186 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



opinion of that gentleman, as well as in my own, a more beautifully 

 formed and not less profitable animal. For compactness — great weight in 

 a small compass — they are perhaps unrivaled. 



The following is the description of the perfect South-Down by Mr. Ell- 

 man, the founder of the improved breed '. 



" The head small and hoi'iiless ; die face speckled or gi'ay and neither too long nor too 

 short; the lips thin, and the space between the uose and the eyes narrow; the under jaw 

 or chap fine ana thin ; the ears tolerably wide and well covered with wool, and the fore- 

 head also, and the whole space between the ears well protected by it, as a defence against 

 the fly. 



" The eye full and bright but not prominent. The orbits of the eye, the eye-cap or bone 

 not too projectias, that it may not form a fatal obstacle in lamlsing. 



" The neck of a medium length, thin towai-d the head, but enlarging toward the shoul- 

 ders, where it should be broad and high and straight in its whole course above and below. 

 The breast should be wide, deep, and pi'ojecting forward between the fore-legs, indicating a 

 good constitution and a disposition to thrive. Corresponding with this, the shoulders should 

 be on a level with the back, and not too wide above: they should bow outward from the 

 top to the breast, indicating a springing rib beneath, and leaving room for it. 



" The ribs coming out horizontally from the spine, and extending fer backward, and the 

 last rib projecting more than others, the back flat from the shoulders to the setting on of 

 the tail ; the loin broad and flat ; the iiimp broad and the tail set on high, and nearly on 

 a level with the spine. The hips wide ; tlie space between them and the last rib on ei- 

 ther side as naiTow as possible, and the ribs generally presenting a circular fonn like a 

 baiTel. 



" The belly as straight as the back. 



" The legs neither too long nor too short ; the fore-legs straight from the breast to the foot; 

 not bending mward at the knee, and standing far apart both before and behind ; the hock 

 having a direction rather outward, and the twist, or the meeting of the thighs behind, being 

 particularly Ml, the bones fine, yet having no appearance of weakness, and of a speckled or 

 dark color. 



The belly well defended with wool, and the wool coming down before and behind to the 

 knee and to the hock ; the wool short, close, curled and fine, and fi-ee from spiiy projecting 

 fibres." 







)«'''''^^ 



^'ur; 





THE COTSWOLD SHEEP. 



The above cut is copied from one in Mr. Spooner's work on Sheep — 

 the original drawing being by Harvey. 



The Cotswolds, until improved by modern crosses, were a very large, 



(378) 



