THE HORSE. 95 



suggests a common source of origin. Most in- 

 teresting, therefore, is the fact that both kinds 

 bear a remarkable resemblance, as far as general 

 shape is concerned, to the prehistoric European 

 wild horse, which the early men of Central 

 France used to kill with their flint - headed 

 arrows. We know this partly from the shape 

 of the bones of horses found associated with 

 early human remains ; but chiefly because of the 

 curious fact that these primitive savages were 

 accornplished artists, and have left many masterly 

 sketches of horses and other animals scratched 

 on reindeer horns, mammoth tusks, and pieces 

 of slate and stone in the caves which they used 

 to inhabit. The horses here represented have 

 large heads, straight short necks, round bodies, 

 and stout legs. We know that they existed in 

 countless herds, for at one place where the 

 ancient horse-hunters lived there are the bones 

 of many thousands. They were sturdy animals, 

 although of no great size ; and there is very 

 little doubt that we have, in the Shetland and 

 Hungarian ponies, some of their direct descen- 

 dants. Most of our liofhter horses owe their 

 origin largely to Arab and Barb importations. 

 Modern cart-horses are most probably of the 



