The Skeleton. 9 



surfaces are marked by sharp projections or spines. 

 The highest of the spines (those of vertebra Nos. 4, 5, 

 6) together with the muscles, etc., of the part form the 

 region of the withers — hence the disease known as fistula 

 of the withers (fistulous withers) gives the location of 

 the trouble. These projecting spines are very well 

 marked in the dairy type of cow, projecting as they 

 often do in such animals above the tops of the shoulder 

 blades, along with which they tend to give the desirable 

 wedge shape when viewed from above. In the beef type 

 of animal the spines are not as prominent, the muscular 

 or fleshy covering of the parts being more abundant. In 

 the better bred horse, the withers are quite fine as com- 

 pared with the coarser bred specimen. The sections of 

 the back bone give attachment to strong muscles and 

 ligaments. One ligament of peculiar character is noticed 

 in the horse, it extends from the vertebra? of the back to 

 those of the neck and to the head, and as a result of the 

 support it gives, the horse is enabled to keep the head on 

 a higher level than the rest of the body, consequently we 

 should expect a crosswise section of it to cause the head 

 to fall to ground, such sometimes happens as a result of 

 attempts at surgery by quacks in the treatment of Poll 

 Evil (fistula of the poll). The bony sections of the back 

 also form joints (articulate) with the heads of ribs, one 

 pair of which are allotted to each of the vertebras of this 

 region (dorsal). 



The Loins. Passing back still further we come to the 

 bones of the loins (lumbar region), six in number. 

 These sections of the backbone should be strong, strength 

 here being a desirable trait in all animals. A slight dif- 



