WINTER MANAGEMENT. 211 



The history of the breeds with their distinctive peculiari- 

 ties, found dispersed over so large a portion of the world, 

 exhibiting such diversified forms and coverings, naturally 

 excites our wonder, and staggers the belief of a common 

 origin. But this perplexity is easily unravelled. In con- 

 sideration, it would seem, of their great utility to man, na- 

 ture has endowed them with a pliancy of cpnstitution, which 

 accommodates them to every variety of climate, becoming 

 impressed at each transition with some peculiarity suited to 

 their welfare. But where the climate is temperate • and 

 .equable, the sheep, if long accustomed to it, seems almost to 

 defy our efforts to model it at will ; but whatever the local- 

 ity, if a change is wrought in any important particular, na- 

 ture constantly battles to return to the original point, unless 

 the alteration attempted is in unison or compatible with the 

 temperature and other circumstances which surround it. 

 Thus, if any given breed, distinguished for its compactness 

 of fleece, is transported to a latitude materially warmer than 

 that to which it had been accustomed, nature flies to its aid 

 by relieving it of a portion of its superfluous coat, to prevent 

 the suffering consequent of an oppressive degree of heat. 

 To this may be referred the cause of the annual falling off 

 of the fleece, when unshorn, of the coarser breeds, in nearly 

 all parts of the world, at the approach of summer. There 

 is an exception to this, in the'" Merino variety, but its fleece 

 becomes thinned by removal into regions too warm, and 

 man's efforts are in vain to counteract it. And thus it is, 

 too, if the heavy British breeds are taken to a climate ma- 

 terially colder than its native, the carcase losing its rotun- 

 dity, unless precautionary measures are adopted to protect 

 them against the cold incident to their new locality ; the 

 fleece, also, is shortened in staple, but proportionally thick- 

 ens, to check the escape of warmth from the body, and 

 thereby guarding against a rapid waste of the system. 



It will be deduced from the foregoing, that plants and ani- 

 mals are analogous, and that however pliant may be the con- 

 stitution of the sheep, there are geographical limits, out of 

 which it does not attain perfection. It is true, the animal 

 propagates in Iceland, and districts within the tropics ; al- 

 though there are certain localities in the last, in which 

 sheep have been taken to from temperate latitudes, and per- 

 ished from the excessive heat of the climate. This was the 

 case in Biatavia, as also on the plains of South America 



