THE POINTS AND NOMENCLATURE OF SHEEP. 85 



they must be looked for before any other features. To those 

 accustomed to flat-backed, white-faced sheep which carry a large 

 amount of fat on the back, Down sheep appear to be narrow and 

 high in the loin, as they do not lay on so much fat in that part 

 unless specially fed. In comparing the touch of a long-wool sheep 

 with a Down, a long-wool on which the backbone appears to be at 

 all prominent is not ripe, whereas if the same amount is felt on 

 a Down sheep it may still be in good condition for the butcher. 

 Those accustomed to handling Down sheep must therefore be 

 careful when handling long-wools, or the condition of the latter 

 may be over-estimated. 



The neck, or scrag, should be broad, as a thin neck is usually 

 associated with a narrow forequarter. The neck should taper 

 fully from the body and shoulder, and be brought up from a square, 

 deep brisket. Where this is the case the sheep " meets one " 

 well. The brisket should show distinctly in front of the fore legs 

 when viewed from the side. The neck and head should make a 

 bold, level sweep from the nose to the shoulder, giving the 

 appearance of a well-curved and full crest. 



The head varies considerably in different breeds, in regard to 

 both shape and colour. In the Down breeds a fairly broad forehead 

 and a broad muzzle are usually preferred, and, except in the case 

 of the Suffolks, the wool should come well over the forehead and 

 about the upper part of the jaws. A sheep " well-woolled " about 

 the head, particularly on the poll, is less liable to injury from 

 flies, which cause great trouble at times, especially if through 

 butting or other causes the skin is broken. The ears should not 

 be too thin or papery ; on the other hand, they should not be 

 too thick, as this indicates coarseness of skin. The shape of the 

 ears differs with the breed. There should be no folds of skin 

 under the jaw, as " bottle -throated " sheep are coarse in the skin. 



The teeth are an important feature, for on the power to graze 

 or gnaw well depends a good deal the amount of food a sheep will 

 get. Short, closely-set front teeth last longer than long widely-set 

 ones ; they are less likely to break, and when old they do not let the 

 grass slip between them so readily. 



No horns, or rudimentary horns, are permitted on Down sheep, 

 as they indicate a tendency for the sheep to revert to the unimproved 

 type. Sprigs, or snags, as the rudimentary horns are called, are 

 regarded as serious blemishes. The wool about the head in front 

 of the setting of the ears may contain black hairs, but behind 

 that the wool should be absolutely free from them, as black hairs 

 away from the poll indicate want of selection, and a tendency for 

 the sheep to revert. Coming back to the body, the shoulders 

 should be full but slightly obliquely set ; at the top they should 

 be level, so as to give the whole back line a straight and square 



