FAT-TAILED AND LONG-TAILED SHEEP 187 



as a rule the head, together with the neck, is white 

 and the whole body black — a condition precisely 

 the opposite of that characterising the fat-rumped 

 breeds. Sometimes, however, the forehead alone 

 is white ; while self-coloured individuals, ranging 

 in tint from yellowish white to black, are occa- 

 sionally met with. In addition to carrying horns, 

 the rams differ from the ewes by their longer 

 limbs. 



The Arabian long-tailed breed is stated by 

 Dr. Fitzinger to range into Syria, Mesopotamia, 

 Turkestan, Afghanistan, and even North-western 

 India. It is, however, more abundant than else- 

 where in the Arabian province of Nejd, where 

 nearly all its representatives are black with white 

 heads and necks. In winter the flocks are kept in the 

 warmest and most sheltered spots, but in summer 

 they are taken to the mountains, or other places 

 where the heat is less intense than in most parts of 

 the plains. The Arabs of JEneze, who cross the 

 desert with their flocks to Damascus and other 

 cities of Syria in order to sell them, return annually 

 to Nejd to buy a fresh stock of sheep and camels. 

 Large flocks of these sheep are also brought into 

 Aleppo ; and they are likewise reported to be 

 common in Afghanistan and Sind. Certain small 

 black sheep met with in Abyssinia are believed by 

 Dr. Fitzinger to belong to this breed, and if so, 

 doubtless came originally from Arabia. In many 



