

EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 189 



Mr. Jarvis says of the Paulars shipped to this country that they were 

 undoubtedly one of the handsomest flocks ill Spain. They were of 

 middling height, round-bodied, well-spread, straight on the back, the 

 neck of the bucks rising in a moderate curve from the withers to the 

 setting-on of the head; their head handsome, with aquiline curve of 

 the nose, with short, fine glossy hair on the face, and generally hair on 

 the legs; the skin pretty smooth, that is, not rolling up or doubling 

 about the neck and body, as in some other flocks; the crimp in the 

 wool was not as short as in many other flocks ; the wool was somewhat 

 longer, but it was close and compact, and was soft and silky to the 

 touch, and the surface was not so much covered with gum. This flock 

 was originally owned by the Carthusian friars of Paular, who were the 

 best agriculturists in Spain, and was sold by that order to the Prince 

 of Peace when he came into power. The Negretti flock were the tallest 

 Merinos in Spain, but were not handsomely formed, being rather flat- 

 sided, roach-back, and the neck inclining to sink down from the withers; 

 the wool was somewhat shorter than the Paular and more crimped : 

 the skin was more loose and inclined to double, and many of them were 

 w< >oled on their faces and legs down to their hoofs. All the loose-skinned 

 sheep had large dewlaps. The Aqueirres were short-legged, round, 

 broad-bodied, with loose skins, and were more wooled about their faces 

 and legs than any of the other flocks; the wool was more crimped than 

 the Paular, and less than the Negretti, but was thick and soft. This 

 flock formerly belonged to the Moors of Spain, and at their expulsion 

 was bought by the family of Aguirres. The wool in England was 

 known as the Muros flock, and was highly esteemed. All the bucks of 

 these three flocks had large horns. The Escurials were about as tall as 

 the Paulars, but not quite so round and broad, being in general rather 

 more slight in their make; their wool was crimped, but not quite so 

 thick as the Paular or the Negretti, nor were their skins so loose as 

 the Xegretti and Aguirres, nor had they so much wool on the face and 

 legs. The Montarco bore a considerable resemblance to the Escurials. 

 The Escurial flock had formerly belonged to the Crown, but when 

 Philip II built the Escurial palace he gave it as a source of revenue 

 to the friars, whom he placed in a convent that was attached to the pal- 

 ace. These four flocks were moderately gummed. The Guadaloupe flock 

 was rather larger in the bone than the two preceding ; about the same 

 height, but not so handsomely formed ; their wool was thick and crimped, 

 their skin loose and doubling, their faces and legs not materially dif- 

 ferent from the two latter flocks, but in general they were more gummed 

 than either of the other flocks. In point of fineness there was very 

 little difference between these six flocks, and it is said by well-informed 

 persons that there is very little difference in this respect among the 

 Leonesa Transhumantes in general. The Escurials, the Montarcos, and 

 the Griiadaloupes were not in general so heavy horned as the other 

 three flocks, and about one in six of the bucks was without horns, 

 or what is commonly called a polled buck. 



