British Breeds of Sheep 127 



lambs are usually black at birth, and the crop some- 

 times amounts to one hundred and fifty per cent. 

 The ewes are particularly heavy milkers. 



The Doeset Horn (Fig. 28, p. 131) 



The horned feature of Dorset rams and ewes 

 suggests the thought of their having descended from 

 the same original stock as the Merino. Though there 

 are few horned breeds of British sheep, the unim- 

 proved stock was commonly horned, as shown in the 

 discussions of the other breeds. That the Dorset 

 is mainly distinct from other British breeds is shown 

 by the fact that it was the only white-faced British 

 breed with horns. The stock from which the present 

 breed was derived seems to have been native from 

 very early times to south and part of central England, 

 particularly the counties of Somerset and Dorset. 

 In relation to their origin, Marshall, writing in the 

 eighteenth century, mentions the fact of a race of 

 sheep inhabiting a great part of Devonshire, some of 

 which were horned. He also remarked that in the 

 different varieties of the breed there were certain 

 individuals that have so strong a resemblance to 

 the present breed of Dorsetshire as to leave little 

 doubt of their having a natural alliance and, as bear- 

 ing out this theory, he alludes to the fact of the Dor- 

 setshire or "house lamb" breed being found in great 

 purity in the vale of Exeter and that one flock of 



