestal 

 (Fig. 331), which we have had con- 

 structed for our particular use, and 

 which possesses the advantage of 

 being very easily changed into a 

 compass of thickness, as, for ex- 

 ample, in measuring the length of 

 the body or that of the base of 

 support. 



But when the expert is called 

 away from home, the kippometriG 

 cane (Fig. 332) may be used ; 

 this is more portable, and, on 

 the whole, very satisfactory, in 

 spite of its flexibility. It con- 

 sists of an ordinary Malacca or 

 rattan cane, B, which is hol- 

 lowed internally, and contains a 

 quadrangular metallic graduated 

 rod, formed of two pieces, b and 

 c, the one gliding within the 

 other when they are not in use. 

 Superiorly this rod is hollowed 

 by a longitudinal slot designed to 

 lodge a horizontal branch, e, Avhich 

 the support, /, constantly keeps 

 perpendicular to the rod in ques- 

 tion. 



Both pieces are graduated so 

 as to form a continuous scale 

 when fully drawn out, beginning 



