301 



CASSELL'S POPULAR NATUBAL HISTORY. 



ASTRAGAL OF SIIEE1'. 



remains of those ancient varieties of colour may still be discerned in the modern merino sheep. The 

 plain, and, indeed, the only, reason that can be assigned for the union of black and gray faces with 

 white bodies, in the same breed, is the frequent intermixture of black and white sheep, until the white 

 prevails in the fleece, and the black is confined to the face and legs. 



From one end to the other of the Pyrenees, in the midst of several ovine i-aces, some large sheep 

 may be remarked : forehead very sloping ; head armed with long horns ; wool thick, long, fibrous, 

 varied often in shade, and resembling goat's hair. This species, which is called liearnaise, furnishes 

 much milk to all the region of the Pyrenees. The Arieyeois species is smaller, more thick-set, having 

 the nose less sloping, the wool closer and less straight, the horns shorter. This latter race, found in 

 large flocks in the valley of the Arieye, produces less milk than the preceding one. They are specially 

 reared for the wool and the meat. 



In ancient times, cheese was made from the milk of the ewe, and the ewes, to the injury of the 

 lambs, were milked regularly, as described in the " Odyssey," and at a later era by Virgil : 



" He next betakes him to his evening cares, 

 And, sitting down, to milk his ewes prepares ; 

 Of half their udders eases first the dams, 

 Then to the mother's teats submits the lambs. 

 Half the white stream to hardening cheese he press'd 

 And high in wicker baskets heaped ; the rest, 

 Reserved in bowls, supplied thi mighty feast." 



The same practice prevailed formerly in many 

 parts of England. In the department of Les 

 Basses Pyrenees, a considerable quantity of 

 cheese said to be peculiarly well-flavoured 

 is manufactured from ewes' milk alone ; 

 but, for this purpose, the lambs are weaned 

 as early as March. The little cheeses in the 

 neighbourhood of Montpelior are made en- 

 tirely of ewes' milk, stolen from them during 

 the latter period of suckling their lambs. This 

 is, as are all other cases in which the lambs 

 are deprived of the milk, a cruel practice. 



The most celebrated of these productions 

 is the Eochfort cheese. It is either made of 

 pure ewe's milk, or by some persons with 

 a portion of goat's milk added. The sheep 

 are pastured all the year round on the bar- 

 ren mountains in the neighbourhood, and 



no peculiarity attends the management of them, except that a considerable quantity of salt is given 

 them. The curdling of the milk is effected in the usual manner. When the product has been 

 properly pressed, it is carried to the cheese-room, and placed on boards to dry, and, in order to pre~ 

 vent it from cracking, it is tightly bound in a large cloth. Having become tolerably dry, it is 

 carried to the caves in the middle of Eoclifort, where there is a deep valley, terminating in a cul- 

 de-sac, and surrounded by a range of narrow-peaked rocks, hollowed into numerous caverns. The 

 rays of the sun do not penetrate into this valley more than a few hours during the longest day in 

 summer. In the sides of these caves shelves are constructed for the cheeses. In different parts of 

 the rock there are certain clefts or cracks, through which a cold wind blows sufficiently strong to 

 extinguish a candle, if brought to within three feet of them. It is to the coldness of this wind that 

 the property which these caves possess, of bringing the Eoclifort cheese to so much perfection, is justly 

 attributed. Here it goes through various sprinklings, rubbings, and scrapings ; but the loss from these 

 manipulations is so great, that lOOlbs. of milk will not yield more than 201bs. of cheese. 



The second sub-tribe* of the family Bomdie now demand attention, which Dr. Gray defines as 

 follows : Forehead convex, elevated behind; chin of males, -bearded ; suborbital siuus, none. Horns 



* Caprete. Gray. 



ASTRAGAL Of 1'IQ. 



BRAIX OF SUKEI'. 



