SHEEP. 93 



beneath the eyelid, and especially about the caruncle, 

 or pea-sized fleshy knob at the corner of the eye, 

 you will observe an unnatural paleness approaching 

 to yellow. The veins being charged with a liquid of 

 this hue are no longer discernible streaking the part 

 like a piece of pink seaweed, as when the animal was 

 in health. The breath is fetid ; the feet hot. The 

 gums are also of a yellowish white colour. The wool 

 comes off easily in your hand. This yellow tint 

 grows darker ; the poor animal gets more and more 

 emaciated, until finally diarrhoea sets in and all is 

 over. When slaughtered the belly is full of water ; 

 the meat is wet, and runs with water. The fat is 

 yellow, and the liver decayed. It is at the sickly 

 season of the apple gathering — that month when 

 singing-birds are mutest — that this fell disorder first 

 infects the flock. With care and dry food they may 

 survive the winter, but as wasted skeletons, to sink 

 with the first bite of the reviving grass. 



Ewes breed as yearlings ; at the same age too are 

 the rams serviceable. To begin with either, however 

 well grown, as lambs is unwise. Ewes continue 

 breeding until seven or eight years. I have known 

 a favourite, nursed on bran-mashes and the like, 

 until fourteen, for the chance of a lamb, by a cele- 

 brated breeder too. 



The ram is supposed to live to about ten, being 

 useless after eight. Salted water is said to bring 

 them, if slack, in season, as hempseed does a mare ; 

 a quart mixed in her corn. 



Unless fat early lambs be looked for, house-lambs 

 they are termed, for the London or other markets, 



