1 68 



OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



spiral horns which lean to one side in the sheep 

 of Wallachia and stand erect in those of Crete. 

 These animals bear weather of all kinds, being 

 kept on the mountains in summer and brought 



Cheviot I^\vi;s, I'hjst Quality 



Photo J. T. Newman, Uerkhampstead 



down to the plains in winter. Besides milk and 

 meat, each animal can supply from four to si.x 

 [bounds of wool, which is much in demand for 

 the manufacture of stockings and other coarse 

 \v(jolen articles. 



The sihcr-I/aiird s/iccpK found in the south 

 of Africa. Blankets are made of its wool. 

 None of these shec]) ha\'e been 

 brought to our country 

 except as curiosities; 

 iiir agricultural pui 

 poses they could 

 not comj^jcte with 

 our present im 

 p r o \' e d b r e e d s 



IV. M00KL.\Ml 



She r: i' 



The sheep of the mooi 

 of northern Eiu'ope ha\'e long 

 coats of mi.xed wool and haii-. They 

 are coarser and more cowardly than 

 those of Wallachia. Their wool is used onl)- 

 for the commonest stockings and other ec|uall)- 

 coarse woolen textures. This shee|5 inhabits 



A VVali.achtan Raim 



the heath or moors of northern Germany, Den- 

 mark, Russia, the Low Countries, and parts of 

 England. It is not at all exacting, and lives 

 principally on the gorse and heather produced 

 by those arid regions. The 

 laborers raise these sheep for 

 their coarse wool, and for 

 manure with which to fertilize 

 their barren and stony soil. 

 The flesh is considered very 

 sa\'ory and recalls the taste of 

 \-enison ; it contains little fat 

 and has a peculiar gamy flavor, 

 impossible to define, which is 

 possessed by the flesh of no 

 other sheep. 



This moorland animal re- 

 calls in his exterior the wild 

 sheep, his ancestors. The 

 ram's horns resemble those of 

 the argali, but the spirals are 

 smaller and oftener repeated, 

 the head is finely formed, the 

 eye alert and intelligent, the legs very slender 

 and well made. The color of the coat, the hair 

 of which is short about the head and legs, is 

 brownish black, brown, reddish brown, tawny, 

 spotted or speckled, or white. All moorland 

 sheep, however, do not correspond to the type 

 above described. Some have no horns, and 

 others ha\'e the nose strongl}'" 

 curx'ed ; they are mostly 

 small and active. The 

 tail is usuall}' \'ery 

 long. 

 Though these 

 sheep are by nature 

 wild and shy and 

 prefer a free life on 

 the moors, the}' soon 

 accustom themselves 

 to domestic surroundings 

 and will return e\'ery evening 

 faithfully of their own accord. It is 

 instructive to watch the habits of 

 these interesting animals ; let us choose as a 

 type the moorland sheep of the province of 

 Dient in the Low Countries. 



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