"ECLIPSE" AND THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED. 301 



framework we add the muscular development he possessed, we arrive, says Saint 

 Bel, at the fact that it would be possible for him, galloping at liberty at his full 

 speed, to cover 25 feet at each complete action, and to make two and one-third of 

 such actions in each second. This means that with a featherweight on a straight 

 course he would only take two seconds over the six minutes to complete four miles. 



In the diagram here reproduced from that made by Saint Bel, to show the motions 

 of Eclipse's legs, the great segment of a circle marked M, proceeding from the print 

 of his fore-feet to the print of his hind-feet, shows the total extent covered by the 

 full extension of the limbs. The two curves R and R, proceeding upwards from his 

 fore and hind-feet, indicate the arcs through which the feet pass in their motion. The 

 oblique line N, from the protuberance of the hip-bone to the print of the hind- 

 foot, shows the action of the hind-legs; the line O, from the same point of the hip-bone 

 to the print of the fore-foot, shows the direction of the hind-legs when they come 

 forward at the gallop. The line P, from the summit of the shoulder to the print of the 

 fore-foot, shows the action of the fore-legs ; and the line Q, from the same point of the 

 shoulder to the last print of the hind-foot, shows the completed action of the fore-leg. 

 It is curious and interesting to observe that instantaneous photography has 

 completely vindicated the accuracy of these extraordinary movements and positions 

 which Saint Bel originally worked out from purely mathematical measure- 

 ments a century ago, and which are too rapid (especially in the case of O and O) to 

 be observed by the human eye. 



A reference to the diagram I reproduce here from Saint Bel's monograph will 

 make the foregoing remarks more intelligible, and in the case of so interesting an 

 animal, I make no apology for giving all the material I can to enable modern readers 

 to get the best idea now possible of his conformation. It will therefore be well to 

 compare this diagram, made from careful measurements of the horse's body, with the 

 photograph in this chapter of Eclipse's skeleton, which is preserved at the Royal 

 College of Veterinary Surgeons, in Red Lion Square, London. This invaluable 

 relic was presented to the College by Professor John Gamgee, on the 27th of 

 January, 1871, who also sent the following receipt as a guarantee of authenticity. 

 " 1 8, Giltspur Street, London, 22nd November, 1860. Received of Mr. Joseph 

 Gamgee, for account of Professor John Gamgee of the New Veterinary College, 

 Edinburgh, the sum of one hundred and five pounds for value of the skeleton complete 

 of the renowned \\orszEclipse, son of Marske. (Signed) Bracy Clark." Mr. Bracy 

 Clark, Fellow of the Linnaean Society, wrote a "Short History of the Horse" in 



