Breeds of Sheep best adapted to different Localities. 447 



spectively of the questions of climate, soil, &c., is the different 

 character of the grasses composing the pastures of varied localities. 

 For instance the down sheep are exceedingly fond of that grass 

 which is found so abundantly on their native habitats, viz., the 

 Cynosurus cristatus or crested dog's tail grass, yet will not touch 

 the Festuca Camhrica or Welsh fescue ; the Welsh sheep are 

 equally fastidious, and would not touch the dog's tail grass so long 

 as they can get the Welsh fescue. A very happy illustration of 

 this difference of taste is given in Marshall's ' Survey of Norfolk,' 

 where a flock of Lincolns and Downs were turned into the same 

 pasture, which consisted partly of dry upland, partly of a marshy 

 bottom, throwing up a great quantity of rank grass. The two 

 flocks separated, the Lincolns being always found on the marshy 

 part, the Downs as invariably on the dry part of the pasture. In 

 making experiments on the relative value of sheep, it will always 

 be necessary to keep in view that they are not too suddenly 

 removed from one pasture to another of a totally different 

 nature. 



It will never be known in what manner the celebrated Bake- 

 well proceeded in the first instance in order to obtain his cele- 

 brated stock. I agree in opinion with Marshall that he did not 

 confine himself to any particular breed, but selected well pro- 

 portioned animals which he considered would suit his views, from 

 any breed : the Cotswold and old Leicester, doubtless, were those 

 principally used ; Down blood being little if at all employed. 

 That there was a considerable amount of crossing, from sheep 

 procured from various sources, is tolerably well evidenced by the 

 fact that none of our celebrated breeds degenerate so soon from the 

 true blood, after a second or third descent with foreign blood, as 

 the descendants of the Leicesters on the third and fourth remove. 

 They also vary greatly from the original type, even though kept 

 to true Leicester blood, when removed to inferior^ localities as 

 regards food and climate. 



On looking at sheep of different breeds, it will be found almost 

 invariably, that square, compact, and well-proportioned sheep 

 have been grazed on good land, or otherwise well fed ; whilst 

 sheep bred and fed on indifferent pasture, will as constantly be 

 found with deep but narrow chests. In very starved sheep, such 

 as the Welsh, the fore leo^s will almost touch each other at the 

 breast ; at the same time the flanks will be pinched up like a 

 greyhound's, thus greatly narrowing the compass of the intestines ; 

 such a form is emphatically entitled by farmers ' nip-gutted,^ and 

 amongst domestic animals is the invariable indication of slow 

 feeders, although when fat they are generally found to contain a 

 more than average proportion of internal fat. The Irish grey- 

 hound pig, now nearly extinct, is a remarkable example of this 



