STKUCTUKE OF FEET. 



79 



i-'omitant development of a sejiarate compartment in the 

 stomacli, was superadded to the normal mode of feeding 

 characteristic of the swine. 



Here we must say a few words as to the structure of 

 the ruminant foot. The " cloven 

 hoof" of ruminants and swine has 

 become such a pro verlnal expression 

 tbat the idea may still linger that 

 this is due to the fission of a single 

 lioof. like that of a horse. Nothing 

 could, however, be further from the 

 truth ; the two hoofs of a ruminant 

 (Fig. 27) corresjionding to the 

 terminal joints of our own middle 

 and ring-fingers (or the correspond- 

 ing toes), which are the third and 

 fourth of the tyjiical series of five. 

 The lateral or spurious hoofs (not 

 shown in Fig. 27) of the ruminants 

 represent our own index (second) 

 and little (fifth) fingers, or toes. It 

 is a further jieculiarity of the true 

 ruminants and camels that the two 

 separate bones which in the swine 

 connect the two large digits with 

 the wrist or ankle are fused into a 

 single cannon-bone (Fig. 27) ; the 

 primary dual origin of which is 

 indicated by the two distinct pulley- 

 like surfaces at the lower end, 

 which carry the bones of the digits. 

 The peculiar little ruminants kn(jwn 

 as the chevrotains — of which more 

 anon — retain, however, evidences of 

 their kinship with the swine, in 

 that some of them have the two 

 elements of the front cannon-bone 

 — or metacarpals as they are then 

 called — quite separate from one 

 another. Indeed, in the same 



3d 



Fig. 27.— Bones of the 

 Hind Foot of a Eiimi- 

 iianfc. The letters i 

 <li(,-ate tlie lower bones 

 of the ankle. (After 

 Csborji.) 



