108 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



an unavoidable part of the practice of breeding, to be guard- 

 ed against with the utmost care. This necessarily brings 

 us to and leads on to the consideration of the second point 

 under consideration which is that of selection. 



If the breeder can always be sure of the full history of 

 the animals he makes use of for the improvement of his 

 flock, there would be a more certain element in his work. 

 This, however, is scarcely possible, unless the standard herd 

 books used for this purpose were an exact record of the 

 whole life history of every animal entered therein. This is 

 not supposable, for as the owner is then to be the historian 

 of his animals he could not be expected to make any such 

 possible fatal record againt them. So that after all, the 

 breeder is to fall back on his own judgment, and take the 

 chances of success or defeat, partial or complete. And as 

 he may find the produce of the best selected animals may 

 vary from his desired standard, he must undo the work 

 so far and begin again. This illustrates the necessity of the 

 full acquaintance of the breeder the special breeder is here 

 referred to with the history of the flock from which he 

 selects his animals and by the exercise of good judgment, 

 and with a full knowledge of the source of the animals he se- 

 lects from, take those only which he may be sure will meet 

 the ends he has in view, as far as possible. 



This selection, of course, can only be made by one who 

 really knows what he wants; the ends he has in view; 

 the defects of his own stock which he desires to get rid of; 

 and the special points which he wishes to develop in his 

 own flock. In fact, it is as in all other business and profes- 

 sions, one must have a full and accurate knowledge of what 

 is going on in his special line or pursuit. And after all there 

 is something more than mere knowledge involved in this. 

 For we find many of the most successful breeders depend on 

 an intuition a natural instinct of the fitness of things on a 

 first view often more than on any method for which they 

 can give a reason. Undoubtedly the breeder has what he 

 needs fixed in his mind, although he cannot express it in 

 words, and when the right animal is seen it appeals to this 

 unspoken and unspeakable sense of fitness; and the selec- 

 tion so made is generally the best for the purpose required. 



But this is not the work of a momentary impulse. Time is 



