40 



The New Leicester. 



Vol. II. 



rig. 8. The New Leicester. 



As a lowland sheep, an^l destined to live 

 on good pasture, the New Leicester is with- 

 out a rival — in fact he has improved, if he 

 has not given the principal value to, all the 

 other long-woolled sheep. 



The head should be hornless, long, small, 

 tapering towards the muzzle, and projecting 

 horizontally forwards. The eyes prominent, 

 but with a quiet expression. The ears thin, 

 rather long, and directed backwards. The 

 neck full and broad at its base where it pro- 

 ceeds from the chest, but gradually tapering 

 towards the head, and being particularly 

 fine at the junction of ihe head and neck; 

 the neck seeming to project straight from the 

 chest, so that there is, with the slightest pos- 

 sible deviation, one continued horizontal line 

 from the rump to the poll. The breast broad 

 and full ; the shoulders also broad and round, 

 and no uneven or angular formation where 

 the shoulders join either the neck or the 

 back, particularly no rising of the withers, or 

 hollow behind the situation of these bones. 

 The arm fleshy throiigh its whole extent, and 

 even down to the knee. The bones of the 

 lege small, standing wide apart, no looseness 

 of skin about them, and comparatively bare 

 of wool. The chest and barrel at once deep 

 and round ; the ribs forming a considerable 

 arch from the spine, so as in some cases, and 

 especially when the animal is in good condi- 

 dition, to make the apparent width of the 

 chest even greater than the depth. The bar- 

 rel ribbed well home, no irregularity of line 

 on the back or the belly, but, on the sides, the 

 carcass very gradually dirainitliing in width 



towards the rump. The quarters long and 

 full, and, as with the fore-legs, the muscles 

 extending down to the hock ; the thighs also 

 wide and full. The legs of a moderate 

 length, the pelt also moderately thin, but soft 

 and elastic, and covered with a good quantity 

 of white wool, not so long as in some breeds, 

 but considerably finer. 



This account combines the main excel- 

 lences both of J3ake well's own breed, and 

 Culley's variety or improvement of it. It is 

 precisely the tbrm for a sheep provided with 

 plenty of good food and without any great 

 distance to travel or exertion to make in 

 gathering it. 



The principal recommendations of this 

 breed are its beauty and its fulness of form, 

 comprising, in the same apparent dimensions, 

 greater weight than any other sheep; an 

 early maturity, and a propensity to fatten 

 equalled by no other breed; a diminution iu 

 the proportion of otlal, and the return of most 

 money for the quantity of food consumed. 



The sheep whose portrait is represented in 

 the previous cut, belonged to the Duke of 

 Bedford. 



THE SOUTH-DOWN. 



The hill sheep is adapted to more elevated 

 situations and shorter feed on the natural and 

 permanent pastures; able also to travel, with- 

 out detriment, a considerable distance to the 

 told and to the down. There can be no hesi- 

 tation in fixing on the South-Down as the 

 model here. 



The following is the substance of the de- 



