398 TjRAxsACTioys of the Americax Ikstitvte. 



tant internal structure. Also models of insects, vegetables and fruit, 

 prepared by Dr. Anzonx. of Paris, assisted by Dr. Lerncrcier. This 

 last gentleman showed first the foot of the horse, remarking tliat this 

 is the most important part of the whole animal. If there is no foot 

 tliere is no liorse. It is necessary to understand the structure of the 

 lioof in order to understand the nature and value of the horse. Almost 

 always the fore feet are largest, though in Russia the speaker had 

 seen some horses with hind feet of equal size ; but such animals cannot 

 bear heavyweights, and they are more fitted for jumping. There are 

 three bones in the foot which correspond to the three joints of a finger, 

 and the hoof is tlie nail. A good horse should not have a flat lioof, 

 and the shoe sliould conform to the natural form of the hoof. It is 

 the practice with smiths who do not make shoes of the right form to 

 pare off the hoof, which sliould not be done except at the point cor- 

 responding to cutting the nail, otherwise the hoof is easily broken, 

 and the interior tender tissues injured ; the model which tlie doctor 

 exhibited. The nails sliould be so driven as to preserve the elasticity. 

 The reason why we must conform to what nature has estal)lished is 

 because her ways are best. The doctor then showed a full sized leg 

 with incipient spavin, then other models witli aggravated forms,- and 

 others in various stages, all of the most marvellous mechanism, and 

 colored as in nature. Kext were exhibited representations of flowers, 

 fruit and grain, composed of many parts, wliich were detached one 

 after another. An analytic exhibition of a grain of wheat was quite 

 appropriate. In speaking of the gluten he said it is an important 

 element in the formation of bread, and that when we separate it from 

 the starch we take away what corresponds to beaf steak in food. 



There were many other objects in this collection wliich time did 

 not permit him to explain, but the following is a list : A silk-worm, 

 two feet long, containing the complete anatomy ; a viper's liead, and 

 the body of the American tnrkey ; the uteri of two domestic animals 

 in three conditions ; tlie snail ; the May bug, in tliirty parts, and 600 

 minutiae ; tlie queen bee, drone, and worker, in their various occupa- 

 tions and relations, and the honey comb in various stages of construc- 

 tion, including the germs of the l^ees in tlieir cells ; a hen's eg^^ in 

 several parts ; the stomach of the cow, with tlie four parts ; the stom- 

 achs of graminivorous birds, in various conditions, according to the 

 food received ; the stomach of the horse, illustrating why this animal 

 cannot vomit ; also the model of the horse complete, and of course 

 including raau}^ complications. Of the grass pink there are fifteen 



