Ov! 
OVIPAROUS, in Natural Hiffory, a term applied to 
fuch animals ] dead their young ab ovo, from eggs ; as 
birds, infeGs, 
The oviparous kind ftand in oppofition to thofe which 
bring forth their young alive, called viviparous animals, as 
i eds, &c. 
Oviparous enim may be defined to be fuch as conceive 
caer arie4 they afterwards bring forth, and from which, 
he incnhation of the parent, or fone other principle 
or wartith and entation. at length arile animals ; which 
the moifture or humour they were 
e birds, include divers “fpecies 
of animals; as » lobfters, 
frogs, &c. 
The eae em oviparous and viviparous crea- 
e infe&t world, to be much lefs fixed and 
It i is evident, that fome flies, 
are kept from the 
$ i of a 
och, inftead of ERs, Le forth no lefs thas five living 
ghickeas: ; but fhe it. 
OVIS, ia Sheep, in Zoology, a genus of the clafs and 
order Mam eneric character is ; horn ns 
circular or eae orm. It 
is without tu i 
harmlefs, and ufeful ; 
three, young at a time 
there are four {pecies, but 
genus in three f{pecies, making the /frepficeros, or Cret 
fheep, a mere variety of O. aries. We fhall abide by i. 
Linnzan arrangement 
Species. 
Aries; Common fheep. Horns compreffed and lunate. 
Of this os there are 13 varieties. 
1. The hornlefs fheep, of which the tail and fcrotum hang 
as low as the knees ; breeds of this kind of fheep are raifed 
in many counties of England, and fome other parts of Eu- 
ropes 
Black-faced — ; this is horned ; 
the wool is fhort and coarfe. 
3+ Spanifh fheep a has fpiral horns, lengthened out- 
wards ; the wool is fine and plentiful. The principal dif- 
tin@tion of the Spanifh fheep is the oe of the fleece, and 
the horizontally extended {pire of the 
4. Many-horned fheep ; this has more is two horns; it 
occurs in the northern parts of Europe more frequently than 
in other regions, and is faid to be the mo oft common in Ice- 
land. ie sie are either three, or four, or five, in num- 
ber; fome with the greateft regularity, and 
fometimes differing in proportion and fituation. A four- 
ve 
the tail is fhort ; 
) 
breaft, is alfo found in fome 
horns are ftraight, and ay upright on ‘the top of the 
Vor. XKV. 
ovi 
forehead, while the ae pair are feated on each fide the 
head; and turn downwards, 
5. African fheep. Hak inftead of wool, fhort 
Guinea fheep. Ears pendulous; dewlaps lax, hairy ; 
hind part of the head prominent. This, which is fome- 
times termed the Cape fheep, and which is ’ erroneoutly’ men- 
tioned in Buffon’s Natural Hiftory as of Indian ee aia: 
is f{uppofed to be moft frequent in Guinea, and is diftinguifhed 
ok and } haea 
ther th 
is is diftinguithed by a long 
d in Syria, Barbary, and 
e fheep, as an article of food, is reckoned a great deli- 
cacy. 
8. Fat-rumped fheep. Ears large, pendulous; large 
fatty cufhions on the hips, and without a tail; or ift there be 
a tail it is fo enveloped with fat as to be fcarcely vifible, the 
» Bucharian on Ears large, ees 3 cufhions on 
the hips lefs; the tail is long and flat 
10. Long-tailed fheep. The tail is very long and woolly. 
11. Cape theep. Ears large, pendulous ; tail large and 
roa 
Bearded fheep. Beard long, atti hanging from 
ie oer parts of the cheeks and upper 
13. Morvant. Bea ie lo tongs on as eae of the 
breaft ; neck with a fhor ne. 
Such a are, the feveral » ee as defcribed by Gmelin and 
others ; tt nimal 
ree tii appears as i 
ra¢terifed by Buffon as one of the moft timid, imbecile, and 
contemptible of quadrupeds. When fheep, howev 
an extentive range of pafture, and are left, 1 
degree, to depend on themfelves for food and protection, 
they exhibit a more decided charaer. Ai - has been 
feen ift thefe ices ie to attack and beat off a large 
a bull has been “felled by a 
to receive his adverfary on the horns and 
Sheep difplay confiderable fagacity in the feleCtion of their 
food, and, in the approach of itorms, they perceive the indi- 
cations with accurate precifion, and retire for fhelte ale 
to the fpot which is beft able to afford it. The fheep is 
more fubje& to diforders than any of the dometticated ani- 
mals; giddinefs, confumption, fcab, dropfy, and worms 
frequently feizing upon and deftroying it. Of all diforders 
the moft fatal is owing to vaft numbers of worms of the 
with flightly aa Palace i and bear a general refem- 
blance to the feeds u is another formi- 
dable enemy, and is be fatal in the courfe of twenty-four 
4X% hours, 
