136 THE SHEEP. 



feet the Sheep of Spain with respect to the production of 

 wool. The Merinos exhibit certain characters, which seem 

 to shew them to have been derived from some country warmer 

 than that in which they were naturalized, and it was during 

 the dominion of the African possessors of the country, that 

 the wool of Spain arrived at its greatest excellence. 



The Spanish Merino Sheep are of small size. The skin is 

 of a reddish fleshy colour, and the wool is white, although 

 black or dun sometimes appears on the legs, faces, and ears. 

 The forehead is covered with a tuft of coarse wool, and coarse 

 wool likewise appears on the cheeks. The males have large 

 spiral horns ; but the females are usually destitute of horns. 

 Both sexes have a certain looseness of skin under the throat, 

 which is valued by the Spanish shepherds as indicative of a 

 productive fleece. The legs are long, the sides are flat, and 

 the chest is narrow. The fleece is altogether peculiar ; it is 

 close, short, and unctuous, weighing, from these causes, more in 

 proportion to its bulk than the fleece of any other known race 

 of Sheep. From its closeness, it feels hard when compressed, 

 but, on examination, the filaments are seen to be of extreme 

 tenuity, and no wool has been found comparable to it for the 

 property of felting. It is not annually renewed, but will con- 

 tinue to grow for several years. 



The Spanish Merino Sheep, when we regard them as ani- 

 mals to be fattened for human food, are of an inferior class. 

 Their flesh is of indifferent quality, and they are of tender 

 constitutions. The females are the worst nurses of any race 

 of Sheep which inhabit Europe. So great is their defect in 

 this respect, that in Spain half the lambs are killed in order 

 that the ewes may be enabled to suckle the remainder, it 

 being calculated by the Spanish shepherds, that the milk of 

 two ewes is required to bring up one lamb in a proper man- 

 ner. Abortions are frequent, parturition is difficult, and the 

 ewes are more apt to desert their offspring than any other 

 Sheep which are known to us. In these respects the Me- 

 rinos resemble the ancient Oves Molles of Italy, which were 



