no THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



till about 1855 that the breed obtained general 

 recognition. In i860 these sheep were introduced 

 for the first time into the United States, where they 

 have of late years attained a wide distribution, as 

 they likewise have in Canadcu They have also 

 been introduced into Scotland, Ireland, many parts 

 of the Continent, South Africa, South America, 

 exclusive of the Falkland Islands, Australia, Tas- 

 mania, New Zealand, and Jamaica. Although 

 they have done well in some of the mountainous 

 districts of Scotland, these sheep are best suited to 

 open rolling countries with good pasture. 



All the foregoing medium-tailed British breeds 

 are natives of mountainous districts, downs, moor- 

 lands, or the less highly cultivated parts of the 

 country. Many of them carry horns, at least in 

 the rams ; and their wool is for the most part of 

 short and medium length. They comprise, in fact, 

 the breeds which, after the short-tailed group, 

 depart least widely from the wild ancestral type. 



Leaving these we pass to the consideration of a 

 more specialised type, all the members of which are 

 long-woolled sheep, devoid of horns in both sexes. 

 The general characteristics of the sheep of this 

 group have been admirably summarised by Prof. 

 David Low^ in the following passage : — 



"They are of large size, and, until improved by 

 art, of coarse form ; and the wool which they yield 



'■ Domesticated Animals of the British Islands, 2nd ed., p. 169. 



