FAT-TAILED AND LONG-TAILED SHEEP 177 



peculiar to the country from which it takes its 

 name, extends into India, where it is known to the 

 natives as the dumba or dumb-wala, that is to say, 

 the sheep with the big tail. It is regarded by 

 Fitzinger,^ who incorrectly believed its range to 

 include Tibet, to be a cross between the Bokharan 

 fat-tailed and the Tatarian fat-rumped sheep. 

 Unlike those of the Bokharan dumba, the ewes 

 of this breed sometimes carry small horns, while, 

 on the other hand, the horns of the rams may be 

 either very minute, as in the one shown in pi. xiii. 

 fig. I , or completely wanting. The tail, which does 

 not as a rule extend much, if at all, below the hocks, 

 is of enormous width and thickness, measuring ten 

 inches or a foot across, and commonly weighing 

 from 20 to 30 lbs., and occasionally even 40 lbs. 

 Although the colour of the long and shaggy fleece 

 is variable, it is usually uniform white, dark, or 

 rufous brown, or even black, and occasionally silver- 

 grey ; but piebald and skewbald individuals are by 

 no means uncommon. In the ram shown in the 

 illustration the whole fleece is pure white, but there 

 are black patches on the otherwise white face. 



In Persia the lambs of this breed yield that 

 variety of Astrakhan known in the fur-trade as 

 Persian lamb ; the skins being of relatively large 

 size and excellent quality. 



From Asia this breed has been carried to Mada- 



' op. cit., p. 167. 



M 



