CH. XXXV. MOUNTAIN-SHEEP IN ENCLOSURES. 245 



but in rapid currents they soon get subdued and 

 drowned. 



Amongst other instances of sagacity in sheep, I 

 have often been amused by the perfect knowledge 

 which they have of the boundaries of the farm to 

 which they belong. From being frequently driven 

 back when found wandering, they soon learn the 

 exact boundary lines within which they are left 

 in peace both by the shepherd and his dog. 



It is a mistake to suppose that the black-faced 

 sheep taken from the mountains are so very diffi- 

 cult to keep in enclosed fields. In the case of my 

 own small flock, which I keep for the use of my 

 family, I find that if brought from the open moun- 

 tain the sheep never attempt to get over the fences, 

 and content with their improved keep, and unused 

 to walls or palings, they do not seem to think it 

 possible to get out of the field. If, however, they 

 come from an enclosed farm, they generally have 

 already found out that fences can be surmounted : 

 and then nothing will keep them in ; once out, 

 they go straight off, wandering to considerable 

 distances, sometimes, indeed, making direct for 

 their former home. Broken walls and ill-kept 

 palings have taught them the use of their legs, and, 

 this once learned, they are active enough to get 

 over anything. 



