148 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



opinion of that gentleman, as well as in my own, a more beautifully 

 formed and not less profitable animal. For compactness great weight iu 

 a small compass they are perhaps unrivaled. 



The following is the description of the perfect South-Down by Mr. Ell- 

 man, the founder of the improved breed : 



" The head small and hornless ; the face speckled or gray and neither too long nor tn 

 short ; the lips tnm, and the space between the nose and the eyes narrow; the under jaw 

 or chap fine aha thin ; the ears tolerably wide and well covered with wool, and the fore- 

 bead also, and the whole space between the ears well protected by it, as a defence against 



44 The eye full and bright but not prominent. The orbits of the eye, the eye-cap or boue 

 not too projecting, that if may not form a fatal obstacle in lambing. 



44 The neck of a medium length, thin toward the head, but enlarging toward the shoul- 

 ders, where it should l>e broad and high and straight in its whole course above and below. 

 The breast should be wide, deep, and projecting forward between the fore-legs, indicating a 

 i(ood constitution and a disposition to thrive. Corresponding with this, the shoulders should 

 be on a level with the back, and not too wide above : they should bow outward from the 

 top to the breast, indicating a springing rib beneath, and leaving room for it. 



44 The ribs coming out horizontally from the spine, and extending far backward, and the 

 L-ist rib projecting more than others, the back fiat from the shoulders to the setting on of 

 the tail ; the loin > broad and flat; the rump broad and the tail set on high, and nearly on 

 u level with the spine. The hips wide; the space between them* and the last rib on ei- 

 ther side" as narrow as possible, and the ribs generally presenting a circular form like u 

 barrel. 



" The belly as straight as the back. 



41 The legs neither too long nor too short ; the fore-legs straight from the breast to the foot 

 not bending inward at the knee, and standing far apart both before and behind ; the hock 

 having a direction rather outward, and the twist, or the meeting of the thighs behind, being 

 particularly full, the bones fine, yet having no appearance of weakness, and of a speckled or 

 dark color. 



The belly well defended with wool, and the wool coming down before and behind to the 

 knee and to the hock ; the wool short, close, curled and fine, and free from spiry projecting 

 fibres " 





THE COTS WOLD SHEEP. 



The above cut is copied from one in Mr. Spooner's work on Sheep 

 e original drawing being by Harvey. 

 The Ootswolds, until improved by modern crosses, were a very large, 



