high northern latitude the mountains are buried deep in frozen snow, they resort to the sea beaches and feed on the kelp and sea ware. Even when taken into domestication their fare is but little improved. Oats is a luxury unknown, and a few bundles of wild meadow hay or barley straw furnish a dainty banquet to the wee Shetlander. His speed is of course not great, but he will go along at a sort of waddling run under a weight which it would bother some horses to carry,—that is to say, from 150 to 200 pounds,—at the rate of four or five miles an hour; and will accomplish his fifty miles between sunrise and sunset with a great hulking Highlander on his back, who seems fitter to carry the pony than the pony to carry him.
For little boys and girls learning to ride, the Shetlander is perfection; for though he has sometimes a will of his own, and has always a very sufficient share of spirit, which sometimes leads him to play queer, grotesque tricks and to make uncouth gambols more resembling those of a big dog than of a small horse, he is very docile, intelligent, affectionate and gentle. He readily becomes extremely fond of his small rider; and if, as will sometimes happen, he kicks him over his head for fun, he will generally stop by his side until he gets up again, and will suffer himself to be remounted without opposition; and then, which is a great consideration, it is not far to fall from his back to the ground. The colors of the Shetlanders are generally black, dark brown, and a sort of rust-colored sorrel. Whites and greys are exceedingly rare, and blacks are considered the best of the race. There is a race of very small ponies, analagous to the Shetlanders, in Terie, one of the Hebrides or Western isles, belonging to the Duke of Argyle.
Next in size to the Shetlanders is a small white race of ponies, generally supposed to be of Hanoverian origin,
