194 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



assailant that is not to be easily vanquished. In the moun- 

 tainous parts of Wales, it is stated by Bingley,* " they do 

 not always collect in large flocks, but graze in parties of 

 from eight to a dozen, of which one is stationed at a distance 

 from the rest, to give notice of the approach of danger. 

 When the sentinel observes any one advancing, at the dis- 

 tance of two or three hundred yards, he turns his face to 

 the enemy, keeping a watchful eye upon his motions, allow- 

 ing him to approach as near as eighty or a hundred yards ; 

 but when the suspected foe manifests a design of coming 

 nearer, the watchful guard alarms his comrades by a loud 

 hiss or whistle, twice or thrice repeated, when the whole 

 party instantly scour away with great agility, always seek- 

 ing the steepest and most inaccessible parts of the moun- 

 tains." 



The ewe usually produces only one lamb at a time, though 

 in a flock, it often happens that there are several instances 

 where they have two, and in some rare cases even three 

 at a birth. It is a remarkable peculiarity of this species of 

 animals, that they drink but rarely and sparingly, their 

 thirst being, in all probability, slaked by the juices of the 

 vegetables on which they feed, and the dew or rain by 

 which the herbage is moistened. 



Sheep, like other domestic animals, appear to become 

 subject to many diseases, which, if not totally wanting, are 

 at least very rare among them in the wild state. Water 

 often accumulates in their head ; this disease, which is termed 

 the dunt, is almost invariably fatal ; they are also affected 

 with an extraordinary species of mortification, called foot- 

 rot, this will spread through a whole flock, and produce 

 great devastation ; they are likewise liable to a variety of 

 other complaints, the most common of which is the rot. 

 This is known by the dullness of the animal's eyes ; livid 

 hue of the gums ; the sorder on the teeth ; the fetor of the 

 breath, and by the ease with which the wool, and in the 

 latter stage of it, even the horns may be detached. The 

 origin of this disease is not clearly understood, the prevail- 

 ing opinion, however, is that it is owing to feeding Sheep 

 on wet or moist grounds. Sheep are very obnoxious to the 

 attacks of certain insects; thus, one of the species of gad fly 

 is very troublesome, and even dangerous, by depositing its 

 eggs in the nose, the larva from which breed in immense 

 numbers in that cavity, and in the frontal sinuses; they are 

 also subject to these larva in the skin, as well as to ticks and 

 lice. The ordinary life of the Sheep, is from twelve to 

 thirteen years. 



The benefits which this amimal bestows on mankind are 

 exceedingly numerous. Its horns, its flesh, its tallow, and 

 even its bowels, all furnish articles of great utility. The 



* Animal Biography. 



horns are manufactured into various articles, as spoons, but- 

 tons, cups, &c. The flesh is too well known, as one of our 

 most valuable meats, to require notice. The manufacture 

 of its wool into cloths has long formed the principal source 

 of wealth to England, and, in all probability, will become 

 equally so in this country. The skin, is prepared into 

 leather, for inferior kinds of shoes, for the coverings of 

 books, for gloves, and into parchment. The entrails, by a 

 proper preparation, form those strings for musical instru- 

 ments known under the name of catgut. The bones are 

 employed for a variety of purposes in the arts. The milk 

 has more consistence than that of the cow, but is embued 

 with a rank taste ; the cheese made from it, though rich, is 

 necessarily strong. 



The domestic varieties of the Sheep are exceedingly 

 numerous; besides the minor distinctions which have origi- 

 nated from breeding, there are some peculiar to different 

 countries that deserve notice. The Spanish, or merino, 

 which are remarkable for the fineness of their wool, and 

 the form of their horns, are supposed, by some authors, to 

 have originally been introduced into Spain from England. 

 The African presents a curious instance of the effects of a 

 tropical climate. The form of this variety is meagre, their 

 legs are long, their ears pendant, and the covering of the 

 body has so much of the dryness and crispness of hair, that 

 it can scarcely be considered as wool. 



The Wallachian is remarkable for large spiral horns; this 

 variety has spread through the different islands of the Medi- 

 terranean Archipelago, and is also frequent in Austria and 

 Hungary. The northern regions of Europe afford a variety, 

 distinguished by having their heads furnished with three, 

 four, and more horns. But the most striking discrepancy 

 is found in a race inhabiting the Barbary coast and some 

 parts of Asia; these animals resemble the common Sheep, 

 except in the unnatural dimensions of the tail. This is 

 of a square or round form, like a cushion, and attains the 

 weight of thirty pounds, rendering it, it is said, so great an 

 incumbrance to the animal, that it is often found necessary 

 to support it by a kind of small cart. 



The Sheep of Bucharia are also considered by Linnaeus, 

 as a marked variety. It is from these animals that the Per- 

 sians derive one of their celebrated articles of luxury. The 

 lamb skins of Bucharia, which form part of the dress of 

 every one that can afford it, in Persia, are chiefly procured 

 from lambs, taken from ewes killed during the period of 

 gestation. They have a glossy and fur like texture, and are 

 usually of a gray or black colour. 



The last variety we shall notice, is the Tartarian; this is 

 distinguished by having no tail, and from the immense size 

 of its rump, which appears like a large tumour, and weighs 

 as high as forty pounds. The Sheep themselves ai-e also of 



