THE MULE. 83 



visible marks in their appearance to warn those who 

 have the care of animals against their danger. 



TEETHING. 



As mules seldom change hands to any great extent 

 until two or three years old, it is not deemed necessary 

 here to say any thing of their age until they have 

 reached two years, so as to give the inexperienced a 

 wider scope. The mule's mouth undergoes exactly the 

 same changes as the horse's. Between the ages of two 

 and three these changes begin to take place in the 

 mule's mouth. The front incisor teeth, two above and 

 two below, are replaced by the horse for permanent 

 teeth. These teeth are larger than the others, have two 

 grooves in the outer converse surface, and the mark is 

 long, narrow, deep, and black. Not having attained 

 their full growth, they are somewhat lower than the 

 others, the mark in the two next nippers being nearly 

 worn out, and is also wearing away in the corner 

 nippers. 



A mule at three years old ought to have the central 

 permanent nippers growing, the other two pairs uniting, 

 six grinders in each jaw, above and below, the first and 

 fifth level with the others, and the sixth protruding. 

 As the permanent nippers wear and continue to grow, 

 a narrow portion of the cone-shaped tooth is exposed to 

 the attrition ; and they look as if they had been com- 

 pressed. This is not so, however ; the mark of some 

 gradiially disappears as the pit is worn away. At the 



