HI' ill 1. A. YD SHBKP. M9 



ion.; :ni' I i-in-ful <Tii in-. By good management tln> black tint has been confined to tin- face 

 and legs, but is over liable to conn- out in -| * in tin- wool. There i always* 



jieculiar hui- alxuit the face of a Merino Sheep, not eas\ ! .|.-<-iit.,., l-ui readily to be reoog- 



Ili/i-d whenever Seen. 



In Spain, tin' Merinos are kept in vast (locks, and di\ iilel into two ireneral ln-als, tin- Sla- 

 tionary ami tlie ML-rator\ . 'I'll.- l'.>nner animal- n-inain in tlie same locality "lining tin- whole 

 of tln-ir lives, hut (lie latter are accustomed to undertake n-gnlar annual migration- Tlie -urn 

 mer montlis they -|>end in the ecx)l mountainous district-. Imt as wion as the weather begins to 

 grow cold, the flocks pass into the wanner regions >f Andaln-ia. win-re they remain until April. 

 '1 IK- tl.x-ks are soinetiOMS ten thousand in numtier, and tlie organization >>y \vliich tliey are 



managed is very complex and perfect. Over onch gniit flock is set o -\|-rienc.-d sln-pln-id. 



who i- called tli.- mayoral," and wlio exercises desj>otic sway over his sulHinlinates. Fifty 

 sln-pln-nl- :iii- |>la<-e<l under his orders, and an* supplied with boys ami intelli^<-nt dogH. 



I'nder tin- nuanliaiisliip if tlieir nhepln-nls, tlie Merino Sln-ep, whirh have s|>eiit tin- sum 

 mer in the mountains, U^'in their downwurd journey alxvjt the month of Septeml>er ; and alt- i 

 a long and l.-i-un-l\ man-h. they arrive at the jMisture-^n>un<ls, which an- recognized instinct- 

 ively by tin- Sheep. In these pasturages the winter folds ure prepared, and here an- Itorn the 

 young Nferinos, which genenilly enter the world in Man-h, or the beginning of Ajuil. Towards 

 tin- end of that month the Sheep begin to be restless, and unless they an- at once removed, 

 will oft. -n decamp of their own accord. Sometimes a whole flock will thus cscajH-. and. guided 

 by some marvellous instinct, will make their way to their old quarters unliarnn-d. .-\i--pt, per- 

 chance, by some prowling wolf, who tak-s advantage of the shepherd's absence. 



The very young lambs an- not without their value, although they furnish no wool, for 

 their skins are prepared and manufactured into gloves, and called by the name of "kid." 



Many attempts have been made to naturalize this most im]>ortant animal, but with little 

 suooess. At one time the Merino Sheep was in the highest n-pute. but a- it do*-- not combine 

 the mutton-making with the wool producing power, it has long ago been left unnoticed. It is 

 found that if a Merino be left untouched by the shears for two seasons, the wool will double it- 

 length, and be equally fine in texture. In one case, a half-bn-d Merino was clipj>ed after having 

 l-en put a>ide for a whole year, and it was found that her lleece weighed twenty-one jM.und-. 

 the length of the ''pile" being eight inches. The health of the Sheep appears to I* uninjun-d 

 by permitting the animal to Main its coat for two years. 



The Australian Sheep, which roams the plains in such vast multitudes, and which fur- 

 nishes so large a supply of wool to the world's commerce, owes much of it.-* value to a crow 

 with the Merino, several of which animals were imported into Australia by some far-seeing 

 man of business. 



THK hardy, active, and endurant variety of the domestic Sheep whirh inhabits the High- 

 lands of Scotland, partake in a great degree of the characters of the wild animal, and demand 

 :i -!--.-ia!h trained slu pj^-id to WtJtA OW ili.-m 



Postering together in enormous herds, and living ujxin vast ranges of bleak, hilly country, 

 the light and active HIGHLAND SHKKP is a very intelligent and independent cn-atun-, quite dis- 

 tinct in character from the large, woolly, unintellectual animal that lives only in tin- fold, and 

 is regularly supplied with food by the careful hand of its guardian. It i> very sensitive to 



atmospheric inthn-i s. and is >. ready in obeying the din-ctioii- of it- own instinct, that 



a good shepherd, when he first rises in the morning, can generally teil where to find his 

 Sheep, men-ly by noticing the temjM-rature, tlie direction of the wind, and tin- amount of 

 moistun- in the air and on the jrnnind. As the Highland Sheep i- nbl.- to wander to consider 



able distance fn.m its pntjter ln> tin- shepherd is aided in his laborious ta-k by several 



of those wonderful dogs whose virtues and powers have already been recorded in the course of 

 this work. 



Much of the disposition of the flock deju-nds upon the temperament of the shepln-nl. An 

 irritable or impatient man will speedily r. -ndt-r his flock almost as unmanageable as bin own 

 temper, while he who is gentle and patient, though resolute and tirm. will have his charge so 



