WEST DEVONSHIRE. 261 



which they have acquired, is fuch as would 

 naturally arife from mountain Sheep being 

 transferred to the rich foils, and genial 

 climature, of South Devonllilre *. 



The true Dorfetfhire (as they are called), 



or HOUSE-LAMB BREED, are found, at 



prefent, in great purity, in the Vale of 



Exeter, in Eall Devonfhire : of which 



S 3 breed 



* It may, with great fhow of probability, be faid, that 

 the Sheep of this Country are a mixture of the two breeds 

 abovementioned. But from whence, it might be afked, 

 were thefe pure breeds imported ? Where are the mother 

 flocks ? Suppofing them to have been imported, and fet 

 down on the fpots they now feverally occupy, it muft ne- 

 cedarily have been fome centuries ago, to give time to 

 their mongrel progeny to mold themfelves to foils and 

 fituations ; and it is very improbable, that, during the 

 dark days of Agriculture, the two breeds fhould have beea 

 preferved diftin6t and pure, as we now find them ; efpeci- 

 ally the horned variety. Reride, it will prefently appear, 

 that the idea of their having been brought to their prefent 

 l^ate, by SE|,ECTioNj is not only probable, but pradli- 

 qable. 



Let it be underftood, however, that what is here fug- 

 gefted, refpedling this' interefting part of the Historv 

 of Agriculture, in this Ifland, is intended to agitate 

 the fubjedl, rather than to fettle the point,^ 



