THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 



255 



with fine tufts of wool. The head is carried higher and 

 more alert than in most other breeds. The fleece is most 

 typical of the middle wool class, combining quality with 

 quantity, and it is evenly distributed over the body, 

 even down to the hoofs. Shropshire fleeces weigh eight 



FIG. 125. An Oxford ram. 



to twelve pounds. Patches of black or brown fleece, 

 especially about the head, dark skins and scurs are the 

 most common causes of criticism of the Shropshire. 



272. The Oxford (Fig. 125). This breed was derived, 

 comparatively recently, from a Hampshire-Co tswold cross. 



