THE SHEEP. 21 



The breeds of sheep in this country are numerous and 

 various. Some are horned, and others hornless. Of 

 the former, the most ancient is the black-faced, still 

 met with in some heathy parts of Yorkshire, and the 

 adjacent northern counties ; the wool is coarse and 

 shaggy. The Norfolk and Suffolk sheep, also, have the 

 horns large and spiral, with the face black, but the 

 wool is short and fine. In the Dorset, the face is no 

 longer black, but both sexes are usually horned ; and as 

 this breed is remarkable for producing lambs at almost 

 every season, it is highly valuable for supplying the 

 London markets with house-lamb. The Wiltshire is a 

 much larger variety. The Hertfordshire is a fine 

 productive race, with short tails. The Exmoor, which 

 comes from Devonshire, is small, the wool long, and the 

 face and legs white. Scotland furnishes three breeds of 

 horned sheep, the Dun-faced, the Zetland, and the He- 

 bridean. 



There are nine other breeds of the hornless race. 

 The Lincoln has long wool, and a white face. In the 

 Teeswater, the wool is shorter and lighter, and the legs 

 longer ; the Dishley is known by a clean head, and the 

 goodness of its flesh ; the Devonshire Nots, like the 

 three preceding, are long-woolled. Others are short- 

 woolled, as the Hereford ; the store sheep of this 



