4 THE REPORT, Sec. 



the ^»efi and with the coarfeji wool are main- 

 tained ; infomuch that, from the wool of the 

 fame flock, fome {lockings worth two guineas 

 per pair, and others worth lefs x\\2s\ four pence ^ 

 are produced. 



Your Committee have not been able to col- 

 1e£l materials fufficient for attempting a long 

 invefligation into the peculiar nature and qua- 

 lities of the Shetland breed of fheep ; but they 

 beg leave briefly to fl:ate fome of the moft im- 

 portant particulars which have come to their 

 knowledge. 



1 . It would appear that there are tv/o kinds of 

 fheep producing fine wool to be found in thefe 

 iflands : One, known by the name of the kind^ 

 ly ficep^ whofe whole body almoft is covered 

 with it ; another, whofe wool is fine about the 

 neck only, and other particular parts of the 

 body. The colour of the fine wool alfo varies, 

 fometimes being of a pure white, which is fup- 

 pofed to be the foftefl and moft filky, at other 

 times of a light grey, fometimes of a black, and 

 fometimes of a rulTet colour. 



2. The fheep producing this wool are of a 

 breed, which, for the fake of diflindion, might 

 be called the beaver Jheep ; for, like that ani- 

 mal, many of them have long hairs growing 



amongft 



