THE SOUTHDOWN 541 



This true Southdown, when very well bred, has the following points : no horns ; 

 a long speckled face ; clean and thin jaw ; a long but not a thin neck ; no tuft 

 of wool on the forehead, which they call owl headed ; nor any frize of wool on 

 the cheeks ; thick in the shoulder ; open breasted and deep ; both fore and hind 

 legs stand wide ; round and strait in the barrel ; wide upon the loin and hips ; 

 shut -well in the twist, which is a projection of flesh on the inner part of the 

 thigh, that gives a fullness when viewed behind, and makes a Southdown leg of 

 mutton remarkably round and short, more so than in most other breeds ; thin 

 speckled leg, and free from wool ; the belly full of wool ; the wool close and hard 

 to the feel, curdled to the eye, and free from spiry projecting or staring fibers. 



Fig. 244. A Southdown yearling ewe bred and owned by Illinois University. 



Champion Southdown ewe at the 1917 International Live-Stock Exposition. 



From photograph, by courtesy of Professor W. C. Coffey 



The characteristics of the Southdown in more recent years show 

 a distinct improvement. In 1856 Professor Wilson, discussing the 

 British breeds of sheep/ pays high tribute to the improvement 

 made by Ellman and the breeders following him. At this time the 

 Southdowns had dark brown faces and legs, had been increased 

 in size, improved in the width and depth of fore quarter, the back 

 and loin were broader and more level of carriage, the depth of rib 

 increased, the hind quarters were more square and full, and the 



'^Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. XVI (1856), p. 233. 

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