8 FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



"The Escurial breed is supposed to possess the 

 finest wool of all the migratory sheep. The Gaude- 

 loupe have the most perfect form, and are likewise 

 celebrated for the quantity and quality of their wool. 

 The Paulars bear much wool of a fine quality ; but 

 they have a more evident enlargement behind the 

 ears, and a greater degree of throatiness, and their 

 lambs have a coarse, hairy appearance, which is suc- 

 ceeded by excellent wool. The lambs of the Infanta- 

 dos have the same hairy coat when young. The ~Ne- 

 gretti are the largest and strongest of all the Spanish 

 travelling sheep. * 



The Merinos, as they appeared as a race at the 

 opening of this century, are thus described by Living- 

 ston: 



Merinos had been introduced, to ascertain how the experiment suc- 

 ceeded and to observe the effect of the different climates and systems 

 of management on the animal. 



* Livingston's descriptions coincide with these, except that he says 

 that the Paulars have "similar fleeces" with the Q-audeloupes, and 

 are " longer bodied." 



These celebrated flocks were the property of individuals or of re - 

 ligious orders. The Escurial flock belonged to the King, until 

 Philip II. gave it to the friars of a convent attached to the Escurial 

 palace. The Paulars were purchased by the Prince of Peace of the 

 Carthusian friars of Paular. The Negrettis were owned by the 

 Conde Campo de Alange the Infantados, Aqueirres, Montarcos, etc., 

 to the nobles of those names. 



Hon. William Jarvis, of Vermont, hereafter mentioned as a con- 

 spicuous importer of Merino sheep into the United States, in a letter 

 to L. D. Gregory, which was republished in Morell's American Shep- 

 herd (pp. 71-76), describes the Spanish cabanas somewhat different- 

 ly. But his opportunities for judging, good as they were, were not 

 equal to those of Lasteyrie, and Mr. Jarvis wrote some years after 

 he had seen any pure bred animals of the separate cabanas. Las- 

 teyrie's description is adopted by some eminent writers, familiar with 

 the Spanish sheep near the opening of this century, and I do not re- 

 member to have seen it contradicted by any European author of re- 



