EUROPEAN SHEEP. 69 



the fine climate of Persia, flocks form the chief wealth 

 of the people, and produce fine wool, from which are 

 manufactured the celebrated Persian carpets, and also 

 pelisses of sheep-skin, called posteens, and made from 

 the finer parts of the skin, with the wool on. The 

 shawls of India, and the cloths and carpets of China, 

 are chiefly manufactured from the fine and long wool of 

 sheep. 



In the bleak and barren island of Iceland, sheep are 

 mostly left to find shelter and food for themselves in 

 winter. In the severe snow-storms of that country, 

 they take refuge beneath a jutting rock, or in a moun- 

 tain cavern ; and in their haste to reach these places, 

 being half-blinded with snow, they often fall down the 

 cliffs, and are drowned. If the storm sets in with 

 all its fury before they reach their place of shelter, they 

 huddle together, with their heads to the centre, making 

 a closely packed mass. The snow falls thickly, and 

 soon buries them ; but the heat from their bodies causes 

 a vapour to rise through the snow, and this directs the 

 shepherds to the spot, though not always until the 

 sheep are nearly starved, and have begun to feed on each 

 other's wool to preserve life. The habit of gnawing the 

 wool, when once taken, remains with them afterwards, 

 so that, when surrounded with food, they will bite and 

 tear each other's fleeces. These, however, are not very 

 valuable except for making horse-cloths, rugs, and 

 blankets. The Iceland sheep have three, four, or five 

 horns. 



The most celebrated sheep of Europe have long been 

 the Spanish sheep, or Merinos ; though at the present 

 time the wool of Germany ranks even higher than that 

 of Spain ; but this is owing to the improvement of the 

 flocks of Saxony and Prussia, by introducing the Merino 

 sheep among them. 



The Spanish sheep are divided into two classes, one 

 of which remains on certain farms or districts, winter 

 and summer; the other wanders to a great distance, 



