56 



STRUCTURE OF THE SHEEP 



the yolk. This functions in various ways as a preservative of the 

 wool. The sweat glands are distributed throughout the skin, but 

 the sebaceous glands are usually connected with the follicles' and 

 they pour their secretion around the wool fibers just beneath the 

 surface of the skin. It is said that there is no relation between the 



Groat 



culun 



OWOS1 



Fio. 27. Stomach of sheep; right view. ("Anatomy of Domestic Animals," Sisson. Cour- 

 tesy of W. B. Saunders Co.) 



size of the gland and the fiber connected with it, the smallest fibers 

 often being associated with the largest glands. Also, the thicker 

 the fibers on the surface of the skin, the greater the number of 

 glands. These observations suggest why the wool of Merinos is 

 more oily than that of breeds bearing coarser, less dense wool 

 (Fig. 23). 



