CHAPTER VII. 

 MINOR BRITISH BREEDS OF SHEEP. 



THE HERUWICK 



in M hardy, active, resolute and self-helpful race of sheep, 

 pure bred, highly prized aud most common in the beautiful 

 lake and hill country of Cumberland and Westmoreland 

 counties where tradition says they were first introduced by 

 the escape of some forty sheep from the wreck of Spanish 

 galleons on the Cumberland coast in 1588, since which period 

 they have been assiduously cultivated by the northern hill 

 farmers. The characteristics of the breed are well outlined 

 by Mr. Jas. Bowstead, a very competent authority, as fol- 

 lows: "The essential points of a Herdwick are a heavy fleece 

 of fairly strong wool disposed to be hairy on the top of the 

 shoulder, growing well down to the knees and hocks, pole 

 and belly well covered, a broad, bushy tail, aud a, well de- 

 fined topping broad head, nose arched, or Roman, nostrils 

 aud mouth wide, teeth broad and short, jaws deep, showing 

 strength of constitution and determination, eye prominent 

 and lively, and in the male, defiant; ears white, fine, erect 

 and always moving, as has been said like a butterfly's wing. 

 The color or markings of the face and legs is very important. 

 There should be no spots or speckles, nor any token of 

 brown, as these are considered sure tokens of a cross. When 

 the lambs are born their legs and heads should be perfectly 

 black, with the exception of a little white on the tips of the 

 ears, and perhaps a few white hairs round the feet. These 

 white hairs gradually increase, so that at six months old, 

 one-third or one-half the ear will be hoar-frosted, and there 

 will be distinct bands of the same round the feet, shading 

 off to the black of the leg, and by this time also about 

 an inch of the muzzle will have become frosted too. This 

 change of color goes on until some, at the age of three years, 

 are perfectly white, while others remain a kind of steel 



