THE TUNIS 615 



head is hornless with each sex, and the rams are characterized 

 by a Roman nose. The ears are large, broad, pendulous, and 

 covered with fine hair. The neck tends to be long, the breast is 

 only moderately wide, the withers are frequently high, the back 

 of medium width, and the leg of mutton only fair. The Tunis is 

 naturally leggy, but the bone is fine and the quality superior. The 

 tail is the most striking feature of the breed, being wide at its 

 setting (perhaps measuring five inches at maturity), thick and 

 moderately long, though the fleshy part is carried down only six 

 or eight inches. The tail is usually cut off when the lamb is very 

 young and so does not appear as an important feature in the 

 sheep. Left on, it interferes with breeding the ewes. At the end 

 of the rump, at the tail head, there is a more marked fullness 

 and heaviness than with other docked sheep. The color of the 

 head, ears, and legs varies, though a tawny or yellow brown is 

 the favorite. Some faces are solid brown, others mottled brown 

 and white. The ears are brown, white and brown, or yellow and 

 white. In temperament the Tunis is mild and is easily handled. 



The size of Tunis sheep varies considerably, but rams are ex- 

 pected to weigh 150 pounds or more and ewes 120 pounds and 

 upward, according to the standard of the Tunis Association. 



The Tunis as a mutton sheep has met with much favor. Early 

 writers bear evidence of a high regard for the breed or its crosses 

 for mutton in the markets of Philadelphia and vicinity. The 

 claim has been made by the few promoters of the breed that 

 on grass alone they will make excellent and fat mutton. In 

 August, 1900, four grass-fed ewes, four years old, sold by 

 Charles Roundtree, had a gross weight in the Union Stock 

 Yards of 470 pounds. They averaged about 16 pounds for the 

 hind quarter and 17! pounds for the fore quarter and dressed out 

 56 per cent, an exceptionally good showing. The writer has exam- 

 ined Tunis lambs in October, said to have had no food but grass, 

 which were in splendid flesh for killing. On various occasions 

 Tunis grade lambs fed by Charles Roundtree have topped the 

 Chicago market the day of sale and have received much favor- 

 able stockyards comment. On August n, 1900, two lambs one 

 hundred and fifty days old weighed 200 pounds gross and dressed 

 57.6 per cent. 



