156 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE, 1800— 1900 



with a topping and bright prominent eyes, the nostrils should be 

 wide and the jaw strong and deep. The female should be absolutely 

 devoid of horns, but the male is regarded as more fashionable when 

 he displays horns of a long, smooth circuitous nature. The neck 

 and shoulders ought to be strong and powerful, the breast wide and 

 projecting well forward, while the girth of the animal immediately 

 behind the shoulders and fore-legs should be bulky and connected 

 with a broad level back and round ribs. The width of the loins should 

 be large, and the hind quarters well drawn out and furnished with 

 a thick tail, which should extend to a little below the camerals. The 

 legs should be short and strong, and possess plenty of flat bone ; the 

 knees and feet should be large and the hoofs white. The gait of 

 the sheep should be wide and perpendicular with a prancing step 

 and courageous bearing. When turned upon its back a Herdwick 

 ought to show a strong breast and plenty of wool, and let its legs 

 hang wide apart." 



In 1869 T. Rowlandson wrote to the Mining and Scientific Press 

 of San Francisco about the Herdwicks ; he says that " about 75 or 

 80 years ago a few commenced attempting to breed a pure race, their 

 character having become much intermixed by crossing with the 

 indigenous ' black-faces.' One person I know has persevered in this 

 matter for more than half a century prior to my leaving England, 

 not more than 15 years ago, yet up to that time wholly satisfactory 

 results had not been obtained, as progeny, ' breeding back," occasion- 

 ally occurred." 



There is a tradition that an attempt was very early made to confine 

 the breed within narrow limits — an association being formed for the 

 purpose, one of the rules being that members should sell no ram and not 

 more than five ewe lambs in one season — needless to say, the monopoly 

 was soon broken, and the breed spread over the whole lake country of 

 Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, being located and peculiaril}^ 

 restricted to the Ordovician and Silurian rocks which form the geologi- 

 cal foundation of the district. As has already been noted, attempts 

 were early made to keep the breed in a pure state, but the difficulties 

 to contend with were very great on account of the extensive tracts 

 of uninclosed hills and feUs over which they pastured. 



In the early years of the past century it would appear that Herd- 



