44 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



the pigmy Cameruns representative of the maned 

 breeds, the arrangement of the colouring is abso- 

 lutely reversed, the back being rufous and the belly 

 black. 



As regards their value and importance to man- 

 kind, it is perhaps not too much to say that sheep 

 occupy at least as high a position as any other 

 animal. It is true that the alpaca of the Andes 

 supplies material for food and raiment in much the 

 same manner as sheep, but then, like its relative the 

 camel, it has but a local distribution, whereas sheep 

 are spread over the greater part of the world. 

 Many nationalities make great use of the milk of 

 ewes, either in its natural form or in the shape of 

 curd and cheese, or in both forms ; and, except 

 among Buddhists, the use of mutton is universal 

 among all people by whom it is obtainable. The 

 high value and economical importance of wool is 

 too well known to need more than passing mention ; 

 in addition to this, the lambs of some of the Asiatic 

 fat-tailed breeds yield the fur known in commerce 

 as Astrakhan, in which, as mentioned in a later 

 chapter, there is an extensive trade. The fat- 

 rumped breeds appear to be the source of a very 

 large proportion of the Russian tallow imported 

 into Western Europe. But this does not exhaust 

 the commercial products of sheep, for the hides, 

 with the wool or hair attached, are used largely for 

 mats and rugs, or as garments ; while, when tanned 



