The Sheep Family. 357 



The name Persian as applied to lambs is misleading. 

 As we have seen most of the skins so designated still 

 come from Bokhara and the surrounding country. It is 

 the Shiraz, and some of the other grades, that come from 

 the provinces in Persia from vs^hich they derive their 

 names, that are strictly speaking Persian skins. The word 

 Persian, therefore, seems to indicate quality rather than 

 locality, and is applied to certain grades produced 

 from different strains of the Patyura, and other Arabi 

 sheep, whether they are obtained on the Bokhara desert 

 or in Texas. 



The Krimmer or Crimean Lamb derives its name from 

 its habitat — the Crimean Peninsula. While the Astra- 

 chan, Persian, Ukranier and other Russian and Asiatic 

 lambs are generally born black, this variety usually 

 comes into the world with a grey or slate colored fur that 

 shows considerable variation in the character of the curl. 

 Krimmer is always more or less in favor for children's 

 furs, and sometimes is used for trimmings, caps and capes. 



Iceland Sheep have a long, beautifully curled wool, and 

 the white specimens are sometimes sold for Tibet lamb, 

 but they can easily be distinguished by the dense under- 

 fur. The predominating colors are white, black, brown 

 and mottled ; but bluish grey, and black or brown spotted 

 animals are sometimes met with. This breed is conspicu- 

 ous because of the number of its horns. It is said that 

 the sheep are not shorn in Iceland, but that the wool is 

 pulled off the animals as it becomes loose late in the 

 spring. 



China Sheep are generally coarser than the Iceland 

 sheep ; some, however, have almost as fine wool, but the 

 hair is always shorter and the curl is smaller. 



Slink Lamb is a name given to the skins taken from 

 the stillborn of the domesticated varieties of sheep, or 

 those who die or are killed soon after birth. These skins 

 are used principally for glove and shoe linings. 



Sheep are the stupidest as well as the most harmless 

 and timid of all animals. They are nearly allied to the 

 Musk Ox by which they are connected with the Bovidae, 

 but in the Barbary Sheep of Africa (Ovis-tragelaphus) 

 and the Bharu, or Blue Sheep of Tibet (Ovis-nahura), 

 they approximate nearer to the goats; in the character of 



