SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 239 



attention, generally places his hat on her head, 

 and supplies its place on his own by a hand- 

 kerchief. 



Horses enjoy the full privilege of wearing 

 their ears and tails unmutilated, and it is 

 considered a beauty and perfection to carry 

 the latter between their legs — to which the 

 frequent use of the Cortez shield greatly 

 contributes. It seems to an English eye at 

 first a defect, but how infinitely preferable is 

 it to our ridiculous, brutal, and unnatural 

 custom of cutting off the ears and part of the 

 tail of this generous and useful dependent on 

 man, and nicking the remainder to the bone, 

 roasting and torturing it to make it turn in 

 a contrary way to what nature intended. 

 Surely the humane laws lately enacted to 

 prevent barbarity to animals ought to extend 

 their influence to prevent so frightful and 

 absurd a practice as this. 



The horses in Mexico are never littered ; 



