166 THE PERSIAN SHEEP. 



bounding upon it, and knocking it head-over-heels. 

 When in a state of eagerness or excitement, it paced 

 about more like a deer than a domestic sheep ; that 

 is, it held its head and neck very erect, and its fore 

 limbs very straight and firm, lifting its feet high while 

 walking, and setting them down with force. The 

 stuffed specimen conveys no notion of the way in 

 which it stood upon its pins. When a carriage came 

 to the door, it would stamp with its feet, and utter 

 a deep tremulous angry bleat, as if to deter the horses 

 from entering any farther upon its domains. 



" It became again feeble and emaciated about the 

 middle of the second winter, and died in the stable 

 during the prevalence of a severe storm of frost and 

 snow. Though of a picturesque and pleasing aspect, 

 it was not of a form or countenance to be admired 

 by the cultivators of our domestic sheep ; its arched 

 front, and various other characters, partaking strong- 

 ly of the acknowledged attributes of our unimproved 

 breeds. Its death, however, was deeply regretted 

 by us all." 



It appears to spread itself into many varieties ; the 

 Morocco breed : the Congo bieed, with a very arched 

 profile, and covered with very loose wool instead of 

 hair ; the ears very pendulous, two wattles beneath 

 the throat, and the tail very long and slender : the 

 Guinea breed, and the Angola races, which have a 

 finer wool, and the profile more nearly approaching 

 to the form of the sheep of Europe. There is a cu- 

 rious variety which Major Smith refers to the Angola 



