338 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



limbs, but horned like the former, and usually in both 

 sexes. They stand rather high upon small legs, and are 

 long and thin in the carcass ; the wool is fine and short, 

 from three to four pounds per fleece. This breed has the 

 peculiar property of producing lambs at almost any period 

 of the year, even so early as September and October. 

 They are particularly valued for supplying London, and 

 other markets, with house lamb, which is brought to market 

 by Christmas, or sooner. 



The Wiltshire is a variety of this breed, which, by atten- 

 tion to size, have considerably more weight. In general 

 they have no wool on their bellies, which gives them an 

 uncouth appearance. Varieties of this breed are spread 

 through many of the southern and western counties ; Glou- 

 cestershire, Worcestershire, Hereford, &c. 



The Herefordshire have horns common to both sexes, and 

 rather bulky in the males ; it is a fine proportioned variety, 

 with short tails. In Devonshire there is a small breed with 

 horns and long wool, named the Exmoor, from the place 

 where they are chiefly bred ; these have white faces and 

 legs, delicate bone, neck, and head, but the carcass is 

 narrow and flat-sided. The fleece weighs from four to five 

 pounds. 



In the north of Scotland and the Isles are several varie- 

 ties of a horned small race, said to have been once im- 

 ported from Denmark or Norway, and having some affinity 

 to the Astracan Sheep. They are named in general Dun- 

 faced Sheep. In Kinkardineshire, &c, the breed of this 

 race is distinguished by the yellow colour of the face and 

 legs, and by the dishevelled texture of the fleece, which 

 consists in part of coarse, and in part of remarkably fine, 

 wool, and the mutton is very highly flavoured and delicate ; 

 but other breeds intermixed with it, or introduced, gra- 

 dually obliterate it ; and the same occurs in Zetland, where 

 another breed of this race is gradually disappearing. 



