THE SHEEP. 25 



plantation ; and there was nothing to suggest to my 

 mind the return of a drift, but their movement and 

 their bleating. They passed through the plantation, 

 and took that side of it which would afford them a safe 

 shelter from the south-west hurricanes." In this in- 

 stance, as in many others, the sheep were right, for a 

 storm soon came. 



Nor should it be forgotten, that the wild and abori- 

 ginal breeds are strongly attached to the place in which 

 they were bred. This disposition has been shown by 

 Welsh sheep. One of them, having a face streaked like 

 a badger's, was brought up among others into Hereford- 

 shire for sale, and bought by a farmer, who soon lost it. It 

 was afterwards proved that it returned home into Wales ; 

 it was brought up in a Welsh flock a second time, and 

 returned as before ; and on being brought up a third 

 time, it was clearly proved to be the same sheep. 



The feeling thus manifest is still more so in the 

 wilder sheep of the black-faced and Highland breeds : 

 it seems indeed to be always a powerful principle with 

 them, but it prevails most at the time of yeaning. Of 

 this, the following is an_ interesting instance : A black 

 ewe was missed from the farm of Harehope, in Tweed- 

 dale. A shepherd was despatched in pursuit of her, 

 who traced her many a mile, and then abandoned the 



