MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 129 



towards this they always climb. When the 

 weather is fine their heads are infallibly turned 

 towards the skyline. 



And now the shepherds are busy with their 

 flocks. The ewes are drafted out and quietly 

 driven to the lowlands. These are distributed 

 among the fields of the hill-farms, and for a 

 time have better fare. An anxious time is 

 approaching ; but here the lambing season 

 comes fully two months later than in the lower 

 cultivated valleys. Daily attention is paid 

 to the ewes, and about mid-April the lambs 

 begin to make their appearance. The Black- 

 faced and Herdwicks are hardy ; there is no 

 folding, no extra feeding, and they come 

 through the critical time in a manner that would 

 astonish southern farmers. The mortality is 

 exceedingly small ; the lambs are strong and 

 quickly on their legs. As soon as the lambing 

 season is over, and the little strangers are 

 strong enough to bear the journe3 r , the whole 

 flock is driven back to the fells. Each year 

 the farmer breeds two varieties of lambs. The 

 Black-faced and Herd wick ewes produce both, 

 one of which is half-breed, the other pure. The 

 pure portion is to keep up the blood of the 



