127 



And Philips, lin Ms poem on "Cyder," (1705) also says : 



" Can the fleece 



Bceotic or Tarentine compare 

 "With Lemster's silken wool." 



And some other poetic'allusions 'might also be"given. 



On inquiviDg from an agricxiltural friend as^to what was the character of 

 the Ryeland sheep at the present time, he said that "such as they are, it is 

 easily given. They are nice well-shaped, compact sheep, entirely covered with 

 fine wool, legs, head, ears, and even to the eyes. They have short heads, short 

 ears, short necks, short bodies, short legs, short wool, and indeed they are 

 short in every way, except' in ""coming to f uU weighty and maturity, since they 

 require two years instead of one before they are fit for the TDutcher. One of 

 the best flocks of Eyelands in the county now," he added, "is to be found 

 at Mr. Downing's, of the Lower Bogmarsh farm. Holme Lacey." This gentleman 

 thinks this description about one-thii-d too long in its allowance of time for 

 coming tomatmity ; it says nothing for the quality of the mutton, and gives no 

 consideration to the fact that they require less food than any other breed of 

 sheep, and can therefore be kept in greater numbers. " They pay well for being 

 done well," says Mr. Downing, " and if Herefordshire'had been true to itself, and 

 stuck to its own breed of_sheep, with the advantages^of^'the modern improved 

 means of feeding them, the county wo\ild have been as celebrated now for the 

 flavour of its mutton and [the excellence 'of its wool, [as it^ was 300 years ago. 

 "WTiereas, instead of this, nearly every farmstead shows a different variety of 

 sheep, and size isjaimed at instead of quality." 



It appears evident, indeed, that in olden times the fleece was more valuable 

 than the flesh, and the sheep were kept longer alive to grow it. In these days 

 the order of value is reversed, and in our hurry to produce meat quickly, there 

 seems some danger of our losing the true taste and flavour of mutton. 



Dr. Bull then proposed the vote of thanks to the Commissioner, which was 

 agreed to by common consent. 



A very great interest was now excited amongst the members present by 

 the exhibition of the new fossil from the Woolhope limestone, the Actinoceras 

 baccatum. It was discovered in a block of limestone from the Littlehope (or 

 Scutterdine) Quarry,^ and rescued' from the road-mender's hammer by Richard 

 Johnson, Esq., to whom this unique fossil belongs. A monogi-aph upon it appeared 

 in the Geologkatj^Magazine for last month, by -the chief editor, Mr. Woodward, 

 of the British Museum, with a copy of the lithograph made for our transactions. 

 At the request of Mr. 'V^'oodward, the Central Committee of the Club gave to it 

 its distinguishing name, "baccatum,,'' from the beautiful head-like structure of the 

 siphuncle. The Rev. P. B. Brodie, F.G.S., &c,. 'had since found some small 

 portions of the same fossil at this quan-y, and sent a sketch of a larger one which. 



