576 BREEDS OF LOWLAND LONG-WOOL SHEEP 



" Lips and nostrils black, nose slightly narrow and Roman, 

 but the general form of the face wedge-shaped, and covered 

 with short white hairs ; forehead covered with wool ; no- 

 vestige of horns ; ears thin, long, and mobile ; a black speck 

 on face and ears not uncommon ; a good eye ; neck short, 

 and level with back, thick and tapering from skull to 

 shoulders and bosom ; breast deep, wide, and prominent ; 

 shoulders somewhat upright, and wide over the tops ; great 

 thickness from blade to blade, or through the heart ; well 

 rilled up behind the shoulders, giving a great girth ; well 

 sprung ribs, wide loins, level hips, straight and long quarters ; 

 tail well set on, good legs of mutton, great depth of carcase, 

 fine bone ; a fine curly lustrous fleece (the sheep are well- 

 woolled all over), free from black hairs ; with firm flesh, springy 

 pelt, and pink skin. The general form of the carcase is 

 square or rectangular ; legs well set on, straight hocks, good 

 pasterns, and neat feet." 



The typical sheep of this breed is of a mild disposition, and 

 thus inclined to the rapid laying on of fat. The head is not 

 short, though smaller than that of the Border Leicester. 

 The face and ears have frequently a blue tinge, although not 

 so deep as that of the Wensleydale, and the hair is not so 

 hard as in the case of the Border Leicester. A pinky face 

 and soft hair indicate want of constitution. The hind- 

 quarters are frequently not so large as they ought to be, 

 owing to the great development of the fore quarters and 

 trunk. 



The Border Leicester was bred at first from Bakewell's 

 Leicester by crossing with the Cheviot, but it now ranks as a 

 pure breed, and is one of the best and the most popular of 

 the varieties of Leicesters. The Culleys, who were disciples 

 of Bakewell and introduced his methods into the Border 

 country, took the new breed to Fenton, near Wooller, having 

 migrated from the county of Durham in 1/67. Other 

 immediate followers as Leicester breeders were Thompson, of 

 Chillingham ; Jobson, of Chillingham Newtown ; Robertson, 

 of Ladykirk ; Smith, of Learmonth ; Compton, of New 

 Learmonth ; Smith, of Norham ; and Riddell, of Templedean. 

 The breed is very largely used in Scotland for crossing with 

 half-bred, Cheviot, and Blackface ewes. The mutton of the 



