Mammal Study 



283 



Sheep under attack and danger are silent; ordinarily they keep up a 

 constant, gentle bleating to keep each other informed of their where- 

 abouts; they also give a peculiar call when water is discovered, and 

 another to inform the flock that there is a stranger in the midst ; they also 

 give a peculiar bleat, when a snake or other enemy which they conquer, is 

 observed. Their sense of smell is very acute. Mary Austin says, 

 "Young lambs are principally legs, the connecting body being simply a 

 contrivance for converting milk into more leg, so you understand how it is 

 that they will follow the flock in two days and are able to take the trail in 

 a fortnight, traveling four and five miles a day, falling asleep on their feet 

 and tottering forward in the way." 



The older lambs have games which 

 they play untiringly, and which fit 

 them to become active members of the 

 flock; one, is the regular game of 

 "Follow My Leader," each lamb 

 striving to push ahead and attain 

 the place of leader. In playing this 

 the head lamb leads the chase over 

 most difficult places, such as logs, 

 stones and across brooks; thus is a 

 training begun which later in life may 

 save the flock. The other game is 

 peculiar to stony pastures; a lamb 

 climbs to the top of a boulder and its 

 comrades gather around and try to 

 butt it off; the one which succeeds in 

 doing this, climbs the rock and is "it." This game leads to agility and 

 sure-footedness. A lamb's tail is long and is most expressive of lambkin 

 bliss, when feeding time- comes; but, alas! it has to be cut off so that later 

 it will not become matted with burrs and filth. In southern Russia there 

 is a breed of sheep with large, flat, fat tails which are esteemed as 

 a great table delicacy. This tail becomes so cumbersome that wheels 

 are placed beneath it, so that it trundles along behind its owner. 



We have a noble species of wild sheep in the Rocky Mountains 

 which is likely to become extinct soon. The different breeds of 

 domesticated sheep are supposed to have been derived from different 

 wild species. Of the domesticated varieties, we have the Merinos 

 which originated in Spain and which give beautiful, long, fine wool 

 for our fabrics; but their flesh is not very attractive. The Merinos 

 have wool on their faces and legs and have wrinkled skins. The English 

 breeds of sheep have been especially developed for mutton, although 

 their wool is valuable. Some of these like the Southdown, Shropshire, 

 and Dorset, give a medium length of wool, while the Cotswold has 

 very long wool, the ewes having long strings of wool over their eyes 

 in the fashion of "bangs." 



The dog, as descended from the wolf, is the ancient enemy of sheep; 

 and even now after hundreds of years of domestication, some of our 

 dogs will revert to savagery and chase and kill sheep. This, in fact, 

 has been one of the great drawbacks to sheep raising in the [Eastern 

 United States. The collie, or sheep-dog, has been bred so many years as 

 the special care-taker of sheep, that a beautiful relationship has been 



Mutual contentment. 



