o 



72 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



past been fatal to large numbers of lambs. The nodular disease 

 has probably been fatal in a smaller number of cases. In recent 

 years, however, methods of prevention have been discovered which 

 largely eliminate the losses heretofore common in the breeding 

 flocks of the country. 



ORIGIN OF THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



The sheep was one of the earliest animals domesticated by 

 man. The ease with which it could be captured, confined and main- 

 tained, facilitated greatly the progress of its complete domestica- 

 tion. The fleece provided warm clothing and the flesh a healthful 

 and nutritious food. All these contributed greatly to the rapid 

 development of man toward civilization. 



European and Asiatic sheep are supposed to have been de- 

 scended from the Argali or wild sheep of Asia, and the Musmon of 

 the south of Europe. The African sheep is similarly derived from 

 related species found on that continent. The Argali of Asia is 

 larger than the domesticated sheep, being somewhat smaller than 

 the stag, and possessing enormous horns, three or four feet long, 

 and sometimes a foot in circumference at the base of the horns. 

 The color of fur is brown, with a buff-colored streak along the 

 back and a large spot of buff color on the haunch. 



All the wild cousins of the domestic sheep prefer the higher 

 altitudes, choosing the rocky, precipitous mountains covered with 

 sparse vegetation. They are exceedingly agile, strong and wary. 



The Rocky Mountain sheep is the Argali of America. This 

 beautiful animal ranges the highest altitudes of the lofty Rockies 

 and is so wary and agile that none but the most experienced hunters 

 are able to secure them. 



It is probable that most of our modern varieties of sheep 

 have descended directly from the Musmon, whose native habitat 

 seems to have been the Islands of Crete and Cypress and the moun- 

 tains of Greece. They still roam wild in Corsica and Sardinia. 

 Smaller than the American Argali, less powerful and active than 

 the European or Asiatic Argali, they range the lower altitudes and 

 less inaccessible ranges of mountains. They usually roam in large 

 herds and seem not to be easily domesticated. 



Among the varieties of domestic sheep are many of more or 

 less unusual characteristics. Among these are the fat tailed sheep 

 of Asia Minor, Syria, Arabia, and South Africa. These sheep are 

 distinguished by an enormous development of fat deposited in the 

 tail. There are reports of individuals having accumulations of fat 



