

THE FOREST BREEDS OF ENGLAND. 81 



been gradually settled upon, acquired by individuals through 

 royal grants and otherwise, or left in a state of common pro- 

 perty, in which inhabitants of towns or the neighbouring 

 country acquired the privilege of pasturage and other rights. 

 The Royal Forests were by degrees reduced to a small ex- 

 tent, as compared with their former state, and are .now partly 

 planted for the supply of naval timber ; and, with respect to 

 the Commons, these have been long in the course of division, 

 under the sanction of Acts of Parliament. 



The native Sheep kept on these forests and larger com- 

 mons often acquired distinctive characters, forming well-de- 

 fined breeds. Of these several yet remain, and, until late in 

 the last century, they were very numerous. Most of them, 

 however, are no longer to be recognised as separate varie- 

 ties, and few of them remain without intermixture with the 

 Sheep of the adjoining country. They were generally of 

 small size and defective form, but had usually short fine 

 wool, suited for the manufacture of cloths. Their faces and 

 legs were sometimes white, but generally black, gray, or dun : 

 they had usually horns, but sometimes the horns were want- 

 ing in one or both sexes. They were wild and thriftless, 

 but, like all the smaller unimproved races, yielded excellent 

 mutton. The cultivation of the forests, in all cases, caused 

 the substitution of superior breeds ; and, even where cultiva- 

 tion did not take place, the interests of the owners led them 

 to cross their flocks with the superior breeds of the cultivated 

 country. 



In the poorer and more elevated parts of the counties of 

 Stafford, Leicester, Cheshire, Shropshire, and others, are still 

 to be found the remains of old Forest Sheep, distinguished 

 by black or gray faces and legs, and yielding short clothing 

 wool. Those of Cannock Chase yet exist, though they have 

 been mostly crossed. They are destitute of horns in both 

 sexes, and the wool weighs from 2 to 31b. the fleece. The 

 Sheep, likewise, of the ancient Forest of Belamere in Che- 

 shire are still in existence : they are the type of the old 





