FAT-TAILED AND LONG-TAILED SHEEP 189 



fleeces reached ancient Rome from Greece, which 

 was the first country to import Colchian sheep and 

 establish them in Europe. From this trade arose 

 the legend of the golden fleece, and very probably 

 also that of the golden apples, which were really 

 golden melons. 



The astrakhan of the Colchian lamb does not 

 appear to be known in the English fur-trade, but a 

 certain quantity of that produced by the lambs of 

 the Arabian breed is imported. Mr. Poland,' for 

 instance, after referring to the trade in the skins of 

 the sheep, observes that "the lamb-skins are used 

 for fur-purposes. They are generally black, rather 

 coarse and curly, and are usually sold to Canada 

 for the manufacture of cheap coats. They are 

 generally imported salted, and fetch from about 

 sixpence to a shilling. A few years ago many 

 thousand skins were imported from Bussora, as the 

 fur was supposed to be the same as the Persian 

 lamb, but the result was very disappointing to the 

 owners." 



From Greece Colchian sheep were, as we have 

 seen, exported in classical times to Rome, and from 

 these have been produced, by crossing with the 

 ordinary medium-tailed Italian sheep, a breed known 

 as the Tarentinian, so-called from its former abund- 

 ance in the province of Tarent, in Sicily. In 

 general appearance these half-bred sheep are inter- 



' Fur-bearing Animals, p. 327. 



