FAT-RUMPED SHEEP 201 



flesh and fat and the skins of the lambs — which 

 form an important article of trade with Russia — 

 these sheep are of the greatest value to the Russians. 

 Together with those of the Kalmuk breed, the 

 skins of Kirghiz -lambs are the most valuable of 

 all the members of the fat-rumped group ; their 

 pelts, known in Russian as merluschken, being 

 noted on account of both the beauty and the 

 durability of the shining and closely curled locks 

 of hair. On this account these skins are nearly as 

 valuable as the true Astrakhan produced by the 

 lambs of the Bokharan fat-tailed sheep; black 

 skins fetching the highest price in the market. 

 The hairy fleece of the sheep is worked up by the 

 Kirghiz into various coloured fabrics ; this industry 

 having been in existence at least as early as the 

 classic days of Greece, when it was practised by 

 the Parthians and other tribes. 



The Kalmuk breed of these sheep is apparently 

 still more goat-like than the last ; this inducing 

 Fitzinger to state that it is without doubt the 

 product of a goat-and-sheep cross, although here 

 again Pallas takes an altogether different view, 

 and believes these Kalmuk sheep to represent a 

 local strain of the Tatarian fat-rumped breed. 

 They are kept in large flocks by the Stafropolish 

 Kalmuks as well as by the middle horde of Kirghiz, 

 by whom they are brought to market at Irtish, 

 whence they are carried to Russia and parts of 



