33 



the fat producing cotton seed, he quickly gains 

 flesh, and is speedily converted into beef. At 

 certain seasons these animals are fed entirely on the 

 leaves of the prickly pear which gives a very peculiar 

 flavour to their flesh. The horses of Malta which are 

 barbs, are being greatly improved by the introduction 

 of English and Australian blood. They have the 

 character of giving the colt-breaker some trouble. 

 Sheep and goats are exceedingly prolific, ewes some- 

 times bringing forth as many as four lambs at a 

 birth. From the scarcity of pasture, mutton is not 

 of the best quality, and both sheep and goats have 

 greatly degenerated. They are the chief milk-produ- 

 cers, a good goat giving as much as two quarts 

 at a time. In Valletta the goat-herd leads his 

 bleating animals, whose udders are of unusual size, 

 from door to door for the supply of customers. Cheese 

 is made from the milk of the sheep, more especially 

 in Gozo. 



The Greeks and Roman.s set great store by 

 Maltese dogs, and Aristotle describes them as being 

 small but beautifully proportioned. Timon says that 

 the Sybarites used to take little Maltese dogs with 

 them when they went to the bath. These animals 

 had long silky hair, and are described by Buffon 

 under the name of Bichons, as being a cross between 

 the small Spanish terrier and the little barbet. 

 Malitheus after Aldrovandi who wrote a very good 

 description of this species gives it the name of 



