348 Dr. Parry's Essay on the Nature, Produce, Origin, 



native country. They are also remarkably timid ; but I do not know that there is 

 any thing peculiar in what he remarks of these sheep, that nothing seems to give 

 them activity but fear, hunger, sensual desire, or jealousy.* All those who have 

 had an opportunity of observing these rams in England have agreed, that they are 

 extremely salacious ; and their capacity in this way corresponds with their structure, 

 and far exceeds that of our native breeds. 



There is one striking particular, in which the Merino race differs from every 

 breed of short-v/oolied sheep with which I am acquainted, either in this or in other 

 countries. While very few of the rams are polled, or have short snags, the majority 

 have large spiral horns ; and, on tlie other hand, a horned Merino ewe is rarelv to 

 be found. 



The Merino rams and ewcs in Spain form separate flocks till the beginning of 

 July; when those, v/hich are appropriated to the inciease of the species, are pui 

 together, and suffered to continue till the middle of August. The youngest rams 

 so chosen are from two to three years old ; and they continue in use till eight 

 or nine. There seems to be little farther ground of preference of one ram to 

 another, except that the shepherds studiously avoid all those which have black spots 

 on their bodies, or in their mouths. The period of union in the ev/es is from two 

 to seven years of age; though, sometimes, the two tooth ewes are permitted to co- 

 pulate. One ram is generally allotted to twenty or twenty-five ewes. 



The ewe rarely produces more than one lamb at a birth. The lambs fall in 

 November and December. The common custom is immediately to kill one-halt 

 of these; or even three-fourths," or more, if the season is bad, or there is any proba- 

 bility of want of food. This massacre is first practised on the males; of which, 

 hovv-ever, they take care to preserve a sufficient number to maintain the stock. In 

 every hundred and eighty sheep the proportion is usually as follows : lOO ewes, 

 50 lambs, 25 wethers, and 5 rams. One reason why half the lambs are destroyed 

 is, that each which remains may have the benefit of two,nurses; for the Spaniards 

 hold that tlie wool of the ewe would be injured both in quantity and quality, if she 

 were exhausied by being obliged wholly to support her lamb. In order to produce 

 this curious association, the shepherds take off the skin of a lamb which is killed, and 

 wrap in it another which has already been suckled by its natural mother. The lamb 

 so dressed they bring to the ewe which has been deprived of its young one; and 

 • Pictet Faits et Ob«crvations sur Ics Merinos d'Espagiie, page 25. 



