84 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



which are in contact with the around when the 

 animals repose, namely, the breast, the limbs, and 

 the belly." In their active habits and impatience of 

 restraint the Wicklow sheep resemble the Welsh 

 mountain breed. 



Ireland is also the home of several breeds of 

 sheep which inhabit lower and drier ground than 

 the last, and therefore differ markedly in physical 

 features. Of these breeds the Kerry, as one of 

 the best known, will suffice as an example. " Kerry 

 sheep," according to Low,^ "exceed in size the 

 breeds of Wales, of the Wicklow Mountains, and 

 of many of the old forests of England. The horns 

 are generally small and crooked, and sometimes 

 wanting in the female, although some of the allied 

 varieties of other parts have the horns large and 

 spifal. The wool is coarse, and hairy on the 

 haunches, and to a certain degree along the ridge 

 on the back, but on the sides it is very long and 

 fine. The white colour of the fleece prevails ; but 

 there is a constant tendency to the development of 

 the darker shades ; and the whole sheep would be- 

 come black and brown, were it not for the choice 

 by breeders of those which are white. These 

 sheep are in a remarkable degree wild and restless 

 in their habits. . . , Their mutton is juicy and of 

 good flavour, which causes them to be greatly valued 

 for domestic consumption. This is their really 

 ' Op. cit, p. 76. 



