160 THE HEBRIDIAN BREED. 



fleece. Many attempts have been made to improve 

 this breed. The Norfolk and Suffolk sheep are sup- 

 posed to be derived from them, also the Dorset 

 breeds. 



The Hebridian is also a remarkable breed of Bri- 

 tish sheep. It is the smallest animal of its kind, of a 

 thin lank shape, and with short straight horns. The 

 face and legs are white, the tail extremely short, and 

 the wool of various colours ; for, besides black and 

 white, it is sometimes of a bluish-grey colour, at 

 other times brown, and sometimes of a deep russet, 

 and frequently an individual is blotched with two or 

 three of these different colours. In some of the low 

 islands, where the pasture answers, the wool of this 

 small sheep is of the finest kind, and the same with 

 that of Shetland. In the mountainous islands, the 

 animal is found of the smallest size, with coarser 

 wool, and with this very remarkable character, that 

 it has often four, and sometimes even six, horns. * 



In conclusion we shall give Mr Culley's synoptica. 

 table of the British breeds, of which he enumerate! 

 sixteen : 



Dr Walker's Economical Hist, of the Hebrides, i:. 59. 



