CHAPTEE II. 



THE MUSCLES AND THEIR WORK. 



The bony skeleton is clothed with several varieties of 

 tissue, of which the muscles are of primary importance 

 in the study of conformation and the fitness of the ani- 

 mal for food purposes. Another tissue is connective 

 tissue, of a strong fibrous nature, which proceeds inward 

 from the skin, running between portions of the muscles, 

 and thus gives coarseness and the grain to meat (mus- 

 cular tissue). The less exposed a muscle is the smaller 

 the amount of connective tissue. Connective tissue also 

 forms ligaments and tendons (the gristly parts of mus- 

 cles), ensheathes bones, cartilage (gristle) and nerves. 

 If connective tissue is present in excessive quantities it 

 renders a muscle hard to define, is the cause of the 

 so-called round bone of horsemen ; therefore, we can 

 make several valuable deductions with regard to the 

 animal, as follows : 1. As the thickness of the skin is a 

 measure of the amount of connective tissue, the thicker 

 the hide, other things being equal, the more connective 

 tissue in and about the muscle ; these observations can 

 be made by any practical man. 2. As its action is nil 

 (passive), the more connective tissue entering into a mus- 

 cle the slower the movement of that muscle; hence, as a 

 result, a poorly defined muscle, as for example seen 

 below the knee or hock, and a thick skin may be taken 

 to imply deficiency in speed. In meat-producing ani- 



