New-York tribune., 1882-02-28

extremity
base could be reached. This if not anatonicalIy
90 is mechanically joint and corresponds " .no
hip Joint of the posterior extremity the snouluei 49, ~
the stile and the elbow to the hook. In inns TioM
there is no reversed order OF the Joints as mas es
stated, but the same mechanical relatioi: =; iasS
freedom of motion at Its centre III the I'M
than in the corresponding joint OF the p9s'eti?s
extremity but there is all that Is requirfeu & ~ i,
placed considerably higher than Ill tue lat'o,, I'd
order that more motion should not he requiGu au h
the restriction at that point Is conpchfSti,a The
the superior tleXibillty OF the lower ioIl'; inst
total result is that the stride OF ono h'no - '
equal to that OF the otner.
Chapters " and vi. are devoted TO Analyses u
the different paces of the horse, all based upon te
photographs which furnish the tfacts AS hi'Bn'
have been expected. the slower PAGES nave Dceh
hitherto the better understood, and the faster ones
give ms some genuine surprises. Alter some re-
marks as IN the power USED in resisting gravity anu
!, nronulsion he proceeds to the description OF the
running gait. On page 50 is we think mlscalcnia-
tion if we correctly understand the writer lhe
paragraph reads
If the time occupied by a racing horse in going
mile he one minute and forty seconds, ana ,ne
length of stride twenty-five leet, as Represented oI
some horses. it would follow that he must DE OH inc
ground full half second at each bound ana 1c-
cOrdlug to the law of falling bodies he Would II ne
moved horizontally during that time, fall distance
OF four feet. But III the gal!Op he is supposed 10 no
moving by q succession of bounds IN which nc uses
os far as he falls This would give one-tOurl III Ol q
second as the time of descent, equal to one loot ot
vertical fall to twelve and a half icct movement in
a horizontal direction ana consequent dchectoh
OF the centre OF gravity 10 that extent
Now if we calculate correctly, stride OF twenty
five feet gives about two hundred and eleven
strides to the mile done in hundred seconds or
about a half second to the stride But as tho
author frequently states and the photographs SHOW
the animal is of the ground" only one-hith ph
some series apparently nearly fomthl OF inc
stride The time therefore would be ABOUT one
tenth of a second and the distance fallen about
two inches. This agrees with the author 5 remark
about the slight detection of the trajectory OF le
centre Of gravity from straight line and also with
the figures IN the text illustrating the run. l nus
the right hind foot descends il is extended, be-
tween Fig and Fig. ., three hands, or one foot
but the saddle, which probably pretty closely fol-
lows the centre of gravity in its vertical move
ments has fallen less thal half hand or two
inches
The run is the perfect gait of the horse for 1t is
that which displays most perfectly the play ol lli
hls locomotive organs by which lie a'talhs, NE
greatest speed. 1t is the gait therefore, WhlGh
best serves as subject 10 study the law OF tlle
theory of his lOcomOt ion 10 auSoh9 VINO IldI Io,
lowed the anatomical analysis OF tine last TWO chd
ters tho theory may have already outlined ltseli'
Perfect quadrupedal locomotions require UNI
form support 10 the centre Of GTdry ana CONTINUOUS PO
| palajOH 6y edch extremity an farR'
In Illustration of this law figures are given drawn
as accurately as practicable from one series OF pho
tographs "Three horizontal lines are drawn ABOVE
,he Lose ot intervals of one hand four inches, rs
a guide to the eye in determining the elevation OF
the feet and fourth near the back, the deVlatoh
from horizontal line of the centre OF gravity
which we will suppose to be under the saddle"
As the body is supported and propelled by each
extremity in turn. it is perhaps unimportant with
which foot the analysis begins, but in the series OF
fcnres Figs . to - it begins with the lelt lore
foot In Fig all the feet in the air more than
foot from the ground except the left foot; this Is
upon the ground the limb straight and rgid from
shoulder to fetlock the pasern under the weight OF
the body horizontal nearly sO Ihe hOrso mas au-
yanced so far forward that tie foot must presently
leave The ground As the shoulder advance lFlg'
~ the sudden strengthening of the pastefn throws
the whole animal clear Of the ground tfIg. ol'
While he is thus in the air the feet are al near
coch other under the horses belly, but they move
in a regular manner and the hind feet are coming
forward that one in advance which is diagonal to
the forefoot which last left the ground. In Eng
this the right hindfoot has reached the ground well
forward toward the centre of gravity. 1he b0dy
moving forward the left hind foot comes down just
before the right finishes its push lfIg. ~ fIg
shows the right foreiOOt on the ground and the lelt
blndfoOt with horizontal pastcru ready to give tS
final thrust In Fig. 9 the right fOrefoot alone Is
on the ground Fig 10 shows the heels well IN the
air and the left fOreeg coming down III an eX-
tended position to take the place as support oil
the right forceg, which Is nearly ready to leave
the ground. In Figs IL and II the left forel"ot Is
alone on the ground and i'll Fig. ~ as We have al
ready seen it is in the act Of giving the final push
that lifts the animal entirely from the ground
This description gives but poor idea OF the mo-
top. but il is hardly worth while to attempt to
describe it, it is impossible to do so. From the
nbotograpns. especially from those taken with the
batterv of twenty-four cameras, where one picture
folloyvs another with an interval of not above one
fortich of a second very perfect idea may be oD-
tanned Every time we have examined them the
details of the pace have become clearer we should
suppose that by the of one Of these sets In the
scientific tov called the zoetrOpe the run OF the
horse could be perfectly reproduced to the eye.
given pace gives the same sequence III the move
ynents of the limbs, whatever horse may have been
experimental with. multitude OF seemingly
trivial details in the silhouettes all 90 to explain
them and TO make more certain their meaning
Plates of hounds and cattle are introduced 10 show
that tie mechanism of the run is the same with
them as with the horse. The most striking outcome
of an examination of these plates is the reversal OF
popular notions regarding the leap of the running
horse If we mistake not, the common IDEA Is thaJ
the horse is lifted from the ground by the force OF
his poseror cXtremties, and alghts upon the Iore-
feet Just the contrary is proved by the photo
erapbs He is lifted by the force of one forefoot,
and he alights upon the opposite bindfoot lie has
tne mower of electing while clear of the ground
which foot he will alight upon, and consequently
with which foot hc will throw himself up at the
next bound This change of foot is not shown IN
any OF the photographs could 1t be expected as
such change is probably only made as the result OF
fatigue of "a limb which could hardly occur III the
short runs made before the cameras The evidence
of the change in the mind Of the author is the teSti-
monv of riders who feel the change Of rhythm, and
a.. to,.,od orJor of tootnrints said tO have been