iiO NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



formed by means of those projections of their 

 substance which we have mentioned under the 

 name of processes, and these so lock in with and 

 overwrap one another as to secure the body of 

 the vertebra not only from accidentally slipping, 

 but even from being pushed out of its place by any 

 violence short of that which would break the bone. 

 I have often remarked and admired this structure 

 in the chine of a hare. In this, as in many in- 

 stances, a plain observer of the animal economy 

 may spare himself the disgust of being present at 

 human dissections, and yet learn enough for his in- 

 formation and satisfaction, by even examining the 

 bones of the animals which come upon his table. 

 Let him take, for example, into his hands a piece 

 of the clean-picked bone of a hare's back, consist- 

 ing, wx will suppose, of three vertebrae. He will 

 find the middle bone of the three so implicated, 

 by means of its projections or processes, with the 

 bone on each side of it, that no pressure which 

 he can use will force it out of its place between 

 them. It will give way neither forward nor back- 

 ward, nor on either side. In whichever direc- 

 tion he pushes, he perceives, in the form, or junc- 

 tion, or overlapping of the bones, an impediment 

 opposed to his attempt, a check and guard against 

 dislocation. In one part of the spine he will find 

 a still further fortifying expedient, in the mode 

 according to which the vertebrse are annexed to 

 the spine. Each rib rests upon two vertebrae. 



