are unlike the common pillars of a building, in being bent at angles in their 

 Upper, and more slightly in their lower parts, and being jointed for per- 

 mitting the necessary movements of the animat. 



The fore limbs are of a different form and character to the bind limbs, 

 which will admit of explanation, by considering their very different offices 

 and the unequal distribution of the weight of the body upon them : the 

 fore limbs are especially formed for receiving and sustaining the Aveight, 

 being near the middle of the body ; the bind for impelling the mass forward; 

 the whole weight of the head, neck, and half the body, is reposing on the 

 fore limbs, and what is remarkable, we may observe, on inspecting the 

 coloured plate, that the spinal coluran is tending from both its extreraities 

 to form an incurvation over the fore legs, and tomakethere its dip or most 

 depending part determining the weight towards this point, and these limbs 

 by their upright position acquire the greatest possible degree of strength for. 

 the Support of it. » 



It is to be observed, however, that the disposition of the weight, though 

 truly unequal, is not so much so as on a first view it would appear to be, 

 from certain provisions calculated to prevent this. The horse, ifviewed 

 from an elevation, as from a coach-box where bis back is seen, will be 

 found to present from head to tail the figure of a lengthened cone, the 

 point being the head, and the haunches forming the base or widest part of 

 the cone, and being made of stout bone and muscle is consequently very 

 weighty, so that, although viewed laterally, a much greater share appears 

 to be reposing on the fore limbs ; it is of a much thinner and lighter nature 

 than the mass behind ; the ehest is also filled by the lungs, the lightest 

 viscus or material of the whole System, and particularly large in the horse; 

 yet does the head again, placed so far in advance before the body upon the 

 long lever of the neck, give it a great increase of weight and power over 

 these parts, tending to burtben the fore legs, and cause the weight on these 

 to be much more considerable than on the bind ones. 



We now confine our attention to the fore limb itself, observing first the 

 nature of its attachment to the trank, chiefly by muscle, a mode or pro- • 

 perty the very reverse of the bind extremity or limb, this being designed 

 to afford the greatest elasticity, and yielding to the load : and the bind, on 



the 



