522 SHEEP ISLAND BREEDS 



having but two horns. The ram to which the most recent 

 head belonged, weighed 20 Ibs. per quarter, and his sire 

 (which had the finest head of all) was a larger sheep. 



In St Kilda, on the authority of the Rev. J. B. Mackenzie 

 of Kenmore, Aberfeldy, from the notes of his late father, who 

 ministered in the islands, the two small islands Soay and Dun, 

 in the hands of the proprietor, possess some 400 and 80 

 respectively of the old Four-horned breed. Probably the 

 only cross took place many years ago with the old Tanfaced 

 aboriginal sheep of the Scottish Mainland mountains. The 

 colours are white, black, and yellowish-brown, or these colours 

 mixed in patches. The prevailing colour is light brown, 

 called " lachan." Till recently, it was very common to see 

 some sheep with five horns. They are prolific, having 

 generally twin lambs. Their mutton is very sweet when 

 fresh ; but as they are seldom fat, it does not salt well. The 

 old Scotch practice of salting mutton has almost died 

 out on the mainland, in presence of the ever-increasing 

 enormous supply of fresh meat pouring into the country, 

 and to the increase in the consumption of pork. 



On the other islands where ten sheep go with each 

 allotment, and one shilling of rent is paid for each additional 

 one kept the sheep are larger, fatter, and longer in the wool, 

 the result of crossing with Blackface Highland rams, which 

 were first imported about 1840. As another consequence of 

 crossing, more of the sheep are white. Wethers from these 

 sheep in St Kilda proper have made 10 Ibs. up to 14 Ibs. of 

 tallow. The total number of sheep in the islands is about 

 2000. The short fine wool has more coarse hair (kemp) 

 mingled with it than that of any of *the modern improved 

 breeds. 



The original Shetland Islands sheep was, according to 

 Youatt, of Danish origin, and was celebrated for the un- 

 rivalled fineness of its fleece ; and for its diminutive size, its 

 extraordinary hardiness, and the superior quality of its mutton. 

 He says in the case of the pure-bred ram, " his skin when the 

 hair is parted, his palate, the bridge of his nose, his horns and 

 his hoofs, should be white. The hornless breed is the best. 

 The body should be long, the legs short, the hoofs broad, the 

 head narrow ; the wool fine on almost every part, and weigh- 

 ing from i\ to 2 Ibs., and worth on an average from 33. to 45. 



