142 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



able attention, and were translated into German ; 

 while, later still, the name of Bracy Clark became 

 well known through his numerous treatises on the 

 pathology and anatomy of the horse, his first essay, 

 On the Bots in Horses, appearing in 1796 in the 

 third volume of the Linnean Society s Trans- 

 actions. 



The earliest treatise on horse-breeding by an 

 Englishman, though it was written in Latin, is the 

 work of Richard Sadler, published in 1587. The 

 first English book on racing is one by Gervase 

 Markham, entitled How to Choose, Ride, Traine, 

 and Dyet both Hunting and Running Horses. It 

 at first formed part of his Discourse of Horseman- 

 shippe, 1593, but in 1596 was separately printed 

 under the title just quoted. The same writer is to be 

 credited with the first English work on "Cavalry," 

 of which the title has been already given. In 

 regard to the natural history and external form of 

 the horse, we have perhaps the earliest English 

 specimen in Topsell's Historie of Foure-footed 

 Beastes, 1607, although manifestly a compilation 

 from older authors of different nationality. 



As already intimated, English books on the 

 horse number not far short of a thousand, of which 

 very nearly one-half has been printed since 1850; 

 while, even as we write, fresh works and new editions 

 are constantly appearing. 



Our French neighbours are not far behind us ; 

 for I have been able to count 919 works by French 

 authors on the horse, of which 105 were printed 

 before 1800, 30 more in the next quarter of a 



