NATURAL HISTORY 179 



is also more abundant, and of a better flavour, as no- 

 thing is more pleasing to the taste of these animals 

 than salt, nothing is more salutary for them, when it 

 is given them in moderation ; and in some places, they 

 put into the sheep-pen a bag of salt, or a salt stone, 

 which they will lick by turns. 



Nothing contributes more to fatten sheep, than to 

 give them water in great quantity ; and nothing pre- 

 vents this advantage so much as the heat of the sun. 



We frequently find worms in the livers of animals ; 

 and in the Journal des Savans, there is a description 

 of worms found in the livers of sheep and oxen, as 

 also in the German Ephcmerides. One would think 

 that these singular worms were only found in the livers 

 of animals which chew the cud ; but Mr Daubenton 

 has found some, which exactly resemble them, in the 

 liver of the ass ; and it is probable that they may be 

 found in the livers of other animals. It has also been 

 said, that butterflies have been found in the livers of 

 sheep. 



The operation of sheep-shearing is performed once 

 a year. In France it is performed in the month of 

 May, after the sheep have been well washed, in order 

 to make the wool as clean as possible. In April it 

 would be too cold ; and if they were to wait till 

 the months of June and July, there would not be 

 time enough for the wool to grow during the summer, 

 to preserve them from the cold in the winter. The 

 wool of ewes is generally better, and in greater abun- 

 dance than that of rams. That on the neck, and the 

 top of the back, is the best. White wool is preferable 

 to grey, brown, or black, because in dieing it will take 

 any colour. For the quality, that which is. smooth is 

 better than that which is frizzled ; it is also said, thut 



