20 



in the latter falling off periodically ; but the same 

 change takes place in animals totally covered witii 

 hair ; in fact, almost every animal is subject to moult- 

 ing, or a periodical decidence of its protecting cover- 

 ing. The fleece of the sheep has been proved in many 

 instances not to be liable to annual changes of this de- 

 scription ; — Lord Western having, among others, 

 shown that the wool of the merino may be retained 

 at least three years without the slightest disposition to 

 separate. 



The annual employment of shearing, to anticipate 

 this falling off of the wool, is now common in most 

 parts of the world ; yet some, as the Icelanders and 

 Kamtschadales, still retain the primeval custom of row- 

 ing, or pulling off the fleece in a mass, about the end of 

 May, at which time it is nearly loosened. This loosen- 

 ing of the attachments of the fibre is supposed to be 

 owing to a diminution, during winter, of the nutritive 

 process at the root of the hair, so that the tibre is liable 

 to give way at the tender part when the fleece becomes 

 heavy during Spring. This attempt at an explanation 

 meets, however, with the insurmountable objection, 

 that long-woolled are less liable than short-wooUed 

 sheep to this occurrence, a circumstance which ought 

 to be the reverse, if weight had any thing to do in the 

 case. 



(2Q.) Falling off of Wool prevented by Clipping. 

 — Clipping has a curious influence over the duration 

 of the covering of animals, as is well exemplitied by 

 the correct popular idea, that the only way to prevent 

 the hair of children dropping off (as it sometimes has a 

 tendency to do) is to cut it short : we may suppose the 



