SBE1P AND WOOL. 161 



although the largest of any known variety of sheep, 

 ihey are not on that account considered the most suitable for 

 these colonies. It may interest some to know that the 

 name of this family originated from the circumstance of 

 their having been housed in cots or sheds in winter, and 

 from being grazed over wolds or hilly grounds in summer. 

 The Cotswolds can be traced back as a pure and distinct 

 -variety to an earlier date than any other breed of British 

 :sheep ; but within the last quarter of a century they have 

 greatly modified, and lost many of their original character- 

 istics by repeated infusions of the Leicester blood. The 

 wool is coarse and open, and it has been found, in the 

 .southern colonies, that they do not amalgamate well with 

 the merino. It is a peculiarity of the three last described 

 varieties that, when fattened, the ewes are heavier 

 than the wethers, by amounts varying from lOlb. to 

 401b. 



South Downs. They are also handsome sheep, with 

 clofie fleece of comparatively fine wool, speckled face and 

 legs dark, in some instances almost black. To one whose 

 eye has long been accustomed to the merinos, the 

 South Down would probably be more fancied at first 

 than any other of the longwool breeds. Unlike those 

 previously described, South Downs have been handed 

 down pure, any attempt at crossing with larger varieties 

 having resulted in failure. It was thought that the 

 South Downs would be well suited to the higher lands 

 in Australia, and consequently were at one time extensively 

 used in New England and Monaro ; but they were 

 superseded by the merino. 



Kentish or Romney Marsh. This breed possesses 

 additional interest to us from the fact that it has been 

 found that they have the power to resist fluke and foot rot 

 better than other sheep, and on this account are considered 

 the best class for the coast lands of Australia, which may 

 be said to be subject to these diseases all along the south 

 and eastern seaboard. The Romney Marsh is a large 

 sheep, carrying a heavy fleece of long staple, but it lacks 

 the deep round chest of the Leicester, and cannot compare 

 either with the latter or with the Lincoln for symmetry. 



