THE FOREST BREEDS OF ENGLAND. 83 



long-woolled breeds of Wales and the west of England, than 

 even the long-woolled breeds of the plains. 



The Exmoor Sheep are yet smaller, more wild, and more 

 intractable than the Dartmoor. The district they inhabit, 

 near the Bristol Channel, is of limited extent. Although 

 their habitat is so near to that of the Dartmoors, they pos- 

 sess their own characters, and so may be termed a breed. 

 The males have a large beard under the chin, from which 

 cause they have the aspect of Goats ; and they have much of 

 the agility and strength of these animals. Like Goats, they 

 ascend precipices, and are with difficulty confined by ordinary 

 walls and fences. They are very bold, attacking Sheep much 

 larger than themselves. The females, as in the case of other 

 wild breeds, are considerably smaller than the males, from 

 whom they receive the roughest treatment. The wool of 

 these curious Sheep is long and silky, and their mutton is 

 excellent. Like the Dartmoors, they are disappearing in 

 their pure state, from the effects of crossing, and have even, 

 in some cases, given entire place to the Cheviots, which 

 have been introduced into the district, and are found in all 

 respects superior to the native stock. 



A race of Sheep, of allied characters to the Exmoor, 

 stretches westward along the Bristol Channel to the rich 

 country on the Parret ; and even on the Mendip hills, to the 

 eastward, traces of the Exmoor form appear in the races of 

 the country. On the great Forest of Mendip, the Sheep were 

 formerly distinguished by the fineness of their wool ; but, 

 with the enclosure of the forest, the ancient race ceased to 

 exist in a state of purity. 



Of the various Forest Breeds of England, none is now 

 likely to be cultivated in the pure state, because a long course 

 of careful breeding would be required to communicate the 

 suitable development of form, and because superior breeds 

 have now been produced, which can either be made to cross 

 the original ones, or be substituted for them. But it is to be 

 regretted that earlier attention was not directed to some 



