THE DEVON LONGWOOL. 37 



woolled sheep, white-faced and hornless. It appears to have 

 been an out-lying branch of the long-woolled sheep of the 

 country which spread from the Tees to the Severn, following 

 the flat tracts and undulating ground of the new red sand- 

 stone north and west of the oolitic formation. It was no doubt 

 from this breed, extending from the Tees mouth to Warwick- 

 shire and Worcestershire, that the new Leicester itself was 

 derived, and, if this surmise is correct, the subsequent im- 

 provement of the allied long-woolled races by the Leicester 

 would scarcely be a cross, but rather the introduction of a 

 selected strain of a similar origin to their own. Whatever 

 view we may be disposed to adopt, there is no doubt that the 

 old Bampton breed has been modified by repeated Leicester 

 and Lincoln crosses. 



The Devon South Hams were found from the Vale of 

 Honiton to the borders of Dartmoor. Originally they had 

 brown faces and legs, but in other respects resembled the 

 heavy Romney Marsh breed. These sheep have also been 

 improved by the introduction of Leicester blood, which has 

 reduced their size, and has caused the dark colour of the faces 

 and legs to disappear. 



The Devon Longwool are now an established race, and 

 were well represented at the great meeting of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society in 1889. These sheep are the present 

 representatives of the old Bampton breed, which does not 

 appear as a distinct breed in the schedule of the Royal. 

 Specimens of this breed exhibited at Islington showed distinct 

 evidence of their Leicester and Lincoln origin, being stronger 

 in type both as regards carcase and fleece than the former 

 type. For South Devon sheep see p. 40. 



ROSCOMMON SHEEP. 



These sheep have been naturalized in Ireland for a long 

 period. They are described by Culley in the usual uncom- 

 plimentary language employed by writers towards unim- 

 proved races generally. A vast improvement has been 



