SHEEP. 



fcrent Idles that have been made iince its firlt eftabliftiment. 

 In the falc of 1803, in Kew Lane, under the diredlion of 

 fir Jofcph Bank?, the numbers fold, according to fome, 

 were tiveiily-four fiiearling rams, which produced the fiim 

 of 402/. gs. ; feven full-mouthed and four toothed rams, 

 171/. !3J. 6ii. ; fourteen ewes, 118/. Ss. ; amounting in all 

 for tlie forty-five fheep to 692/. los. 6d. The highell price 

 of the fliearling was 42 guineas, the loweft 6/. 7/. Of the 

 full-mouthed rams, 28 guineas were the higheft, and 7^ the 

 loweil price. Of the ewes, 1 1 guineas the highell, 6 the 

 loweft. The rams were put up at fix guineas, the ewes 

 at two guineas ; the former prices at which they were 

 allowed. 



The wool has been fold this year unfcoured at 4;. 6^. 

 ptr pound. The fize of the ewes fomewhat under our pure 

 Ryelands, but above feveral of our fmall breeds ; heads 

 fharp and well-fliaped, with occafionally a black fpot er 

 two ; wool externally having a dirty tinge, but without 

 that red-brown hue which has been before mentioned ; ears 

 pendulous ; perfeft ewe-neck, with the finking or cavity 

 both before and behind the Ihoulder, the top of which is 

 generally higher than the rump ; capacious belly, the ani- 

 mal ilanding wide and well upon the legs ; the rams gene- 

 rally of good fize, fome of them large enough for any pur- 

 pofe whatever, and of a great bone, but flat and fymme- 

 trical ; feveral of them were of as good and ufeful form as 

 need be feen, having compadl loins and fhoulders, and 

 ftraight backs. Two or three individuals refembled very 

 ftrikingly our Dorfet and Hamplliire ftock ; the charac- 

 teriltic velvet or filken glols on the fhorn faces of the rams 

 was remarkabli, and their countenance put one in mind of 

 the fair-haired human complexion. Mouths by no means 

 fine 



And it has been obferved, that the large tuft of wool 

 covering the face of Merino (heep is extremely inconve- 

 nient in northern countries, where they have frequent heavy 

 drifts of fnow. And that it is lord Somerville's pradice 

 to clip this and the leg-wool two or three times 3-year, be- 

 ginning about fix weeks after (hearing. But that in winter, 

 and in very rigorous climates, it may not be proper to leave 

 the head too bare and expofed, as it may produce difeafe. 

 Thefe clippings may be proper for inferior purpofes, and 

 the fleece be rendered more pure and valuable without them. 

 The tuft on the head, and even the throat inefs-, or protu- 

 berance in the throat, chara£leriliic of the Spanifli fort, 

 are, as it is alierted, difcoverable, in degrees, in fome of 

 the native breeds, particularly the Ryeland, (liewing its 

 origin. And a good judge, Mr. Knight, contends, that 

 the produce of a crofs with this breed, and the Arclxtifeld 

 or true Ryeland fort, is extremely ugly, and, according to 

 his information, fnbjcft to the foot-rot. On fome rich 

 paltures in Middlefex this has alfo been feund to be the 

 cafe in both the true and crofled breed. 



Tht Mugged Breed or Variety. — This is a fingular breed 

 of (heep, which formerly prevailed throughout all the low 

 lands of Northumberland. They had a (hort, coarfe, curled 

 wool, covering their heads, faces, and legs, and grew down 

 to their feet ; in form they refembled hill {heep ; their 

 (houlders low and fliarp ; fides flat ; back rather arched ; 

 loins thin. It has been fuggefted, that this mugged ap- 

 pearance may have been the refult of a Spanifh crofs, 

 Tliis fort of fheep has extended to Yorkfhire ; and traces 

 of them are ftill vifible, although they have long fince given 

 place to (heep of the long-woolled kinds. They are now 

 chiefly met with in the northern counties. 



