OFFICIAL STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE FOR SHEEP 131 



III. OFFICIAL STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE FOR SHEEP. 



SOUTHDOWN SHEEP. 



STANDABD OF EXCELLENCE AMERICAN SOUTHDOWN 



RECORD, VOL. I, 1884. 



en 



Head Medium in size and hornless, fine, carried well up, | 

 forehead or face well covered with wool, especially 

 between the ears and on the cheeks, and in the ewe 

 slightly dished 5 



Lips and under jaw fine and thin 1 



Ears Rather small, tolerably wide apart, covered with fine 

 hair and carried with a lively back and forth move- 

 ment 2 



Eyes Full and bright 3 



Face A uniform tint of brown, or gray, or mouse color. . 3 



Neck Short, fine at the head, but nicely tapering, and 



broad and straight on top at the shoulders 4 



Shoulders Broad and full, smoothly joining the neck with 



the back 5 



Breast Wide, deep and projecting well forward, the fore- 

 legs standing well apart 5 



Back and loin broad and straight from shoulders to rump. 7 



Ribs Well arched, extending far backward, the last pro- 

 jecting more than the others 6 



Rump Broad, square and full, with tail well set up .... 6 



Hips Wide, with little space between them and the last 



ribs 6 



Thighs Full and well let down in twist, the legs standing 



well apart 6 



Limbs Short and fine in bone, and in color to agree with 



face 3 



Fore Legs Well wooled and carrying mutton to the knees, 



but free from meat below 2 



Hind Legs Well filled with mutton and wooled to the 



hocks, neat and clean below 2 



Belly Straight and well covered with wool, the flank ex- 

 tending so as to form a line parallel with the back or 

 top line 5 



Fleece Compact, the whole body well covered with moder- 

 ately long and close wool, white in color, carrying some 

 yolk 12 



Form Throughout smooth and symmetrical, with no 



coarseness in any part 9 



General Appearance Spirited and attractive, with a de- 

 termined look, a proud and firm step, indicating con- 

 stitutional vigor and thorough breeding 8 



Total . .100 



