  The number of cosmic strings in the observable universe is relevant in
determining the probability of detecting such cosmic defects through their
gravitational signatures. In particular, we refer to the observation of
gravitational lensing events and anisotropy in the CMB radiation induced by
cosmic strings. In this paper, a simple method is adopted to obtain an
approximate estimate of the number of segments of cosmic strings, crossing the
particle horizon, which fall inside the observed part of the universe. We show
that there is an appreciable difference in the expected number of segments
which differentiates cosmic strings arising in Abelian Higgs and Nambu-Goto
models, and that a different choice of setting for the cosmological model can
lead to significant differences in the expected number of cosmic string
segments. Of this number, the fraction realistically detectable may be
considerably smaller.
