OVIS. 



lence, in a point of view particularly stril 

 insr. There are several breeds or rao 



strik- 

 ing. There are several breeds or races 

 in that country which have their respec- 

 tive admirers, and each of which will 

 probably thrive better than others in 

 certain soils and situations. The sheep 

 of Lincolnshire afford the largest quan- 

 tity of wool, but their flesh is more coarse 

 and lean, and less pleasantly flavoured 

 than that of some others. The sheep of 

 the largest size are found in the rich dis- 

 trict between Yorkshire and Durham, 

 one of which was fed so highly as to 

 weigh sixty-two pounds per quarter. 

 These are reported to be equally prolific 

 as they are large, and an ewe of this 

 breed produced, at the age of two years, 

 four young ones at a birth, and at the 

 end of eleven months after, five more. 

 The Dorsetshire breed is also considera- 

 bly celebrated for fecundity ; these are 

 likewise highly admired for the delicacy 

 and fine flavour of their flesh, but their 

 wool is little in amount, though of excel- 

 lent quality. In the North there is a 

 hardy race of these animals, marked by 

 their shaggy wool and black faces, which 

 are admirably adapted to the bleak 

 and mountainous tracts where they are 

 produced, and sustain the rigour of 

 winter in these cold situations without 

 any inconvenience. Their eyes are 

 wild, their movements nimble and rapid, 

 and their flesh is peculiarly excellent. 

 To\vards the extreme points of the 

 north of Scotland, there is a race of 

 sheep particularly small, not exceeding 

 six pounds per quarter in weight. The 

 attention of noblemen and gentlemen of 

 the first distinction has now long been 

 directed to the cultivation of the sheep, 

 with respect to every point of its econo- 

 my, its breed, its food, and the nature 

 and degree of those attentions which will 

 best promote its excellence, both as an 

 article for subsistence and manufacture. 

 These efforts, not many years since, it 

 must be acknowledged, took a somewhat 

 singular direction, and it appeared to be 

 the grand object of agricultural ingenuity, 

 to raise the animal to that superlative de- 

 gree of fatness which, in all but the most 

 robust appetites, was calculated to excite 

 disgust. In one instance, particularly? it 

 was considered as an exploit of transcen- 

 dent merit to have carried this process so 

 far, that the fat of the animal, cut, with- 

 out any slope, directly through the ribs, 

 measured upwards of seven inches. This 

 ludicrous, as well as pernicious and 

 wasteful folly, has, however, now, for 

 some years, ceased. The sheep is more 



subject to disorders than any of the do- 

 mesticated animals ; giddiness, consump- 

 tion, scab, dropsy, and worms, frequent- 

 ly seizing upon and destroying it. The 

 last are met with in vast numbers in the 

 liver and gall bladder of these ani- 

 mals. These worms belong to the ge- 

 nus fasciola, are flat, oval, and pointed 

 at the extremities. The fly is another 

 formidable enemy, and is often fatal in 

 the course of twenty-four hours, breed- 

 ing within the skull of the animal. To 

 extricate the sheep from this danger, the 

 French shepherds apply the trephine 

 without the slightest hesitation, and with 

 the greatest dispatch and success. For 

 the common ram, see Mammalia, Plate 

 XVIT. fig. 4. 



The Cretan sheep is remarkable for 

 long and large horns, twisted in the shape 

 of a screw. 



The many horned sheep is found most 

 commonly in the north of Europe, and 

 most frequently in Iceland. Three, four, 

 and even five horns, are occasionally seen 

 on these animals in considerably differ- 

 ent forms, sizes, and situations. See 

 Mammalia, Plate XVII. fig. 6. 



The Cape sheep is remarkable for its 

 emaciated appearance, long neck, and pen- 

 dulous ears, and for having a pair of wat- 

 tles under the neck like goats. 



The broad-tailed sheep occurs in vari- 

 ous countries of Asia and Africa, and is 

 extremely similar to the European breed 

 in almost all respects, but that its tail is 

 of an immense weight, varying from fif- 

 teen to fifty pounds, under which the 

 shepherds are reported to place a board 

 with wheels, to facilitate the animal's 

 movements. These tails are stated to 

 constitute the most marrowy and luxuri- 

 ous food. 



The Tibetian sheep yield wool of admi- 

 rable length and fineness, and are said to 

 produce the material from which are fa- 

 bricated the Indian shawls, which are 

 sometimes sold in this country for be- 

 tween thirty and fifty pounds. 



O. montana. This species is remarka- 

 ble for the fineness of its wool, being in 

 this respect superior to any sheep hither- 

 to known ; and for the singular form of 

 its horns, which are short, conical, 

 slightly recurved, and acute at their tips. 

 It is described in the Journal of the Aca- 

 demy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- 

 phia, Vol. 1. No. 1. by Mr. Geo. Ord. A 

 portion of the skin, with the horn attach- 

 ed to it, is in Peale's Museum, It is a na- 

 tive of North America. 



