THE SKELETON. 21 



t 

 ment there is not the shock which there would be in coining 



down after a leap if the arm were attached by means of a collar- 

 bone to the chest, and there is also greater liberty in the shoulder, 

 so that the stride is increased in length, to the great advantage 

 of the animal's speed. The fore-leg is divided into the shoulder- 

 blade i, the arm j, and the fore-arm &, to which the foot is 

 attached by means of the pastern, answering to the palm of the 

 hand in man, whilst the knee corresponds to his wrist. The hinder 

 extremity again is divided into the stifle or true thigh m, the 

 leg or lower thigh n, and the hind pastern, terminating in the foot. 

 All these various bones are connected together by joints strength- 

 ened by strong ligaments, and are moved by muscles of various 

 sizes and forms. It is unnecessary here, however, to go into the 

 descriptive anatomy of these different parts ; all that is required to 

 be known is, that every movement is occasioned by the contraction 

 of one or more muscles attached to two different bones, and by 

 this pulley-like action bringing them towards one another. This 

 mechanism of the skeleton, with its moving power, the muscles, 

 constitutes, when invested by its skin, the general outline of the 

 body as we see it, and by its proportions we judge of the capa- 

 bilities of the animal which is submitted to our observation. 

 Experience has convinced all coursers that a dog with plenty of 

 length from his hip to his hock is likely to be speedy, because 

 there is a greater than usual length of muscle to act upon the 

 hock, and also a longer stride. The same unerring criterion has 

 also led us to believe that a good back will give increase of power 

 in fact, that, cceteris paribus, size is power. But this law must 



