SHEEP. 179 



(1) Of these the fine wooled breeds are the American 

 Merino, the Delaine Merino and the Rambouillet, fine probably 

 in the order named. 



(2) The medium or middle wooled breeds are the South- 

 down, Tunis, Dorset, Shropshire, Cheviot, Suffolk Down, 

 Hampshire Down and Oxford Down, fine probably in the 

 order named. 



(3) The coarse wooled breeds are the Leicester, Lincoln 

 and Cotswold, fine probably in the order named. 



X. Exception may be taken to the above classi- 

 fication, owing 



(1) To the influences of climate and food in producing 

 variations in the same breed, and 



(2) To the differences arising from variations in the 

 tastes of the breeders and a want of harmony in their aims, 

 hence 



(3) It is not improbable that the above classification, 

 though accepted now, may have to be somewhat modified in 

 the future, and 



(4) The same may be said of the average weights of car- 

 cass and fleece submitted when discussing the various breeds. 



XL Other breeds. 



(1) The Black- faced Highland and Wensleydale breeds 

 have been introduced into the United States, but only in lim- 

 ited numbers. 



(2) The Black-faced Highland is a mountain breed from 

 the highlands of Scotland, small, active and hardy, horned 

 in the rams, spotted on the head and legs, covered with a long 

 fleece of coarse carpet wool, and produces mutton unexcelled 

 in quality. 



(3) The Wensleydales are a large and heavy-bodied breed 

 from the north of England, with long and coarse wool which 

 hangs in spirals. 



(4) As public records are not as yet kept of those inter- 

 esting breeds in the United States, they will not be further 

 noticed in this work. 



