PRIMITIVE BREEDS OF SHEEP IN SCOTLAND 5 



see any distinct difference between the hairy outer wool and 

 the fine wool beneath, such as is described by some writers ; 

 and neither in dressed skins which I bought at Lerwick, 

 nor in Shetland sheep which I have kept in England, have 

 I found evidence of this difference. The grey coloured sheep 

 (here called "Sheila") seem to have a much longer and 

 coarser fleece, as though crossed with the Black-faced breed, 

 and neither the white nor the black sheep bred in England 

 had fleeces as soft as they are in Shetland. I also found 

 a good deal of kemp in the breech and hind parts of some 

 of the fleeces I examined. 



The fine-wool spinners in Unst informed me that as they 

 only require a few ounces of wool for the best quality of 

 shawls, which are worth several pounds, they select only 

 a little of the finest wool from the neck and shoulders, and 

 that for this purpose it was better in North Maven than in 

 Unst or Yell. 



This seems to be borne out by the sheep I saw at Loch- 

 end, where I bought a half-bred Cheviot, whose fleece was 

 superior in quality, and more than twice as heavy as the 

 fleece of some of the nearly pure Shetland sheep which I 

 got from Mr Gordon in Mid Yell. 



Mrs Bruce of Sumburgh, owner of Fair Isle, who keeps 

 a small flock of pure Shetlands and does much to encourage 

 the knitting industry, tells me that it is not necessary to pluck 

 the wool of her sheep, which, however, are much better fed 

 than most crofters' sheep ; and I am informed by Mr Kerr, 

 who has charge of a considerable number of Shetland sheep 

 belonging to Mr Stephens in Wiltshire, that he obtains 

 is. 9d. a pound for shorn and washed fleeces of moorit- 

 coloured sheep wintered on grass in that county. 



With regard to horns, I am not able to say what is the 

 best or the true type of horns in Shetland sheep. Often 

 the rams have none, and these are preferred for their wool 

 by some breeders. Many have short horns ; but in a white 

 ram which I bought in Mid Yell the horns formed a complete 

 circle. Some ewes have short, curved horns, but the majority 

 have none, and I never saw any with straight or goat-like 

 horns. A cross with the Black-face produces strong horns. 



