126 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



are collectively characterised by the reddish flesh- 

 colour of the unctuous, oily skin, and the long, close 

 wool, which is normally white, although it may be 

 dun or even black on the limbs, face, and ears. 

 The rams have a strongly convex profile, and carry 

 forwardly curving spiral horns of the mouflon type, 

 which often form more than one complete turn ; 

 but the ewes are usually hornless. Frequently the 

 loose skin is thrown into transverse folds in the 

 region of the neck, and in some strains these folds 

 are also developed on the body. The legs are long 

 and the sides flat, while the chest is narrow. Very 

 characteristic of these sheep is the presence of 

 coarse wool on the forehead and cheeks, as well as 

 on the lower part of the limbs. The fleece is close, 

 short, and unctuous ; from this close character it 

 feels hard when pressed, although it really consists 

 of extremely fine filaments, so that the wool has 

 greater felting properties than that of any other 

 breed : the weight of the fleece is also relatively 

 greater than in any other sheep. Unlike other 

 sheep, merinos do not annually renew their fleeces, 

 which will continue to grow for several successive 

 years. Although Spanish merinos are compara- 

 tively small, the Rambouillet strain attains a huge 

 size. 



Modern breeders have found it convenient to split 

 merinos into three classes, according to the degree 

 of development of the folds in the skin. In the 



