HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 4.67 



pal objects of our curiosity and care ; a race of creatures in whosa 

 n L'ifare we are interested next to our own. 



Of all the quadruped animals, the horse seems the most beau- 

 tiful ; the noble largeness of his form, the glossy smoothness o{ 

 his skin, the graceful ease of his motions, and the exact symme- 

 try of his shape, have taught us to regard him as the first, and 



insT are his characters of tliis order : — Skin very thick, whence the name ot 

 the order ; some of the genera are partially without teeth, others with the 

 tnree snrts of teeth ; qiiadriipHdal, generally with hoofs, and the toes varying 

 in number ; stomach t^iniple, and they do not ruminate ; without clavicles, or 

 ooUar-biiues. They are either herbivorous or omnivorous, and their habiUr 

 are various. They generally inhabit the temperate and torrid zones. 



The genus Equus, or Horse, contains six species, agreeing in their essen- 

 tial characters, which are thus dt-lineil by Cuvier, in his Regiie Aiiimnl : — 

 Incisory teeth, six in the upper jaw, and six in the under ; two canines, one 

 above and one below, on each Mde of the cutting or incisory teeth, (the fe- 

 males of some of the species with no canine teeth,) ai\d six cheek teeth, or 

 grinders, on each side, on both jaws ; tliey are furmwed on both sides with 

 Hat crowns and several ridges of enamel. Between the canines and cheek 

 teeth is a void space; the upper lip is susceptible of considerable motion; 

 the eyes are large ; the pupil oblong-ovate, placed laterally; their sight ex. 

 cellent, and altiioin;h not formed for seeing in the night, they can distinguish 

 objects very ciearly in the dark ; ears rather small, pointed, and erect, hav- 

 ing great mobility in the external cunch, so that their hearing is very acute, 

 and is the sense which, in all probrtbility, they possess in the greatest perfec- 

 tion ; feet, with a single apparent toe, covered with a thick hoof; the tail is 

 furnished with long hair, or with a tuft at the extremity ; niammse two, 

 inguinal ; the stomach is simple and membranaceous, and the intestines and 

 caecum very large. 



This genus forms a very natural, though isolated, division in the class 

 Mammalia. Its characters are so distinct, that it i aiinot be grouped with any 

 other genus. This is strongly exemplified by the difi'erent places the genus 

 has occupied in the arrangements of authors, to none of wiiich it bad the 

 slightest alliance. In the I.inna'an arrangement, it is placed with the hippo, 

 potamus, as a genus of the order Jiellute. The method of Krxleben, ranks it 

 between the elephant and dromedary. Storr made a distinct order of it, to 

 follow the ruminantia, under the name Solipei/es, which was followed by 

 Baron Cuvier in liis first edition of the liigne Animal^ and has been, subse. 

 Ijuently, placed by him In the order of Prtchydermata. The feet of all tha 

 species are inonoilactyloiis, or having but one toe; however, the rudiments 

 of two other toes are to be seen under the skin From their acute sense it 

 hearing, their attention is speedily ai rested by any new sound, at which tli ■•■ 

 will instantly halt, and listen with great attention. Their sense of smell ii 

 also very delicate, and it is 'requently exercised on objects with which they 

 are unacquainted. The thickness of their liidea must render their sense of 

 ((tl'.iii.' less acute. 



The horse is the only quadruped, with a thick and round tiodv, which is 

 graceful ; and his head, althougli not so elegant as that of some other qudd» 



