HISTORY OF THE SHEEP. 143 



cloth now made is thought to be much worse than that of 

 some years past ; being neither so firm, nor fine ; neither 

 so much courted abroad, nor so serviceable at home. 



No country, however, produces such sheep as England ; 

 either with larger fleeces, or better adapted for the busi- 

 ness of clothing. Those of Spain, indeed, a*e finer, and 

 we generally require some of their wool to work up with 

 our own : but the weight of a Spanish fleece is no way 

 comparable to one of Lincoln or Warwickshire; and, in 

 those countries, it is no uncommon thing to give fifty 

 guineas for a ram. 



The sheep without horns are counted the best sort, 

 because a great part of the animal's nourishment is sup- 

 posed to go into the horns. Sheep, like other ruminant 

 animals, want the upper fore-teeth ; but have eight in the 

 lower jaw : two of these drop, and are replaced at two 

 years old ; four of them are replaced at three years old ; 

 and all at four. The new teeth are easily known from the 

 rest, by their freshness and whiteness. There are some 

 breeds, however, in England, that never change their 

 teeth at all; these the shepherds call the leather-mouthed 

 cattle; and, as their teeth are thus long wearing, they are 

 generally supposed to grow old a year or two before the 

 rest. The sheep brings forth one or two at a time ; and 

 sometimes three or four. The first lamb of a ewe is 

 generally pot-bellied, short and thick, and of less value 

 than those of a second or third production ; the third being 

 supposed *the best of all. They bear their young five 

 months; and, by being housed, they bring forth at any 

 time of the year. 



But this animal, in its domestic state, is too well known 

 to require a detail of its peculiar habits, or of the arts 

 which have been used to improve the breed. Indeed, in 

 the eye of an observer of nature, every art which tends to 

 render the creature more helpless and useless to itself, may 



