TOO Saddle and Sirloin. 



proved in some hands into " a thick, foody sheep," 

 with points which a few years ago might have been 

 looked for in vain. 



Each fell preserves the same ear-mark for genera- 

 tions, and the farmer takes to the flock with his farm, 

 and leaves it at a fresh valuation (which very much 

 depends upon whether he has given them hay or not) 

 to his successor. All the marks are registered in a 

 quarto Shepherds' Guide for Cumberland, Westmore- 

 land, and Lonsdale North, and the flockmasters meet 

 annually at Kirkstone Top for the exchange of the 

 sheep which have gone astray during the course of the 

 year. The star on the face or the far side, as at Coat- 

 how, is among its symbols ; and one which " is just a 

 raven clapped on near side," typifies 



" Ravencrag black as the storm." 



Red pops on the crown and tail head have their con- 

 ventional significance, and so have strokes over the 

 fillets ; while, except in the case of Ravencrag, the 

 ears are generally cut or keybitted or under-keybitted, 

 or cropped, till very little of the original is left. The 

 mark on the Gatesgarth side is both ears cropped and 

 a pop on the tail head. " Twinters " or shearlings 

 have a red pop on the head, and wethers a black pop 

 in all flocks. Sometimes the tails or the top of the 

 head are all red, or the ear will be " square forked " or 

 cut at three. 



So marked, they wander away into " the land of 

 mist and snow " over the fells (where there is often 

 nothing but " the water deal" to show the boundaries 

 of the different farms), and live there half the year.* 



* " The flocks are sometimes the property of the landlord. On entry 

 on to the farm, or on the 5th of April, "viewers" on each side, usually 

 neighbouring farmers well up to the work, are appointed who report on 

 the various numbers and classes, such as rams, ewes, wethers, and hoggs, 

 specifying the proportions, with the value of each per head. The tenant 

 gives bond for the value, and is to deliver similar numbers of like value 



