BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 43 



down blood in it, so far as is known. Its popularity is spreading, 

 and although the numbers are small, there is little doubt as to 

 their increase in the near future. It is one of the breeds that can 

 be very usefully employed in crossing or in breed making. Although 

 hornless, the old breed in all probability had heath characteristics, 

 as it was indigenous to districts of that type ; in fact, although 

 the Leicesters, Merinos, and others at a remote period were so 

 freely used at one time, it never became a typical longwool, and 

 certainly is not now ; but in spite of its very altered type from 

 when it was both the smallest and the finest woolled breed in 

 these isles, it carries a splendid fleece. It is to be hoped that 

 those interested in the breed will not sacrifice mutton features 

 and quality to the endeavour of head covering and fat production, 

 for, if so, some of its value for crossing will gradually disappear. 



PRIMITIVE AND RARER BREEDS. 



There still exist several minor breeds of sheep, most of them 

 associated with the islands from the Hebrides to the Isle of Man, 

 which are, for the most part, of very primitive origin ; and there 

 are a few others of which the origin is more obscure and probably 

 of more or less recent origin. They do not play an important part 

 in the sheep stock of these islands ; and as they have rarely under- 

 gone any careful selection or good management, they compare 

 poorly with the breeds which are more commonly met with. How- 

 ever, as some of the sheep of note to-day were " weeds " in their 

 unimproved condition a century and a-half ago, it is not at all 

 impossible that under good management valuable sheep might be 

 developed from them. 



Visitors to the Bristol Show of the R.A.S.E. in 1913 had the 

 advantage of seeing specimens of most of these breeds, together with 

 sundry crosses, which have been gathered together by Mr. H. J. 

 Elwes, of Colesborne Park, Gloucestershire. It was a most interest- 

 ing collection, and Mr. Elwes is entitled to public thanks, as well 

 as the appreciation of scientists and those interested in live stock, 

 for the work he has been engaged upon for many years in con- 

 nection with these types. No particular advantage would be 

 served by such incomplete accounts of these breeds as could be 

 given here ; and as Mr. Elwes has published a book on these sheep 

 and the results he has obtained, together with numerous photo- 

 graphs, those who would follow up the subject would be well 

 advised to get his book, which is published by Messrs. R. and R. 

 Clark, Edinburgh. 



Several of the breeds are of the polycerate type, showing the 

 four horns ; and the more interesting breeds he deals with are the 

 Manx, Soay, Shetland, Hebridean, Horned Black Welsh, Iceland, 

 Papa Stour, Piebald, Siberian, and Fat-rumped. 



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