110 BRITISH BREEDS, 



boring districts of Ettrick forest and the Cheviot Hills, nei- 

 ther history nor tradition has attempted to explain."* 



They are described by Youatt, as hornless ; the face and 

 legs generally white ; the eye lively and prominent ; the 

 countenance open and pleasing ; the ear large ; the body 

 long, and hence they are called " long sheep," in distinction 

 from the black-faced breed. They are full behind the shoul- 

 der, a long, straight back, round in the rib, and well proper- 

 tioned in the quarters ; the legs are clean and small-boned, j 

 and the pelt thin, but thickly covered with a fine, short wool, 

 which extends over the w^hole of the body. 



All authorities concur in stating that the Cheviot breed 

 possess considerable fattening properties, and can endure 

 much hardship both from starvation and cold. It is fit for 

 the butcher when three years old, and at two years when 

 crossed with the Leicester. The wethers average from 12 

 to 18 lbs. per quarter, but some have been exhibited at the 

 Highland cattle shows, weighing 30 and 32 lbs, per quarter. 

 . The wool is not quite so fine as the South Down, and 

 since the improvement of the carcase commenced, the wool 

 has been used mostly for combing purposes. 



The following is Sir John Sinclair's description of the 

 original Cheviot, as it was in 1792 ; since which time it has 

 been extensively crossed with the new Leicester, with de- 

 cided success, so far as earlier maturity and fattening are 

 concerned, but with a corresponding reduction of hardiness. 



" Perhaps there is no part of the whole island where, at 

 first sight, a fine-wooled breed of shee]) is less to be ex- 

 pected than among the Cheviot Hills. Many parts of the 

 sheep-walks consist of nothing but peat bogs and deep mo- 

 rasses. During winter the hills are covered with snow for 

 two, three, and sometimes four months, and they have an 

 ample proportion of bad weather during the other seasons of 

 the year, and yet a sheep is to be found that will thrive even 

 in the wildest part of it. Their shape is excellent, and their 

 fore-quarter, in particular, is distinguished by such justness 

 of proportion, as to be equal in weight to the hind one. 

 Their limbs are of a length to fit them for travelling, and 

 enable them to pass over bogs and snows, through which a 

 shorter-legged animal could not penetrate. They have a 

 closer fleece than the Tweeddale and Leicester breeds, which 



* Farmer's Magazine. 



