^5a Hislory of the Authors 



years ; and my ram hogs are now, (in the month of March,) to all appearance 

 nearly as heavy as those of 1804, when six months older. The greatest weight, in 

 the month of September, of a living 4-tooth ram of my flock, in store order, has 

 hitherto been 120 lb. 



The capacity of quick growth and early fatness, is generally supposed to be con- 

 nected with particular circumstances of form and proportion. These circumstances 

 Mr. Cline, in a paper addressed to this Board, has attempted to explain on physio- 

 logical, and, as it appears to me, just principles. He sets out with considering the 

 external form of the animal as being of consequence, only as it is indicative of the 

 internal structure. The power of converting food into flesh chiefly depends on 

 the relative size of the lungs, which must be proportioned to the mean circum. 

 ference of the chest of a given form, which should be as nearly as possible circular. 

 This structure will necessarily influence the distance between the shoulder blades, 

 and fore-thighs, producing a broad chest. The pelvis in the female should be wide 

 and deep, for the purposes of easy gestation and labour, and therefore for the pro- 

 duction of sound and healthy offspring. On the breadth of the pelvis will depend 

 that of the loin, and the goodness of the hind-quarter, which comprises the size and 

 distance of the hinder thighs. From these points must arise a straight back, and 

 large barrel ; which regulate the dimensions of the stomach and intesdnes, and, 

 therefore, the power of taking food. Large bones are no sign of strength, but 

 rather connected with a sort of ricketty disposition, which always implies weakness, 

 and an incapacity of nutrition ; besides which, they are not the food of man. The 

 smaller therefore they are, the better. This principle strongly applies to the head, 

 which, when large, endangers the ewe at the birth. Horned heads are much 

 heavier than those which are hornless. Long legs are only an excess of 

 offal, and require a proportionable length of neck, in order to permit the animal 

 to feed. Muscles constitute what is commonly called lean, and are the instruments 

 of motion. They should, therefore, be full and large. 



If these circumstances are true, and their final cause righdy explained, they are re- 

 solvable into the general principle of fitness, and therefore, according to the opinion of 

 certain critics * are those points which, so far, jusdy constitute thebeauty of a sheep. 



All these points are supposed to be united in the New-Leicester sheep ; which is, 



• Pulchritudo corporis apta compositione membrorum movet oculos, et delcctat. M. T. Cice- 

 ronis dc Offic, lib. i. 28. 



