63 EUROrEAN SHEEP. 



the flock, and singled out a ram, and bid it to follow him, 

 holding out his hand as if to give him something. The ani- 

 mal immediately came with the shepherd, and submitted it- 

 self to Mr. Young's inspection. He found that mellowness 

 of the skin which is the surest proof of a good fleece, and 

 of a good breed. The wool was beautifully soft and fine, 

 and weighed, as he imagined, about eight pounds : the 

 average weight of the fleece before washing was usually 

 about four or five pounds. Four shepherds, provided with 

 fire-arms, and four or five large Spanish dogs, had the care 

 of the flock. The sheep were collected together every 

 night on a particular spot, — the shepherd slept in a little hut 

 close by, and the dogs gave certain notice of the approach 

 of danger. During the day the head shepherd sat on the 

 mountain top, or on an elevated spot, whence he could see 

 everything around him, while the flock browsed on the de- 

 clivities." 



The Estantes or stationary Merinos amounted at one time 

 to two millions, and the transhumantes to ten millions ; but 

 it is difficult to estimate correctly the number of each at the 

 present time. The Chunali breed. Chancellor Livingston 

 states in his essay, numbered about six millions. 



The Leonesa, which compose a very large proportion of 

 the travelling sheep, are superior in fleece to all others in 

 the kingdom, and which will ahvays sell for considerably 

 more per pound than that of any other Spanish sheep. But 

 on the other hand, says Mr. Youatt, on the authority of 

 Burgoyne, " there are stationary flocks both in Leon and 

 Estremadura, which produce wool as good as that of the 

 transhumantes." It will appear, therefore, that these migra- 

 tions are not the exclusive cause of the superior fleeces of 

 the transhumantes, as the Spaniards are wont to suppose. 



For reasons not necessary for the compiler to assign, he 

 quotes from Mr. Youatt the following accurate description 

 of the prominent characteristics of the true Spanish Merinos, 

 in which, it will be seen, he justly extols their excellencies, 

 and notes impartially their defects, which, however, are tri- 

 fling compared with the returns which their invaluable fleeces 

 afford. 



" The first impression made by the Merino sheep on one 

 unacquainted with its value would be unfavorable. The 

 wool lying closer and thicker over the body than in most 

 other breeds of sheep, and being abundant in yolk, is covered 



