90 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



and carried high, projecting forwards horizontally. The 

 eyes are prominent, with a quiet, docile expression. The ears 

 are thin, rather long, and directed backwards. The neck is 

 full and broad at the chest, gradually tapering to the head, 

 and tine at the junction with the head. The back forms a 

 horizontal line from the rump to the head. The breast is 

 broad and full. The shoulders broad and round, without 

 any uneven or angular formation anyw r here. The forearm 

 is fleshy down to the knee, the bones are small, the legs 

 standing far apart, no loose skin is visible on them, and are 

 mostly bare of wool. The chest is deep, the barrel round, 

 the ribs spring well arched from the back, and the carcass 

 diminishes evenly from the rump forwards. The pelt is 

 thin, soft, and elastic, and covered with a good quantity of 

 fine white wool, finer in fiber than any other of the long 

 wool breeds. Every one of these fine points in a sheep of 

 surpassing excellence, it is known, was a subject of study 

 by Mr. Bakewell, and was carried through by the choice of 

 any mate-rial that offered itself to this great master of 

 breeding. 



Later breeders have followed in these lines, with the re- 

 sult that the modern Leicester is a model sheep, a subject 

 for the naturalist and artist to admire, and for the shep- 

 herd to make his money out of. This has been used in the 

 refinement of almost every other modern breed, but still 

 something is left for the modern breeder to study over and 

 endeavor to improve. 



These are a certain delicacy of constitution, want of 

 sufficient hardiness to withstand exposure. Inferior ability to 

 nurse the lambs. There are, however, many modern breeders 

 of these sheep who have understood this fact, and their 

 efforts are constantly directed to improve on these points, 

 with so far substantial success. 



The chief value of the breed doubtless lies in the ability 

 to improve others on w r hich the rams are crossed, and the 

 grades of it are quite doubled in value by the first cross. 

 It is the great value of the pure breeds like this to improve 

 inferior sheep, and thus the special breeder is able to per- 

 form an invaluable service in affording the opportunities to 

 the ordinary shepherd. This indeed applies to every pure 

 breed of sheep, and on account of the vast labor and the con- 



