180 THE SHEEP. 



the opinion, provided they discard their other prejudices, and 

 breed from the best of their own stock, and upon a suitable 

 model. The long and constant error of the Kentish breeders 

 was their looking to size more than to the other qualities in- 

 dicative of a good stock of Sheep. Size, indeed; is not to be 

 disregarded in any breed reared in a country of rich pastures ; 

 but that just conformation of parts, which indicates the dis- 

 position to arrive at early maturity and fatten readily, is yet 

 more to be regarded. 



XIX. THE OLDER LONG-WOOLLED BREEDS OF 

 THE INLAND DISTRICTS. 



The Sheep of the marshes and fens are represented by the 

 Lincolnshire and Romney Marsh Breeds already described. 

 Minor varieties of the same breeds existed in detached allu- 

 vial tracts along the coasts ; but they were confined to nar- 

 row localities, and have now all merged in the races of the 

 adjoining districts. The other class of breeds consists of those 

 which have been naturalized in the valleys, plains, and richer 

 tracts of the inland parts. The great district of these breeds 

 is the rich tract of the new red sandstone, which, commencing 

 with the country of the Tees, extends southward by the Vales 

 of York and Trent to the lower valley of the Severn, and 

 thence again northward ; although, it is to be observed, that 

 it is chiefly in the eastern and midland counties that these 

 breeds are found, and that, as we approach to the western 

 limits of the new red sandstone in the north of Staffordshire, 

 Cheshire, and Lancashire, the long-woolled breeds are in 

 smaller numbers, and mixed with, or allied to, the ancient 

 breeds of the forests, wastes, and chases. 



The most remarkable of the inland breeds was the Old 

 Teeswater, so named from the valley of the beautiful river 

 which separates the counties of York and Durham. This 

 valley is exceedingly fertile, though of limited extent ; but 

 the breed to which it gave a name extended, with some 



