C i 3 



Proofs of the OriginaHty^ and high Estimation^ of Broad- 

 tailed Sheep, 



Having found, for some years past, that old xvine is not to 

 me the milk of old age^ I have contented niyseli under the 

 privation ; but have not parted with a moderate share of re- 

 lish ^or old books. The oldest and the best of all books, and 

 the commentaries of some of its most instructive annotators, 

 afford most satisfactory proofs of the originality of the broad- 

 tailed sheep. The discovery of the animal, or its uses, were 

 not left to the fortuitous observation of an ignorant shepherd; 

 nor was the tail devoted to '-^ the toilet and the kitchen," of the 

 occasional tenant of a mud-built hovel. The learned, splendid, 

 and instructive work of sche'uchzer, entituled '*• physic a sa- 

 cra," printed at Ulm in Germany nearly 80 years ago, will fur- 

 nish to those who have the curiosity to turn to it, a full account 

 of the ovES LATicAUD^.^ In the platcs cciv. ccv.Tom. i, 

 pages 232, 3, there are drawings oi these sheep (one very 

 like my ewe No. 2) and of the ceremonies in placing the 

 tails on the altars, by the priests of the Israelites. These 

 plates would do credit to a modern engraver. They are in- 

 tended to elucidate his learned commentary on the 22 verse, 

 of chapter 29, of Exodus, The whole work is calculated to 

 prove the agreement in the accounts given by the sacred 

 writers, with what is known in modern times, in natural his- 

 tory, and the arts and sciences ; whereof this extensive and 

 amusing work, embraces the whole circle of knowledge in his 

 time. 



The words in our translation are, " and thou shalt take of 

 the ram, the fat and the rump ;" which Scheuchzer translates 

 from the Hebrew " Tolles quoque adipem de ariete, et can- 

 dam,"*"* " Thou shait take the fat of the ram and its tailJ** 



* BioaU-iaileci sheep. 



