48 account of the Tauric /beep. Sept. 104 
The doctor thinks it must be a variety of the ste- 
atopyga, or Boucharian {heep; but what we know for 
certain, and what makes it highly interesting is, that 
a valuable trade is carried on with its fkin; as it 
furnifhes the beautiful and high priced blue furs, 
in such great estimation as a winter drefs for the 
nobility of Rufsia, Poland, and other northern coun- 
tries. It is impofsible to pafs over the db/ue furs 
of the north, without calling to mind a race of 
fheep mentioned by Boethius and Sibbald, as inha- 
biting the island of Rona, and bearing a biue fleece, 
similar to what is so much prized here. 
It might be worth the curiosity, if not the inte- 
rests of your society, to inquire if any traces of the 
breed remain, on that or any other island of Scot- 
land*. 
* The ingenious writer is here led into a dilemma, from the equi- 
vocal meaning of the word Sue, in the Scottifh dialect of the Englith 
language, when applied to animals of this sort. Nothing is more com- 
mon than to hear country men talk of d/we horses ; but a horse li- 
terally of a blue colour, in the strict meaning of the word, was never 
I believe seen in this country: at least I know that I have seen thou- 
sands of blue horSes, as they are called; and these are all literally 
gray ; consisting of mixed hairs black and white: when it has a 
yeddifh glance, it is called iron gray.. The blue fheep of Scotland are 
precisely of the same sort. The fleece always consists of a mixture 
ef white and black hairs having a bluifh glance; as I have seen thou- 
sands of times. 
On the other hand, the blue fursof Taurica here mentioned, or at least 
some furs which I have seen, are of a bright blue colour strictly so called, 
exactly of the same cast with the blue cloths of Europe that have 
been dyed with indigo; and Iam convinced these have alt been so 
dyed,—and that there isno fheep to be found any where that are 
naturally of that colour: atleast Ihave never seen any such, or heard 
of any well authenticated factto make me believe that there are any 
such. The blue fheep of Rona mentioned by Boethius, I have ne 
