THE LAND OF LAMBSKINS 



81 



otherwise assisting in 

 the study and photo- 

 graphing of the ani- 

 mals. 



While the inspec- 

 tion was in progress 

 a lamb was born, the 

 hair being a splendid 

 type of Persian lamb, 

 with beautiful black 

 luster and tight, even 

 curl (see page 79). 



As an illustration 

 of the close personal 

 attention the lambs 

 receive till they are 

 able to care for them- 

 selves, the ewe and 

 one of the shepherds 

 seemed to vie with 

 each other in attend- 

 ing this helpless ar- 

 rival. The flock 

 drifted away and the 

 lamb was unable to 

 travel, so the ewe and 

 shepherd remained, 

 and finally the boy 

 gathered it in his 

 arms and came on up 

 with the crowd. 



These shepherds, 

 although extremely 

 ignorant, especially in 

 any civilized sense, 

 and living the lives of 

 the sheep night and 

 day for months at a 

 time, are said to know 

 the members of their 

 flocks individually 

 and the parentage of 

 each sheep, even 

 among large numbers. 



INTERBREEDING O E 



KARAKUL AND 



KIRGHIZ SHEEP 



Since numbers of 

 the ewes of the fat- 

 rump Kirghiz mut- 

 ton sheep are yearly 

 placed among the 

 Karakul flocks for the 

 purpose, as related by 

 the owner, of keeping 

 up the vigor, and since 

 no written records are 



A YOUNG KARAKUL RAM ON THE STEPPES OF BOKHARA 



A KARAKUL RAM IN BOKHARA 



Curiosity is a passion stronger than fear in many cases, and the 

 timid Sarts and Bokbarans who first fear the camera man soon 

 bring their dearest possessions to him in order to have them photo- 

 graphed. The story current in many parts of the East that camera 

 lenses are made from the eyes of murdered children may explain 

 why many a fond mother protects her infant from the recording eye 

 of the kodak fiend. 



