IN REPLY TO MR. W. C. SPOONER. 187 
that he has examined any other hock ? Bat because I have not 
supposed that he had done so, he says I have jumped to my con¬ 
clusions j in short, he supposes me a real “ Jim Crow the only 
thing wanting to complete the picture being the movements of 
the slugery with his ‘‘Turn about, wheel about, jump Jim Crow.’’ 
I must now, however, be serious. It was very ridiculous in me 
to suppose Mr. Spooner had examined no hocks but the few he 
has given a description of; but, then, I might have got a hint 
about the number, for he has “ examined uearlp every one that” 
he has had an opportunity of examining. Now, how many has 
Mr. Spooner examined since I stated that I considered he was 
wrong ? It may be one, or it may be none, for aught he states. 
Next, he says, “ it is jumping to a conclusion with a vengeance 
to suppose, much more to assert, that a person must be ignorant 
of every thing that he does not state in print.” I think Mr. 
Spooner has mistaken me on this point, because I have not com¬ 
plained against his not stating all he knows, but the reverse. 
However, it appears he had not stated all he knows ; for it now 
comes out, that he has in many instances found a slight excava¬ 
tion in the groove of the astragalus, and, though less frequently, 
on the ridge of the tibia, and that he had no reason to consider 
that these caused lameness prior to death. But then, he says 
they presented no discolouration —they were simple indentations, 
which he never stated would necessarily produce lameness ; and 
he will allow nobody to make such an assertion for him, and I 
am sure he cannot accuse me of doing so. But, besides the dis¬ 
colouration, we have the difference in size between the “ indenta¬ 
tions ” and “ abrasions/’ so that, as they differ in size and colour, 
they cannot be the same kind of thing. For example: as 
Mr. Spooner speaks of logic and horses, we may say, speaking 
logically, that as a small Shetland pony of a “ cream colour” is 
not a large “ dark bay ” London dray horse, therefore he cannot 
be a horse. And upon the same principle, as these indentations 
differ in u$e and colour, they cannot be things of the same 
kind!! 
It appears, now, that Mr. Spooner has let the cat out of the 
bag, and that he has seen them ; that he has ** been rather in¬ 
clined to believe that these indentations (sulci) were of a normal 
character; but then, be it remembered, they differ” — colour. 
Did you ever read the story of the chamelion ? I think most 
boys have done so when at school ; and, if I recollect lightly, 
there was a very warm discussion amongst the disputants about 
its colour. Now, is it possible that another chamelion is under 
discussion? what, if the particular state of the animal prior to 
death, or the particular cause of death, should influence the 
