SHEEP 147 



resulted in the present day distinctive variety of Scotch black-faced 

 sheep being evolved, a sheep altogether different in coat from the 

 Black-faced Muir sheep of 100 years ago — a change which selection 

 itself could not possibly have brought about. 



In the " Cyclopedia of Agriculture," i860, J. C. Morton describes 

 the Black-faced or Heath breed of sheep. " The face and legs of the 

 ram of the pure breed," he writes, " are black or mottled, having a 

 small round tuft of soft wool, of a lighter shade, between the horns ; 

 it has what is termed a ' mealy ' mouth, jaw free from wool. Horns 

 with two or more spiral twists inclining outward, downward and 

 forward, the upper end of each turn being horizontal with the chaffron. 

 The wool is long, soft, open and waved, coming well down on the 

 arms and thighs, and free from black spots and kemps, a kind of 

 hard, white, wiry hairs destitute of felting properties. The tail is 

 naturally short and never cut. The general figure of the ewe is similar 

 to the ram, but the horns are much smaller and not spirally twisted. 

 The horns of the lambs are from one to two inches long when bom." 



The principal points required in 1884 were : — A thick broad face ; 

 nostrils full ; horns low set at the crown with two or more graceful 

 spiral turns, inclining outwards, downwards and forward — the upper 

 edge of each turn being horizontal with the chaffron ; the colour of 

 the face should be black and white, with black predominating, moder- 

 ately clean and bright ; the chest broad and deep ; the shoulders 

 lying well back ; the ribs widely arched and deep ; the back short, 

 wide and level ; the quarters full and lengthy ; the thigh strong 

 and large ; " the body well set on clean flat legs, with well developed 

 joints ; the wool uniform in quality, coming well down to the knees, 

 with a strong deep fleece, and a fine sharp curl upon it, and free from 

 kemp hair, and blue and black. The general figure of the ewe is 

 the same as the tup, but the horns should be flat and ' open,' or standing 

 well out from the head." 



The following description is summarised from Prof. Wallace's 

 work, 1907 : — The face and legs are black or mottled (brocket), but the 

 colours should be distinct and free from dun or brown. The nose 

 is strong (broad) and prominent, and the nostrils are wide and black. 

 The horns of the ram are large, coming out level from the crown of 

 the head with one or more spiral turns in a forward direction. In 



