. 22# FAR R 
crifta, very elevated and enlarged, rough on its upper 
furface, for the ftrong infertion of tlie ligament ; and this 
fpine, or elevated plate of bone, at its pofterior part, is 
bifid, or cloven, with a middle depreffion, or folia, afford¬ 
ing a ffronger and wider furface for mufcular and ligamen¬ 
tous attachment. This vertebra has no fuperior oblique 
precedes, and enters the former bone by a half tubercle, 
or capitulum, expofing the ffpinal marrow on its upper 
part, and fs kept in its fituation by two broad lateral ar¬ 
ticulating furfaces. The other five bones of the neck are 
of a more uniform figure than the two former, confiding 
ot a body of bone fomewhat lengthened, having a large 
cylindrical perforation for the palfage of the fpinal mar¬ 
row, externally of an irregular, almoft quadrangular, 
figure, having various angular and fpinous elevations of 
bone, which are termed according to their fituation, as 
the ipi-rial, apophyfis, the fuperior and inferior oblique 
precedes, the tranfveffe and anterior precedes, which are 
intended for the ftrong infertion of mufcles, tendons, and 
ligaments, for the fupport and direction of the neck. 
The articulating procefs of thefe vertebrae confids of a 
round head of bone, the poderior articulating furface of 
a fu-itablfe indentation to receive it. This knob of bone 
■was obferved by Stubbs to be wanting in the fixth verte¬ 
bra of the neck. All thefe bones poffefs various perfora¬ 
tions for the trar.fmiflion of blood veffels and nerves. 
The dorfal vertebrae, or back-bones, are eighteen in 
number, fometimes nineteen ; and are remarkable for the 
length of the fpinous precedes, extending from the firff 
to the eighth, and which form what is called the withers 
of this animal, and againd which the fuperior part of the 
ihoulder is brought to recline. The dorfal vertebrae dif¬ 
fer in drnriture from the cervical, being much Ihorter, 
the fpinous apophyfis longer, and the anterior procefs 
wanting on the under fide. A dorfal vertebra, poffeifes' 
almoft a fimilar number of proceffes as are found in thofe 
of tlie neck, though very differently fi United and propor¬ 
tioned ; thefe precedes are all placed fuperiorly to the two 
articulating furfaces of tlie ribs ; and it is aim off unnecef- 
fary to repeat that they poffefs foramina for the paffugeof 
nerves and blood-vellels, and the fpinal marrow. 
Where the ribs terminate, begin the lumbar vertebrae,.or 
bones of tlie ioins; which are fix in number, and poffefs 
much tlie fame proceffes and character as thofe of the 
back; but the fpinous precedes are ffronger, the lateral 
proceffes broader and longer, and fometimes articulate 
with the body of tiie vertebrae, and in fome meafure ferve 
the purpofe of fpurious ribs. Thefe bones are often united 
into one mafs in the aged liorfe, by offific depodt, as are 
alfio thofe of tlie back. Tlie five next bones of the (pine 
are united into one mafs in tlie adult, to give ftrength and 
energy to the various motions of tlie hind quarter, and in 
their confoiidated (late are called the os facru'm. Tlie in- 
terdices occalioned by tlie union of thefe bones on their 
underlide, form what, at fird light; appear to be huge fora¬ 
mina, being rounded, as thefe generally are. The fuperior - 
part of this bone poffeifes longer fpinous precedes than 
thofe of tlie loins, and admits a vad furface for tlie at¬ 
tachment and depodt of niufcleti; and here are placed the 
mufcles of loco-motion, which, in all animals, are tlie larged 
in tlie body. On the fuperior furface of tiie tranfverfe 
proceffes of this bone reds the fiat inferior furface of tlie 
ilium, to which furface it is attached by drong ligaments, 
io that the body of tlie liorfe is, as it were, entirely fuf- 
pended by ligamentary and mufcular fubdance, for the 
fcapula has no other than this fpecies of attachment: 
lienee the entire exclufion of a folid bony articulation of 
tiie extremities with tlie fpine mud give eafe to every 
motion of the animal, and confequently to whatever it has 
to carry. The remaining portions of the fpine, confiding 
of the eighteen pieces which form the tail, gradually lofe 
the druddure and properties of the foregoing parts, and 
become fimple rounded cylinders of bone, folid and en¬ 
larged at the points of articulation, and towards the ex¬ 
tremity of the tail are of a confidence nearly cartilaginous. 
