BREED CHARACTERISTICS 



409 



casual observer. The breed is medium in size, rams weigh- 

 ing 200 pounds on the average, and ewes from 140 to 150 

 pounds. The head is usually hornless and devoid of wool, 

 the latter extending to thp base of the ears and the throttle. 

 The legs are bare of wool below the knees and hocks, the 

 head and legs usually having a white color. The fleece is 

 more than average in length, and is very uniformly dis- 

 tributed over the body. It is not as dense as in other medium 

 wool breeds, the openness of fleece being objectionable. 



FIG. 176. Cheviot ram and ewe. 



The head of the Cheviot is rather broad, the muzzle large 

 and the nose slightly Roman. The ears are free from wool, 

 of medium size, rather pointed and slightly erect. The neck 

 is short, broad, and deep and has a rather characteristic crest 

 formed partly by the conformation of the neck and shoulder 

 and otherwise by the fleece. The body of the Cheviot is deep, 

 the legs rather short, thus giving the animal a characteristic 

 low-set appearance. The shoulders and body are not as 

 broad as in the Shropshire and usually not as smooth and 

 compact. The ribs extend well down, thus giving a charac- 



