104 SHEEP. Chap. III. 



several breeds of sheep no one who knows anything on the 

 subject, entertains a doubt. The case of the Southdowns, as 

 improved by Ellman, offers perhaps the most striking in- 

 stance. Unconscious or occasional selection has likewise 

 slowly produced a great effect, as we shall see in the chapters 

 on Selection. That crossing has largely modified some breeds, 

 no one who will study what has been written on this subject 

 — for instance, Mr. Spooner's paper — will dispute; but to 

 produce uniformity in a crossed breed, careful selection and 

 " rigorous weeding," as this author expresses it, are indis- 

 pensable. 95 



In some few instances new breeds have suddenly originated ; 

 thus, in 1791, a ram-lamb was born in Massachusetts, having 

 short crooked legs and a long back, like a turnspit-dog. From 

 this one lamb the otter or ancon semi-monstrous breed was 

 raised ; as these sheep could not leap over the fences, it was 

 thought that they would be valuable ; but they have been 

 supplanted by merinos, and thus exterminated. The sheep 

 are remarkable from transmitting their character so truly 

 that Colonel Humphreys 96 never heard of " but one question- 

 able case" of an ancon ram and ewe not producing ancon 

 offspring. When they are crossed with other breeds the 

 offspring, with rare exceptions, instead of being intermediate 

 in character, perfectly resemble either parent; even one of 

 twins has resembled one parent and the second the other. 

 Lastly, " the ancons have been observed to keep together, 

 separating themselves from the rest of the flock when put 

 into enclosures with other sheep." 



A more interesting case has been recorded in the Report of 

 the Juries for the Great Exhibition (1851), namely, the pro- 

 duction of a merino ram-lamb on the Mauchamp farm, in 1828, 

 which was remarkable for its long, smooth, straight, and silky 

 wool. By the year 1833 M. Graux had raised rams enough to 

 serve his whole flock, and after a few more years he was able 

 to sell stock of his new breed. So peculiar and valuable is the 

 wool, that it sells at 25 per cent, above the best merino wool : 



95 'Journal of R. Agricult. Soc. of 96 'Philosoph. Transactions,' London. 



England,' vol. xx., part ii., W. C. 1813, p. 88. 

 Spooner on cross-Breeding. 



