WELSH MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 409 



classes, but the variations appear to be those only natural to 

 accidental selection or to the effect of soil and climate. A 

 minute description of all the peculiarities of these and of the 

 different modes of treatment to which they are subjected is not 

 possible in the space allotted t© this chapter ; we must therefore 

 at present be content with a general view, although the Radnors 

 claim a special notice to themselves. 



The Welsh mountain sheep are principally white faced, but 

 some have rusty brown faces, some speckled, and others grey. 

 The males are horned, the females generally hornless. Some- 

 times the ewes have very short horns, and occasionally have 

 these appendages large — equal in size to those of the rams. The 

 poll is generally clean, but it is not uncommon to find rams with 

 a tuft on the forehead, and also very woolly on the scrotum. 

 These latter characteristics are considered by some breeders 

 valuable indications of vigour and hardihood. As no great 

 care, however, is taken in breeding these sheep, specimens of all 

 the above variations in horn, colour of face, and amount of wool 

 on the forehead may be found on the same mountain range, and 

 even in the same flock. The head is small, and carried well up ; 

 the neck long, and the poll high. The tail is long, the rump 

 high, and the shoulders low; the chest is narrow, the girth 

 small, and the ribs flat. They have all the character of a wild 

 active breed of animals, suited to scanty herbage on rocky 

 slopes and precipitous hillsides. The average weight of the 

 store ewes is about 71b. per quarter. They feed slowly, and the 

 wethers, when three years old and fat, weigh from 91b. to 101b. 

 per quarter. The ewes are not prolific, producing generally but 

 a single lamb on mountain land, where one lamb is enough and 

 two would be too many to nurse properly. Both improved keep 

 and crossing with other sheep are found to increase the number 

 of twins. 



The average clip of wool is about 21b. The quality is usually 

 fine, but in some districts it is coarse and mixed with long hairs 

 about the neck and along the back of the animal. It is well 

 known that wool is greatly affected by soil and climate. Con- 

 tinued exposure to cold and to most severe winds tends to change 

 wool into hair. The difference in quality of wool appears to be 

 due to the position and locality in which the sheep have been 



