SHEEP 259 



Other sheep, particularly in southern Eussia, have 

 tails of moderate size, like the tails of our sheep, 

 but very long so that they drag on the ground. " 



" Again a hindrance when fleeing from the wolf," 

 Jules observed. "In its primitive state the sheep 

 certainly had neither this long trailing tail catching 

 in the bushes, nor that other one in the shape of a 

 heavy load of tallow. ' ' 



"Neither had it the singular horns that it some- 

 times bears to-day. Some sheep have horns of ex- 

 cessive length and twisted in long spirals that some- 

 times stand erect on the top of the forehead, and 

 sometimes point sidewise. Those weapons are more 

 threatening than serviceable: they needlessly over- 

 burden the head and are a serious source of annoy- 

 ance to the animal when it has to pass through a 

 thicket of underbrush. As if to hamper themselves 

 still more in the brambles, other breeds wear an ad- 

 dition to this inconvenient ornament. The sheep of 

 the island of Cyprus have two pairs of horns, one 

 standing straight up on the forehead, the other curv- 

 ing back behind the ears. Those of the Faroe Is- 

 lands have three pairs, all arranged spirally and 

 pointing backward. Our sheep, as a rule, have only 

 two horns, rather small and making barely one turn 

 at the sides of the head ; apparently that is how the 

 primitive species wore them. In fact the greater 

 part of our flocks is composed of entirely hornless 

 sheep. It is best for the animal, which is thus re- 

 lieved of a useless load. 



"These horns, double or triple in number, and 



