200 SOUTHDOWN SHEEP. 



to the foot, not bending inward at the knee, and standing 

 far apart both before and behind; the hocks having a direction 

 rather outward, and the twist, or the meeting of the thighs 

 behind, being particularly full. The bones fine, yet having 

 no appearance of weakness, and of a speckled or dark color. 

 The belly well defended with wool, and the wool coming down 

 before and behind to the knee and to the hock; the wool 

 short, close, curled, and fine, and free from spiry projecting 

 fibers." 



This wonderful transformation came about not alone 

 through careful breeding, but combined with it was feeding 

 and management. His flocks roamed about over the thinly 

 clad hillsides and maintained themselves on the sweet, scanty 

 herbage of the Downs. About this time root crops were in- 

 troduced, and these afforded an excellent addition to the ra- 

 tion for growing sheep. To feeding as much as to breeding 

 may be accredited the improvement of these hardy sheep. 

 The Southdowns are very pretty sheep, and have been largely 

 patronized by royalty. Once when Mr. Ellman was showing 

 in Paris, Napoleon III., noticing his sheep, said: "Whose 

 sheep are those?" "Yours," said Ellman, and he gave the 

 flock to the emperor. King George III. of England had his 

 Southdown flocks, and so had many an English lord, among 

 whom were Lord Walsingham and the Dukes of Richmond 

 and Gordon and Hamilton, and the Prince of Wales himself. 



Through the Southdown all the other down breeds have 

 been improved. The Hampshires, Oxfords, and Shropshires 

 all owe to them their beautiful compa.ct forms that have 

 made them so useful as mutton sheep. 



Whenever the Southdown has gone he has wrought im- 

 provement. Especially is he valuable in crossing upon the 

 Lincoln. He is essentially a mutton sheep, as the following 

 description of Professor Coleman's would indicate: "The 

 Sussex Down is noticeable for the light shade of feature, 

 profusion of wool on forehead and on sides of face, short head, 

 flat forehead, large, full projecting eye, fine nose and muzzle, 

 short neck, level contour, great leg-of-mutton, barrel-shaped 

 carcass, level underlines, fine bone, and fine close wool." 



Following Mr. Ellman was Jonas Webb, of Babrahan, Cam- 

 bridge, who commenced operations about the year 1823. It is 

 believed that this breeder visited Glynde and other noted 

 Sussex farms when making selections for his foundation 