The IVelJb Sheep or Variety. — Theie, which are the moft 

 general breed in the hill diftrifts, are fmall-horaed, aad all 



over of a white colour. They are neat compaA fheep 

 There is likewife a polled fhort-woolled fort of fheep in 

 thefe parts of the country, which are efteemed by fome. 

 And the genuine Welfti mutton, from its fmallnefs and 

 delicate flavour, ii commonly well-known, highly eileemed, 

 and fold at a high price. But the fattening of the fmall 

 Welfh fheep has not in general been found to anfwer in 

 the f luthern diftrifts of the kingdom. In (hort, this is 

 a breed which (lands in need of much improvement, and 

 which is capable of admitting of it with much advantage 

 to the fheep-farmers of that dillrift. 



Tlie croffes of it fhould be with the larger finer wooUed 

 breeds, that afford good mutton, and be made with great 

 care and attention. It is fuppofed by fome, that the 

 Welfh are the original of all the different breeds of (heep in 

 the ifland. 



The Iri/b Breed or Variety. — This is a breed of (lieep, 

 which is defcribed in this way by Culley. Thefe (heep are 

 iupported by very long, thick, crooked, grey legs ; their 

 heads long and ugly, with large flagging ears, grey faces, 

 and eyes funk ; necks Imig, and fet on below the Ih.iulders; 

 brealts narrow and fliort, hollow before and behind the 

 (houlders ; flat-fided, with high, narrow, herring-backs ; 

 hind-quarters drooping, and tail fet low. In (hort, they 

 are almolt in every refpeft contrary to what he apprehends 

 a well-formed (heep (hould be. The (pirit of improvement . 

 in (heep-ltock has however extended itfelf to Ireland, and 1 

 there can be no doubt, therefore, but that they will foon im- 

 prove this as well as other forts of live^ltock. 



Indeed, fince the period in which the above account of 

 Irilh (heep was given, many ufeful and important altera- 

 tions and improvements have been produced by judicious 

 feleclion and eroding in this fort of (lock, in feveral differ- 

 ent parts of that country. 



However, independent of thefe numerous breeds or varie- 

 ties of (heep, which are inhabitants of this ifland, there- 

 are in other countries many other kinds, which may be 

 jull noticed for the fake of curiofity, as they are occa- 

 fionally feen in parks and pleafure-grounds in this intention. 

 The more cold dillrifts of Iceland and RulTia afford a many' 

 horned breed of flieep, moftlv from four to feven or eight ; 

 having a coat of dark-brown coloured hairy wool, weigh- 

 ing about four pounds, and covering an interior one of 

 (hort foft fur. Alfo in RulTian Tartary, a large lop-eared, 

 polled aquiline-nofed breed of fheep, fomewhat refembling 

 the Wiltfhire and Dorfet breeds in their fhape, are pro- 

 duced, and which have a long thick woo!, of a black and 

 white mixed or roan colour, and in the place of a tail, a 

 large cufhion of fat occupying the rump ; hence fome 

 naturalilts have called them fat-rumped (heep. This and 

 the broad-tailcd breed are fometimes called the Kalmuc 

 and Ailrachan breeds. Tiie projedlion of fat, in this, has 

 an exquilite delicate marrowy talte. Some fay the wool is 

 rather ihort, not coarfe, but having hair growing through it. 

 They are faid to be fo prolific as to bring two or three 

 young at once. And in Walachia, Crete, and through 

 moft of the Archipelago iflands, there is a breed of flieep 

 which have fingular horns, twilled in a fpiral or fcrew- 

 like manner, (landing in a perpendicular or diverging ex- 

 tending manner from the fore-part of the head, to fome 

 height. In fize and fhape tolerable, bearing a long (haggy 

 but not coarfe coat. Likewife in the extended diftrifts of 

 Perfia, Syria, Egypt, and Barbary, the Iraad-taiUd (heep 

 are met with, the tail in fome of which grows to the 

 breadth of a foot, and to a length to bring them to the 

 weight of from twenty to fifty pounds, on which account 

 the ihepherds are fometimes under the neccffity of fupport- 



ing 



