46 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



with great ease, and being indifferent to rocky 

 ground.' 



With the exception of some tropical breeds, the 

 domestic sheep differ from their wild brethren by 

 the possession of a woolly instead of a hairy coat, 

 and in some varieties the wool grows upon the 

 animal's legs and face. 



The origin of domestic sheep is unknown, but 

 authorities are now generally agreed upon the assump- 

 tion that they have arisen from a number of wild 

 types, of which the mouflon (the wild sheep of 

 Corsica and Sardinia) and the Asiatic urial or sha 

 were the main factors. One of the earliest records 

 of domestic sheep is of a breed kept by the prehis- 

 toric Swiss lake-dwellers, which were of small size 

 and possessed goat-like horns. 



As a wool producer, by far the most valuable of 

 all sheep are the merinos, supplying as they do the 

 bulk of the world's wool produce. Originally a 

 native of Spain, the animals were introduced into 

 Hungary by the Empress Maria Theresa in the 

 year 1775, since when they have spread over the 

 greater part of the globe. They were imported 

 first into England during the reign of King George 

 III, when a small number were placed at the royal 

 farm at Kew. They did not prove a great success, 

 however, and found little favour with the English 

 sheep breeders on account of their failing to respond 

 to the usual fattening treatment, no matter how well 

 they were fed. At one time the exportation of 

 merino sheep from Spain was strictly prohibited, 

 except with the special permission of the King ; 



