132 PRINCIPLES OF STOCK-BREEDING. 



and on the same day a fifth produced three. On the 

 25th a sixth ewe dropped three lambs ; and a seventh 

 yielded four on the 27th. So that seven ewes yeaned 

 twenty-five lambs, all of which were reared." 1 



" Last week a ewe, belonging to Mr. Kitter, yeaned 

 five lambs ; she also brought five lambs last year, and 

 four the year before ; i. e., fourteen lambs in three 

 years, and not a weak or deformed one in the whole 

 number." a 



"Mr. Meadows, of Salcey Forest, Northampton- 

 shire, has a ewe which brought him three lambs in 

 1802, four in 1803, four in 1804, and four in 1805 ; 

 being fifteen lambs in four years." 3 



Some breeds of sheep, as the Mendip and Dor- 

 sets, mentioned by Youatt, breed twice a year, and he 

 gives the following instance in another breed : " In 

 the spring of 1801, Mr. Sheriff, of Kinmyles, Inver- 

 ness, bought a parcel of ewes in lamb, of the white- 

 faced Highland breed. They lambed in March and 

 April. One old ewe, without a tooth, dropped a 

 second lamb on the 1st of November, 1801, a third 

 on the 29th of April, 1802, and a fourth on the 12th 

 of January, 1803 ; so that she reared four lambs at 

 different times in the course of twenty-one months." ' 



Rev. Gilbert White gives an account of a half- 

 bred " Bantam " sow that was remarkable for her 



1 "Annual Register," 1806; quoted in Youatt on " Sheep," p. 609. 



2 Gentleman's Magazine, March, 1750 ; quoted in Youatt on " Sheep," 

 p. 509. 



3 Agricultural Magazine, April, 1804 ; quoted in Youatt on "Sheep," 

 p. 509. 



4 Agricultural Magazine, February, 1803; quoted in Youatt on 

 " Sheep," p. 509. 



