OF ORGANIC NATURE. 13 



ducts ; and tlius the general nourishment, labour, and 

 repair of the whole machine is kept up with order and 

 resularitv. 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 here you have 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, th e 

 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 



