ALADDIN S LAMP 47 



he probably did not care to call down criticism 

 while still experimenting. Some have intimated that 

 in the case of his "improved Leicesters" he was 

 actuated by a desire to conceal one of the real 

 sources of the betterment attained. One story ran 

 to the effect that he had used in his earlier experi- 

 ments an extraordinary black-faced "tup," which no 

 visitor was ever permitted to see, and the occasional 

 appearance of blackish lambs among the descend- 

 ants of the Dishley sheep long years later was cited 

 as an illustration of the power of atavism or rever- 

 sion to an original type even after the lapse of 

 many generations. 



Naturally progress was more rapid with the 

 Leicesters than the Longhorns, and it was not 

 long before the flockmasters of the entire kingdom 

 were taking notice of the marvels being wrought. 

 One celebrated ram, Two Pounder, is said to have 

 earned 800 in a single season! The improvement 

 of the Longhorns followed, and the Dishley "breed" 

 became the prevailing popular type in all the neigh- 

 boring districts. He is said to have maintained 

 somewhat of a "museum," or as DIXON calls it, a 

 "business room," in which there were preserved 

 both skeletons and "pickled carcasses" illustrating 

 interesting results attained. Among these latter 



