154 BRITISH BREEDS. 



goats are the only animals which exhibit this multi- 

 tudinous growth of horns, and in the hreed of the 

 former, which we have now alluded to, the flocks 

 are almost in a state of unreclaimed nature, and by 

 far the greater proportion have more than the usual 

 number of horns ; and it may be here remarked, that 

 the same circumstance prevails among some of the 

 Asiatic races. The natural horns rise in their pro- 

 per places, the accessory horns usually upon the sides 

 of the head, and are from one to three in addition. 

 In other points there is no perceptible variation in 

 the animal, from the common characters of the breeds 

 to which it belongs. 



Arriving nearer home, let us now look to the 

 breeds of the British Islands, supposed at the present 

 time to possess a living stock of about 32,000,000 

 sheep, yielding, of course, an immense quantity of 

 wool annually ; and there is no country in the world 

 where this branch of rural economy has been carried 

 to so great an extent, or the imported breeds so much 

 improved in value, by an assiduous attention and care 

 to procure the best varieties whence to continue the 

 flock. The improvement has fortunately been at- 

 tended with very large profits to the individuals who 

 have from time to time engaged in it, and thus it is 

 that we have such variety of constitution adapted 

 either to the deep and rich soil, and luxuriant pas- 



