OF ORGANIC NATURE. 13 



and thus the general nourishment, labour, and repair 

 of the whole machine is kept up with order and regu- 

 larity. But not only is it a machine which feeds 

 and appropriates to its own support the nourishment 

 necessary to its existence — it is an engine for loco- 

 motive purposes. The Horse desires to go from one 

 place to another ; and to enable it to do this, it has 

 those strong contractile bundles of muscles attached 

 to the bones of its limbs, which are put in motion by 

 means of a sort of telegraphic apparatus formed by 

 the brain and the great spinal cord running through 

 the spine or backbone ; and to this spinal cord are 

 attached a number of fibres termed nerves, which 

 proceed to all parts of the structure. By means of 

 these the eyes, nose, tongue, and skin — all the organs 

 of perception — transmit impressions or sensations to 

 the brain, which acts as a sort of great central tele- 

 graph-office, receiving impressions and sending mes- 

 sages to all parts of the body, and putting in motion 

 the muscles necessary to accomplish any movement 

 that may be desired. So that you have here an ex- 

 tremely complex and beautifully-proportioned machine, 

 with all its parts working harmoniously together 

 towards one common object — the preservation of the 

 life of the animal. 



Now, note this : the Horse makes up its waste by 

 feeding, and its food is grass or oats, or perhaps other 

 vegetable products; therefore, in the long run, the 

 source of all this complex machinery lies in the vege- 

 table kingdom. But where does the grass, or the 

 oat, or any other plant, obtain this nourishing food- 

 producing material? At first it is a little seed, which 



