CHAPTER V. 



THE EEMKANT TEETH. 



Usually regarded as Plienomenons. — The Name. — Traced to 

 tlie Fossil Horses, in which (in the Pliocene Period) they 

 "Ceased to be Functionally Developed." — Nature's Meta- 

 morphoses. — " The Agencies which are at work in Modeling 

 Animal and Vegetable Forms." — Why Remnant Teeth are 

 often, as it were, Prematurely Lost. — Fossil Horses and a 

 Fossil Toothed -Bird. 



The Remnant or "so-called wolf-teeth" are one of 

 the most interesting features of the horse's dental sys- 

 tem. They are generally regarded as phenomenons, 

 but their line of descent is as direct as that of the first 

 premolars (grinders), which liave, as it were, almost 

 absorbed them, and have increased in bulk nearly in 

 proportion to the decrease in bulk of the Remnant 

 teeth. 



As the word " wolf" is another name for that which 

 is hurtful or destructive, and as these teeth as well as 

 supernumerary teeth, with which, however, they should 

 never be confounded, sometimes do injury, the generic 

 name, " wolf-teeth," is not a bad one. But, since these 

 particular teeth are hereditary, being beyond doubt the 

 remains of teeth that were once functionally developed, 

 they require a specific name ; I have therefore adopted 

 the name Remkaj^^t Teeth. 



