MEDIUM-TAILED BRITISH BREEDS if 9 



acter, may grow to 12 or 14 inches in length, and 

 is therefore considerably longer than that of the 

 Leicester. Cotswold rams generally weigh from 

 250 to 275 lbs., and ewes from 200 to 225 lbs. 

 As regards the quality of their mutton, Cotswolds 

 are on much the same platform as Leicesters. 



Cotswold sheep have been exported to the 

 Continent, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and 

 the United States, but beyond its native county 

 the breed is nowhere common. For a time, indeed, 

 it attained a considerable development in North 

 America, especially in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, 

 and Ontario ; but of late years there has arisen a 

 demand for smaller mutton, with less fat, and for a 

 medium and finer class of wool, which has checked 

 the expansion of Cotswold flocks. 



The moist climate of Ireland is particularly well 

 suited to large sheep of the long-wooUed class, of 

 which a coarse and unthrifty type has existed on 

 most of the low grounds from very early times. 

 This native stock was improved some time pre- 

 viously to the year 1 840 by crossing with Leicesters ; 

 but when Low wrote the improvement had not 

 been carried far enough to render these sheep equal 

 to the best English long-wools. 



" They are yet," he observes,^ " for the most 

 part too coarse in their general form, narrow in the 

 chest, and flat-sided. The wool is only of medium 



1 Op. cii., p. 185. 



