Essay on Sheep, 43 



was again renewed from Africa by Cardinal 

 Ximenes, two hundred years afterwards. From 

 these circumstances it is highly probable that 

 Spain owes her Merino race to the mixture of 

 her native sheep with those of Barbary, though 

 (as often happens) neither, in their native state, 

 mlay be equal to that produced from the union 

 of both. This may account for the sheep of 

 Spain being at present superior to those of Bar- 

 bary, though in part descended from them. 



The wool of the Barbary sheep is glossy and 

 fine (at least such as I have seen of it), but 

 wants the curl of Spanish wool. I may here 

 mention a fact which in some Sort supports this 

 assertion, though an isolated fact ought not 

 perhaps to serve as the foundation for a theory. 

 I have in my flock a ewe that is descended 

 from a Barbary ram. Her fleece is long, 

 straight, and fine, and in every particular ex- 

 cept the last unlike the Spanish wool. I have 

 three lambs from her by a Merino ram; the 

 wool of each of these is nearly equal in fine- 

 ness, softness, and elasticity, to that of their 

 sire, and would at least be taken for that of a 

 seven-eight breed Merino. 



I cannot think, with Mr. Anderson, that the 

 fine wool of Spain is derived from the stock of 

 England, though it may be admitted that Bri- 



