148 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



opinion of tl.at gentleman, as well as in my ovm, a more beautifullj 

 formed and not less profitable animal. For compactness — great weight ii; 

 3 small compass — they are perhaps unnvaled. 



The following is the description of the perfect South-Down by Mr. Ell* 

 man, the founder of the improved breed : 



*• The head small and hornless ; the face speckled or gray and neither too long nor frio 

 «hon ; the lips tnni, and the space between the nose and the eyes narrow; the under jaw 

 or chap fine ana thin ; the ears tolerably wide and well covered with wool, and the tore- 

 bead also, and the whole space between the ears well protected by it, as a defence against 

 the flv. 



" The eye fnU and bright but not prominent. The orbits of the eye, the eye-cap or bone 

 not too projectins, that it may not form a fatal obstacle in lambing. 



" The neck of a medium length, thin toward the head, but enlarging toward the shoid 

 ders, where it should be broad and high and straight in its whole course above and below. 

 Tile iireast should be wade, deep, and projecting forwaid between the fore-legs, indicating a 

 good constitution and a disposition to thrive. Corresponding with this, the shoulders should 

 be on a level with the back, and not too wide above: they should bow outward from the 

 top to the breast, indicating a springing rib beneath, and leaving room for it. 



•' The ribs coming out horizontJilly from the spine, and extending far backward, and the 

 last rib projecting more than others, the back fiat from ihe shoulders to the setting on of 

 the tail ; the loin broad and flat ; the rump broad and the tail set on high, and nearly on 

 a level with the spine. The hips wide ; the space between ihem and the last rib on ei- 

 ther side as naiTOW as possible, and the ribs generally presenting a circidar Ibnn like a 

 banel. 



" The belly as sti-aight as the back. 



" The le"s neither too long nor too short : the fore-legs straight fiom the breast to the foot 

 not bending inward at the knee, and standing far apart both before and behind ; the hock 

 having a direction rather outward, and the twist, or the meeting of the thighs behind, being 

 iwrticularly full, the bones fine, yet having no appearance of weakness, and of a speckled or 

 dark color. 



The l)elly well defended with wool, and the wool coming down before and behind to the 

 knee and to the hock ; the wool short, close, curled and fine, and free from spiiy projeclius 

 fibres " 



i^^^r- 



THK COTSWUl.P SHKEf. 



ed irom one in Mr. Spooner's work on Sheep- - 



The above cut is 

 the oiiginal drawing lieiiig liy Harvey. 



The Cotswolds, unul imiiroved by modern crosses, were a veiy large 



