SPEED AND STRENGTH. 



height than those of the representatives of strength. We 

 see this fact best illustrated when we compare individuals of 

 the same species or family, like the greyhound and bulldog, 

 or the cheetah and tiger (Fig. 5), which is the strongest 

 member of the cat tribe. A greyhound and a typical race- 

 horse (compare Fig. 8 with Fig. 9) possess many points in 

 common. We also obtain good examples among horned 

 cattle, in the Indian trotting bullock (Fig. 6), and the Indian 

 heavy draught bull (Fig. 7), whose sex is indicated by the 

 large size of his hump. Special length of hind limb is well 

 shown in the hare and in the lynx (Fig. 4), both of which are 

 animals of great speed. As it is not the custom to breed 

 men with reference to their physical development, we do not 

 find the difference in question so well marked in them as in 

 the lower animals. Yet, for all that, we may note among 

 ** sprinters" and wrestlers the working of this principle. I 

 may explain that the muscles of the limbs of the horse, ox, 

 buffalo and antelope do not, practically, extend below the 

 knees and hocks (being continued by tendons from these 

 joints) ; but in the dog and cat tribe, they go down to the foot 



From the examples cited of animals of great strength and 

 those of high speed, we may conclude that the former are 

 distinguished by a long body and short legs ; and the latter, 

 by a short trunk and long extremities. I am here assuming 

 that the length of the body is taken comparatively with 

 that of the legs, and without reference to the proportions 

 of the body itself. 



We may also observe from the photographs before us, 

 that the limbs of speedy quadrupeds are proportionately as 

 slender as they are long, and that those exhibiting strength 

 are as thick as they are short. 



I may explain that muscles are the active and essential 

 part of the machinery used by animals in locomotion, bones 

 being merely passive agents. In fact, there are myriads of 

 the lower animals which move about with considerable 

 speed by means of their muscles, but which have no bones 

 of any kind. 



B 2 



