11^ Essaif on Sheep. 



" the sheep had taken, when presented whh it, 

 " once, twice or thrice each day, or only once 

 ** in two, three, four, or five days. 



*' Most oi the sheep in this little flock passed 

 "^ a month in the stable without drinking: their 

 *' appetite was always the s^me, and they expe- 

 " rienced no other inconvenience than that of 

 '' thirst, of which they gave evident proofs by 

 ^' running to lick the moist lips of those carried 

 " back to the stable on return from drinking. 



" The result of these experiments, which I 

 ^^ cannot here detail, led me to conclude, that 

 ^' sheep, with no other nourishment than that 

 ^^ of dry hay, and within reach of water, could 

 " pass days without drinking; but they would 

 " take a greater quantity of water the following 

 '* day than if they had drank the eveniiig be- 

 ** fore: this quantity increases to a certain de- 

 *^ gree if they have been deprived of water for 

 '^ many days together. They are then tor- 

 " mented with thirst, for they are eager to get 

 '* a drop of water; if they could find it in 

 '' abundance, they would drink too plentifully 

 '^ for their temperament, subject as they are to 

 " cflusions of serosity, which produce mortal 

 ^ hydatides in the brain, and the rot, a disease 

 " no less fatal. 



" The best plan is to drive the flock every 



