212 MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



near the equator. Extremes of temperature, then, being un- 

 suited to the animal, the question arises, How does it happen 

 to have spread over so many parts of the world in spite of 

 such extremes ? Simply for the reason, that when under 

 the dominion of its instincts, and free from the restrictions 

 of man, it will not subject itself to the danger of an ex- 

 treme in anything, for it will not remove to remote points in 

 a single season, and thereby expose itself to sudden changes. 

 A writer happily remarks — " The natural dispersion of all 

 animals is gradual, so that their constitutions are enabled, 

 from the slowness of the transition, to accommodate them- 

 selves, by an alteration in covering and habit, to surrounding 

 circumstances, which M^ould, were the variations abrupt, 

 speedily destroy them. The reason why a race of animals 

 occasionally thrives so well in a country to which it may be 

 removed, appears to lie in its being suited, I may say, acci- 

 dentally, by peculiar conformation, to the temperature to 

 which it is transplanted. There are some happy climates, 

 where, introduce what animals you will, no matter how 

 stunted they are, or how different the degree of warmth 

 may be, the offspring will thrive, proving large and vigor- 

 ous, and every way worthy of being placed at the head of 

 the species. These are, however, cases where the transition 

 is from an extreme heat or cold to a temperate one." The 

 writer quotes in corroboration of these views the report of 

 Mr. Dawson, of the Australian Agricultural Company, as 

 follows : " Both the climate and the soil appear by nature 

 to produce fine wool, and fine animals tbo, eveii from the 

 icorst beginnings. The latter seems a paradox. The exten- 

 sive range afforded to every animal keeps it in good condi- 

 tion, and, perhaps, the natural grasses have more of good in 

 them than their appearance indicates. However this may 

 be, the climate clearly has a wonderfnl effect on the size of 

 all animals, even upon man, who is universally tall here, 

 though born of diminutive parents. From this I am led to 

 believe, that the climate governs chiefly, and thus every 

 breeding animal introduced here will attain a size not known 

 in Europe." 



Notwithstanding sheep are forced to submit to extremes 

 of temperature, there is a happy medium of climate which 

 it delights in, and which greatly disposes it to yield the 

 largest profits, and this is found in the countries of the vine. 

 The western parts of continents also are more congenial to 



