British Breeds of Sheep 73 



Differences in the Lowland Breeds 



Of the three breeds, Lincoln, Leicester, and Cots- 

 wold, the Lincoln is the largest in size and the coars- 

 est in frame and fleece, while the Leicester is the 

 finest in bone and smallest in size. The head of the 

 Lincoln is larger and longer than that of the others, 

 and like that of the Leicester it has only a small tuft 

 of wool surrounding it, while in the instance of the 

 Cotswold the long forelock falls over the face. The 

 neck of the Lincoln and the Leicester as a rule is 

 shorter than that of the Cotswold, and as it is straight, 

 the head is held almost in a line of the body. In 

 the Cotswold, the neck rises more erect from the body, 

 giving the head a carriage and poise that adds greatly 

 to their style. The body of the Lincoln is appar- 

 ently fuller in its development, having a greater 

 depth of flesh usually on the back, while the Cots- 

 wold and the Leicester may claim an advantage in 

 the length of this part. The fibers of the Lincoln 

 fleece are very loose and strong, and they mass to- 

 gether in heavy flakes. The wool of the Cotswold, 

 while long, is comparatively fine, though it differs 

 very much in crimp. In some fleeces the fibers are 

 very wavy and massed, and the crimp very uneven, 

 while in others they are not the least cotted, but fall 

 away in light locks with the "pirls" that are charac- 

 teristic of the Leicester. The Leicester fleece is 

 hghter and inclined to be more open than the others. 



