82 SHEEP : BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



wicks of Westmoreland, the Lonks and Crag sheep of the 

 Yorkshire and Lancashire moors, and finally describe the forest 

 and mountain breeds of Wales and Devonshire. The subject 

 is truly pastoral, and to appreciate it thoroughly the reader 

 should call to mind the grand beauty of the scenes in which 

 these sheep form no unimportant part of the picture. So 

 thought the immortal Burns, who ever and anon in praising 

 the beauties of his country sang of " yowes " and " hog- 

 gies " : 



The lee-lang nicht we watched the fauld, 



Me and my faithfu' doggie ; 

 We heard nought but the roaring linn, 



Among the braes sae scroggie. 



Or, again, in his famous song : 



Ca' the yowes to the knowes, 

 Ca' them where the heather grows, 

 Ca' them where the burnie rowes, 

 Ma bonnie dearie. 



THE BLACK-FACED SHEEP. 



Although best known in connection with the Highlands of 

 Scotland, it is doubtful whether this race is of English or 

 Scotch origin. We know with some certainty that they first 

 obtained a footing in Perthshire and Dumbarton about 120 

 years ago, and it seems probable that they travelled north- 

 wards from Yorkshire or Northumberland across the border, 

 and then gradually displaced an older white breed celebrated 

 for the fineness of its wool. 



David Low says : " This breed may be supposed to have 

 found its way into Scotland by the mountains of the North of 

 England." Youatt says that " it is a common belief in Scot- 

 land (1837) that the Black-faced sheep are of foreign origin." 

 There are many traditions as to the advent of the breed. 

 The Spanish Armada has had the credit of bringing them. 

 Dr. Walker is also quoted by Youatt as mentioning a tradi- 

 tion " that this breed was first planted on a farm in Ettrick 

 Forest by one of the Scottish kings. The flock contained 



