THE SHEEP. 23 



position, when the sheep made a spring, and jumped 

 fairly over him, without touching the broom. The first 

 had no sooner cleared this impediment, than another 

 followed, and another, in such quick succession, that 

 the man, perfectly confounded, seemed to lose all 

 recollection, and stood in the same attitude till the 

 whole had jumped over him, not one of them attempting 

 to pass on either side, though the street was quite clear." 

 The sheep is commonly considered an animal of far 

 inferior power to others, as the horse, or the ox, when 

 employed in agriculture ; but it should be remembered, 

 that these animals have much training, while the former 

 is merely driven to and from his pasture, often at the 

 expense of fright and occasional injury. Instances 

 may, however, be easily collected, to show that the 

 sheep is a creature of considerable intelligence. In 

 the mountainous parts of Wales, for instance, where the 

 liberty enjoyed by the sheep is so great as to render 

 them very wild, they do not always collect into large 

 flocks, but sometimes graze in small parties of from 

 eight to twelve, of which one is stationed at a distance 

 from the rest, to give notice of approaching danger. 

 When the sentinel observes any one advancing at the 

 distance of two or three hundred yards, he turns his 

 face to the enemy, keeping a watchful eye on his 



