20 INTRODUCTION. 



course which would soon wear down and efface every acci- 

 dental variety, and restore the primitive character — the 

 question then is, whether these variations are not best ex- 

 plained on the supposition of an original adaptation of each 

 to the situation in which it was placed, and the functions it 

 was to perform. — See Price on Sheep, p. 14. 



The fact has been incidentally stated that the rams, at 

 least, of the primitive sheep were horned. When Abraham, 

 in obedience to the Divine command, was about to sacrifice 

 his son Isaac, his arm was arrested by a voice from heaven, 

 " and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind 

 him a ram caught in a thicket hy his horns'^ The trum- 

 pets used in war were made of rams' horns. 



The polled sheep were probably an accidental variety ; 

 and when first occurring, cultivated partly for their singular- 

 ity, and more for their utility, whether with reference to the 

 additional closeness of folding of w^hich they were capable, 

 or the fewer accidents that were likely to occur, or, most of 

 all, from the superior docility and quietness of those to whom 

 nature had not given these weapons of offence, and of the 

 use of w^hich all animals soon become too conscious. 



A prominent characteristic of the ancient shepherds, was 

 their humanity and extreme watchfulness of their flocks. 

 This was proverbial, which induced the prophet thus to 

 speak of the Messiah : " He shall feed his flock like a shep- 

 herd ; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and shall car- 

 ry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are 

 with young." So true are the Arabs to the customs of their 

 ancestors, that they evince a similar care and humanity, 

 which should put to the blush very many modem shepherds. 

 " Some beasts of burden, guided by the young men, bear lit- 

 tle ones just dropped, and not able to travel. The little 

 children, just able to toddle along themselves, are employed 

 in driving, at their own slow pace, the lambs a little older."* 



" In flowery spring-time, when the new- dropped lamb, 

 Tottering with weakness by its mother's side, 

 Feels the fresh world about him, and each thorn, 

 Hillock, or furrow, trips his feeble feet, — 

 Oh, guard him carefully." — Dyer's Fleece. 



Music, in olden times, was one of the means adopted to 

 control sheep. So universal was the practice, that the an- 



* Buckingham's Palestine. 



