THE SHEEP. 165 



their own in the woods and on the plains ; but 

 the only chance of survival which was open to 

 the more sluggish Ovidee was to take to the 

 mountains. Many a human refugee, hunted by a 

 human beast of prey, has had to do the same. 

 Having once chosen this habitat, it was necessary 

 that their instincts and structure should become 

 adapted for the life of a mountaineer ; and, 

 throughout long ages, by the survival of those 

 individuals best fitted to this kind of existence, 

 and by the elimination or sifting out of the unfit, 

 they have developed into what they are now. 



As a protection against the cold of high alti- 

 tudes, they grew a thick woolly covering beneath 

 their coarse thatch of hair. The need of mount- 

 ing steep slopes with rapidity, and of propel- 

 ling their heavy bodies by leaps among the 

 rocks and crevasses of their place of refuge, 

 caused the muscles of the hinder quarters to 

 become peculiarly stout and fleshy. To the 

 former fact we owe our woollen clothing, and 

 to the latter the massive and succulent "legs 

 of mutton " which so often appear on our 

 tables. As has been said above, and as is 

 proved by the unfortunate animal shown in our 

 illustration, the wool continues to grow in most 



