in the Breeds of Sheep, ^ 



mended by their fleeces, the ancon breed seems in danger of 

 becoming almost extinct. They have so much dechned, that, 

 for many months, it was not an easy matter for me to procure 

 one for dissection in Boston. That operation was performed 

 by the ingenious Dr. Shattuck, who makes the following 

 remarks. 



" Efhe sheep weighed just before it was killed forty-five 

 " pounds. The most obvious difference in its skeleton from 

 ** the skeleton of the common sheep, so far as my superficial 

 " observation has extended, consists in the greater looseness 

 ** of the articulations, the diminished size of the bones ; but 

 ** more especially in the crookedness of its forelegs, which 

 " causes them to appear hke elbows, while the animal is walk- 

 ** ing. I have taken the liberty to call them ancon ^ from the 

 *^ Greek word which signifies elbow. On dissecting the sheep, 

 ** I could not forbear noticing the comparatively flabby condi- 

 " tion of the subscapularic muscles : this may partially account 

 ♦* for the great feebleness of the animal, and its consequent 

 " quietude in pasture." 



This skeleton will be presented to the President of the 

 Royal Society, by the hand of the gentleman who is so obliging 

 as to charge himself with the delivery of this letter. 



I have been the more particular in the statement, because I 

 deemed it important the point should be settled, so far as evi- 

 dence can be adduced, that the preservation of different breeds, 

 once clearly designated, in whatever manner obtained, whe- 

 ther from casualty, as in the present instance, or from calcu- 

 lation and cultivation, as in that of the new Leicester breed, 

 -depends more on some inherent quality in the blood, than on 

 climate, food, or any other circumstance. iVlthpugh it is allowed 



