8i8 THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



tion that their drooping ears are indicative of long domestication. On the other 

 hand, the nature of the pelage in the Eastern and Ethiopian varieties of these 

 breeds, is suggestive of a more intimate relationship with a wild ancestral stock. 



In Asia Minor, Syria, and parts of Arabia, the flat-tailed sheep have their tails 

 of enormous size, sometimes reaching a weight of from forty to fifty pounds. 

 So long, indeed, is the tail, that it actually trails upon the ground, and is 

 frequently supported by little sledges in order to prevent it from incommoding its 

 owner. 



On the other hand, in the countries to the eastward of the Caspian Sea, such as 

 Persia and many parts of Central Asia, as well as in Northeastern Central 

 Africa, we find that the flat tail becomes short or rudimentary, and the fat accumu- 

 lates on either side of the haunches in tw r o great protuberances. Hence this breed 

 is designated O. aries steatopyga. This breed, as shown in our illustration, is of 

 large size, and differs from most domesticated sheep in its completely hairy pelage. 

 The coat of the adult resembles, indeed, very closely that of many wild sheep, gen- 

 erally consisting of short and close hair, and yielding no wool capable of being spun 

 or woven. The lambs have, however, a perfectly woolly coat. In Abyssinia, Mr. 

 Blanford states that the fat-tailed sheep kept in the highlands differ from the ordi- 

 nary breed in being covered with wool. They have also frequently well-developed 

 and handsomely-curled horns. In our figured example of the hairy breed of these 

 sheep, the hair is white on the body but black on the head and front part of the 

 neck. The horns are small and curved. These sheep are kept in great numbers by 

 the nomad tribes of the Asiatic steppes; some preferring those which are entirely 

 black, while others cultivate a pure white breed. A large number of lambs of 

 the black breed are killed at a very early age for the sake of their skins, which are 

 covered with fine curly wool, and constitute the astrachan of commerce. 



The Fezzan sheep, which is brown and white in color and has a long and round 

 tail, has the pelage entirely in the form of hair. 



It would be impossible within the limits at our disposal to mention the various 

 breeds of round-tailed domestic sheep met with in various parts of the world; 

 and we must, therefore, content ourselves with a brief mention of those cultivated 

 in f.he British Islands. 



The Shetland and Orkney breeds are characterized by their fleece 

 16 &n being composed of fine soft wool largely intermixed with hair. They 



are of small size and hardy disposition, with horns frequently present 

 in both sexes, although often wanting in the ewes; and their color may be either 

 black, brown, gray, or white. 



The older soft-wooled sheep of Scotland are a small-horned breed, 



with lank bodies and short wool, which is deficient in the property of 

 felting. They are nearly extinct. 



Of the Welsh sheep there are two races, both of small size. The 



first is the higher mountain breed, characterized by the presence of 

 horns in both sexes, their generally dark color, and the intermixture of a large pro- 

 portion of hair among their soft wool. The second breed is hornless, with soft wool, 

 which is deficient in the property of felting. These sheep are hardy, and noted for 



