I04 WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. , 



whatever to whips or any other civilised innova- 

 tions, but which probably dates back to the 

 Eocene epoch when the Phenacod2is primcBviis 

 continually lashed his robust caudal member to 

 and fro in defending- himself against the voracious 

 Tertiary flies. 



Every one who has the welfare of the horse 

 at heart will commend modern legislative action 

 making it punishable to shorten the " dock " of 

 a horse's tail. Although a docked horse may 

 look somewhat smarter to the civilised eye than 

 one with a tail of natural length, and is certainly 

 vless liable to the risk of oretting its tail over the 

 reins when driven, it is to the interest of the 

 owner as well as to that of the animal that such 

 barbarous mutilations should cease. Every horse 

 gains in health, and therefore in value, by being 

 turned out to pasture, under proper conditions, 

 during the summer months. It is fairly obvious 

 that an animal which is able to protect itself 

 against insect enemies in the easy and effectual 

 way which nature has provided, will get much 

 more benefit from such an annual outing than one 

 which cannot get rid of its swarms of worrying 

 persecutors in spite of incessant stamping of the 

 feet and restless movements of the whole body. 



Every horse has on its legs wart- like scaly 