I E R Y. 
The cojhs , or ribs, which principally form the trunk,, 
are bones of a curved figure, and eladic, ferving to de¬ 
fend the principal part of tlie thoracic and abdominal vif, 
cera ; and in the liorfe are generally eighteen in number, 
fometimes nineteen; thefe are articulated by one extre¬ 
mity to tlie dorfal vertebra? by two furfaces, a lateral and 
terminating articulating f urface. The eight fird of thefe 
ribs terminate on the dernum itfelf by an offeo-cartilagi. 
nous fubdance, thence called the true ribs ; the others do 
not reach the dernum, but are attached to eacli other by 
a iong furface of adhedon of the fame kind ; and lienee 
called the falje ribs. The dernum is compofed offfeven 
pieces of bone firmly united, and differs widely from tlie 
human in being curved, and, indead of being flattened, 
is anteriorly acu te, like the prow or keel of a velfel. This 
anterior part is alfo of an oUeo-cartilaginous confidence, 
terminating above by an obtufe eminence over tlie articu¬ 
lation of the firff rib, and inferioriy by the fcrobicular 
cartilage of an oblong figure. This drutlure enlarges tlie 
died, and gives room for a ffronger attachment of the 
fhoulder for the fupport of tiie body. 
Tlie ilium, ifehium, and os pubis, may be confidered as 
forming part of the trunk; they are, however, only at¬ 
tached to the fpine by ligaments, having no a6hial arti¬ 
culation, and might be referred to tlie hind extremities. 
Thefe bones form colledVively tlie haunch, the thigh being 
included, and internally , tiie pelvis. Tlie ilium, or hip¬ 
bone, is not of a rounded figure, as in man, but is extend¬ 
ed in three directions, forming three powerful proceffes, 
which may be termed tlie fuperior, inferior, and pofterior, 
rami, the three exterior margins or edges of the bone in¬ 
cluded. Thele extended proceiies give a place for the 
attachment of feveral ftrong mufcles, which are thus fitu- 
ated to tiie greateft mechanical advantage, givingwith 
tlie ifehium a magnitude and power to tlie buttock, not 
equalled perhaps by any other animal. The ifehium in 
the horfe is remarkably extended, forming a ftrong pro-, 
c.efs poiteriorly for tiie reception and attachment of pow¬ 
erful mufcles, and which procefs is entirely wanting in 
tlie human fkeleton. In tiie os pubis, is to be remarked 
tlie very extraordinary depth of the fymphyfis, affording 
an extenfive furface for mufcular attachment. The above 
three hones unite in forming the acetabulum, or cup, 
which receives the head of the thigh bone, in both tlie 
human and equine fkeletons. 
Of the fore extremity. —Tlie fcapula, or blade- 
bone of the horfe, is confiderably lengthened, and is pro- 
portionably narrower than tlie human, being of an oblong 
triangular figure, poffeffmg neither acromion nor coracoid 
procefs, though there is a prominent obtufe point of bone 
in the fituation of the latter, and a rounded eminence of¬ 
ten on tlie fpine of tlie fcapula, which denotes the fitua¬ 
tion of the former. The liorfe, it may be obferved, pof- 
feffes in this, part no proper back, for the withers can 
hardly be confidered as fuch ; therefore tiie fcapula does 
not materially pafs out of the plane of the os humeri, or 
arm, as in tlie human, but is fimply reclining on tlie fide, 
its upper part reaching near tlie extremities of the dorfal 
apophyfes or withers, its lower part directed forwards, 
and approaching tlie firff rib and upper extremity of tlie 
fternum. Tlie under fide of this bone is concave, and is 
covered with afperities for mufcular attachment : tlie 
upper furface is divided longitudinally into two unequal 
parts by a bony ridge, called its fpine, affording furface 
for the attachment of various mufcles and tendons; the 
bafe or broad extremity of the fcapula is furnifhed with 
a cartilage, which embraces the mufcles of the withers; 
its fmall end poffeifes an articular cavity which receives 
the head of the humerus, and is termed tlie glenoid cavity. 
The motion of this bone is different from any other in.the 
body, not moving upon either extremity, but librating 
round a point, which is lituated near the centre of the bone. 
The humerus, or arm, is particularly fhort, when com¬ 
pared with the bone of the human arm, fcarcely palling' be¬ 
yond the line of the cheft, and is proportionally ffrongef, 
palling 
