ns cuncu. 
289 
skin; the cuticle, epidermis, or scarf-skm; and the rete- 
mucosum. 
THE CUTICLE 
Is placed externally; it is very thin and somewhat trans¬ 
parent and tough. In the living animal this may be proved 
by application of a blister : serum is effused from the 
exhalents of the cutis, and the cuticle becomes elevated by 
it in the form of small pellucid bladders. This membrane 
is continually growing, and the scales which are brushed 
out in grooming are scaly portions of the cuticle. 
The cuticle seems to be composed of very thin flexible 
scales, somewhat resembling the scales of a fish, and similar 
to them in arrangement. The cuticle is produced by the 
true skin, and is perforated by both its exhalent and absorbent 
pores. In almost all parts of the body the cuticle is thickly 
clothed with hair, but that of the nose, the lips, and the 
interior of the ear, the borders of the eyelids, and the inside of 
the superior portion of the thighs, is naked ; and in all those 
places is .thinner in substance than on the other parts, which 
are invested with hair. The colour of the cuticle is the same 
in all horses, whatever be their hue. But it is a known 
fact that the skin of the silver grey Arabian horse is of a 
bluish black ; but whether this colour is in the cuticle or in 
the rete-mucosum I have not yet been enabled to discover. 
The epidermis is everywhere perforated by minute holes, 
corresponding in situation, size, and number to those of the 
cutis. First, there are the pores for the hairs; secondly 
the perspiratory, or exhalent pores ; thirdly, the absorbent, 
or inhalent pores; and lastly, larger-sized pores, through 
which unctuous secretions in various parts are emitted. 
The cuticle is destitute of both nerves and vessels, and 
consequently devoid of sensibility. 
