212 Transactions. — Zoology. 



41b of wool of good q-aality. As a matter of fact, although 

 called black sheep, they are really brown. . . . But it 

 does not seem to be remembered that these sheep have a 

 peculiar habit of feeding freely on seaweed, so maintaining 

 themselves in the winter time. The Ai'mada legend is 

 brought to account for every variation of horse, cattle, or 

 sheep. But there seems little doubt that the St. Kilda 

 sheep represent a descent fi'om the wild Ovis, and therefore 

 may have some capacity for crossing purposes.'" — Signed 

 ''G'.," Live-stock Journal, 20th December, 1889. 



I therefore wrote to Lord Moretou for further particulars, 

 and he very courteously repHed as follows : — 



" Sarsdeu House, Chipping Xortou, Oxon, 

 " 12th May, 1890. 



'•' DeaTv Sir, — A few days ago I received your letter about 

 St. Kilda sheep, and will now answer it. St. Kilda is an island 

 some distance from the coast of Scotland, and is, I beheve, 

 very rocky. I obtained my sheep at the sale that took 

 place on the death of Mr. Stauiforth, of Storrs, Windermere, 

 a well-known shorthorn breeder. He had quite a flock of 

 these sheep, and, being, as I said, dispersed at his death, 

 they got scattered over England. They are small sheep. 

 Although spoken of as black, in reahty they are of a very 

 dark brown. I am unable to say what the value of their wool 

 is, as I never sell any, but have it made up for my own wear- 

 ing. The sheep generally have foiu* horns, sometimes only 

 two ; at present I own a ram with seven horns. I have never 

 heard of one with so many as this. The pictiu'es you sent me 

 are very like St. Kildas, especially about the head. I regret 

 that I am unable to send you a photogi-aph of my sheep. I 

 have often tried to photograph them — without success, how- 

 ever, as they are too wild. "Yours truly, 



" MOP.ETOX." 



The pictures sent, to Lord Moreton were taken from photo- 

 graphs of the Chatsworth spotted foiu'-homed sheep, described 

 in my former paper,* and which I claim as descendants of the 

 original British sheep. 



From the inherent wHdness of the St. Kilda sheep, and 

 from the Canons Ashby spotted sheep (described previously),'-' 

 when crossed with a white breed, producing black lambs, we 

 have evidence of affinity between these two breeds, and this 

 leaves little doubt but that they are remnants of the original 

 or first introduced sheep of Britain. 



I had laid plans to communicate with Professor Boyd 

 Dawkins to inquiie if any fossil remains of British sheep had 

 been found showing that the possession of four horns was 



• Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxi., p. 402. 



