LEICESTER . EWES AXD LAMBS. 169 



same injury, on the other hand, is frequently caused, when the 

 ewes are milked, by the impatience of the women engaged, for 

 by nipping the udder too severely with the hand, inflammation 

 often ensues, and " deaf paps " are the result. When ewes are 

 to be milked they should be brought into a pen at the steading 

 at eight o'clock at night, and next morning at two the shepherd 

 should call the women to milk, the special pens having been 

 previously erected. The reason for beginning so early is, that 

 in the morning it is much cooler, and thus better for both sheep 

 and people. Each man holds ewes for two women in a narrow 

 pen. The ewes are usually milked twice, the milk being pre- 

 served for the master ; if milked a third time the milk is allowed 

 to the shepherd for his own use. The women are generally paid 

 Is. 6d. for four hours, that is, from two to six, also food before 

 and after milking, the shepherd feeding and paying the women 

 the last day. Ewes' milk is mixed with cows' milk and manu- 

 factured into cheese, which, although strongly tasting, is much 

 rehshed by some. 



"■ SWIXGBACK." 



A peculiar disease which frequently affects lambs is that 

 called in the country " Swingback." From the name one is 

 led to infer the nature of the disease, which is a weakness of 

 the spine, causing the lamb, when walking, to bend its back 

 from side to side, and if it be a bad case the lamb is almost 

 unable to walk at all. This affection of the spine remains with 

 the sheep during life, but is not hereditary. Although the cause 

 of this disease has not as yet been explained, shepherds have 

 noticed that when the ewes have had corn for a time after lamb- 

 ing no swingback lambs are seen in the flock. A lamb, when 

 affected with this disease, should be fattened ofi' at once, as, 

 although safe to breed from, it is neither profitable nor is it 

 handy to deal with at lambing time or after, as it will not be so 

 well able to feed and keep up with its companions. 



Examination of a swingback lamb after death shows that part 

 of the back, jnst over the kidneys, has become black from a 

 resolution of blood to that part. Weak-backed lambs occur in 

 flocks which have been subjected to hardships. Owing to the 

 long severe winter of 1880-81 tlie proportion of such lambs was 

 unusually large last season. Ewes on poor, mossy laud, or fed 

 on second-rate roots without suiiicient dry fodder, furnish a con- 

 siderable number of such cases. Land newly limed, and throw- 

 ing up a large amount of soft herbage, is stated in some localities 

 to predispose to these attacks of weak back and trembling. In- 

 adequate supplies of nutritive food appears to starve especially 

 the nervous textures, and produces the symptoms complained 



