LITTLE BEASTS OF FIELD AND WOOD 



locality during the same season. Last year, for 

 instance, nearly every flock near me had black or 

 brown lambs, though no black or brown sheep had 

 been known here for years. In our own flock 

 were two black twin lambs. One of them had ordi- 

 nary wool like the rest of the sheep, and from the 

 first showed a slight shade of brown in certain 

 lights, which increased during the summer to a 

 decided brown at the surface ; while the fleece of 

 the other was nearly twice as long, and at first 

 more nearly resembled fine silky hair than wool, 

 and for several months was as absolutely black as 

 anything well could be ; even now, it only shows 

 a faint coppery tinge at the tips. 



Red lambs were also common last year, and in 

 most instances exhibited the same peculiar quality 

 of fleece ; but like the brown and some of the 

 black ones, they faded out in course of time to 

 resemble their mothers both in colour and in 

 quality of wool. 



Is it possible that the birth of black and silver 

 S° 



