100 SHEEP. Chap. III. 



breeds of sheep no one, who knows anything on the subject, 

 entertains a doubt. The case of the Southdowns, as improved by 

 Ellman, offers perhaps the most striking instance. Unconscious 

 or occasional selection has likewise slowly produced a great 

 effect, as we shall see in the chapters on Selection. That 

 crossing has largely modified some breeds, no one who will study 

 what has been written on this subject — for instance, Mr. Spooner's 

 paper — will dispute; but to produce uniformity in a crossed 

 breed, careful selection and " rigorous weeding," as this author 

 expresses it, are indispensable. 94 



In some few instances new breeds have suddenly originated ; 

 thus, in 1791, a ram-lamb was born in Massachusetts, having 

 short crooked legs and a long back, like a turnspit-dog. From 

 this one lamb the otter or ancon semi-monstrous breed was raised ; 

 as these sheep could not leap over the fences, it was thought 

 that they would be valuable ; but they have been supplanted 

 by merinos, and thus exterminated. These sheep are remark- 

 able from transmitting their character so truly that Colonel 

 Humphreys 95 never heard of " but one questionable case " of 

 an ancon ram and ewe not producing ancon offspring. When 

 they are crossed with other breeds the offspring, with rare ex- 

 ceptions, instead of being intermediate in character, perfectly 

 resemble either parent ; and this has occurred even in the case 

 of twins. Lastly, "the ancons -have been observed to keep 

 together, separating themselves from the rest of the flock when 

 put into enclosures with other sheep." 



A more interesting case has been recorded in the Report of 

 the Juries for the Great Exhibition (1851), namely, the produc- 

 tion of a merino ram-lamb on the Mauchamp farm, in 1828, 

 which was remarkable for its long, smooth, straight, and silky 

 wool. By the year 1833 M. Graux had raised rams enough to 

 serve his whole flock, and after a few more years he was able 

 to sell stock of his new breed. So peculiar and valuable is the 

 wool, that it sells at 25 per cent, above the best merino wool : 

 even the fleeces of half-bred animals are valuable, and are known 

 in France as the "Maucbamp-merino." It is interesting, as 



w 'Journal of E. Agricult. Soc. of 95 ' Philosoph. Transactions,' London, 



England,' vol. xx., part ii. W. C. 1813, p. 88. 

 Spooner on Cross-Breeding. 



