675 QUADRUPEDS. 



t account of their glossy appearance and furry texture; The wool 

 of some of them is curled; that of others wared. They are used iff 

 Persia, Russia, and other parts, for the lining of coats, and the 

 turning-up of caps. These are chiefly the skins of lambs taken out 

 of the bellies of ewes killed during the period of gestation. The in- 

 stant the lamb is taken out of its mother's belly, it is killed and 

 flayed. Lambs are also killed for their skins, in the same manner, 

 immediately after being brought forth in the natural way ; and these 

 are scarce inferior to the others. One of these skins will sell at 

 Astracan for fire or six shillings sterling. They are usually grey 



or black. 



[Pantologla, 



SECTION VIII. 



Ox; with a Description of the Spanish Bull-jight. 

 Bos taurus. Linn. 



The genus bos contains nine species ; of which the taurus, or os 

 is the chief, and is found in all parts of the globe, but in its great- 

 est perfection in our own country. The climate of Great Britain 

 is, above all others, productive of the greatest variety and abun- 

 dance of wholesome vegetables, which, to crown our happiness, 

 are almost equally diffused through all its parts. This general fer- 

 tility is owing to those clouded skies, which foreigners mistakenly 

 urge as a reproach on our country ; but let us cheerfully endure 

 a temporary gloom, which clothes not only our meadows, but our 

 hills, with the richest verdure. To this we owe the number^ vari- 

 ety, and excellence of our cattle, the richness of our dairies, and 

 innumerable other advantages. Caesar (the earliest writer who 

 describes the island of Great Britain) speaks of the number of our 

 cattle, and adds, that we neglected tillage, but lived on milk and 

 flesh. Strabo takes notice of our plenty of milk, but says we are 

 ignorant of the art of making cheese. Mela informs us, that the 

 wealth of the Britons consisted in cattle ; and in his account of 

 Ireland, reports that such was the richness of the pastures in that 

 kingdom, that the cattle would even burst if they were suffered to 

 feed on them long at a time. 



This preference of pasturage to tillage, was delivered down from 

 our British ancestors to much later times ; and continued equally 

 prevalent during the whole period of our feodal government : the 

 chieftain, whose power and safety depended upon the promptnesi 



