t 
-into three lots, one of which was sent to the Jardin d’Acclime 
of good quality. The wool is of mother-of-pearl brilliancy, p 
= with short, close, and shining hair. The animal has 9° horts | 
746 © Hornless Ruminants. (Ang, 
` the chest expansive, and loin good; the tail is short and = 
> \ r 
H. von Nathusius writes me from Saxony : 
large, short-tailed, marsh breeds, that now mostly have been 
crossed with the long-woolled English. There are few of the 
aboriginal ovine tribes left untouched by Merino blood. Among | 
the Merinos there is no regularity at all concerning horns. There 
are breeds in which almost all the ewes have small horns, ani 
others, particularly in France, where even the rams are devoid 
of them. They have given them premiums, indeed, limited © 
Lincoln sheep from Lady Pigot’s flock, and, strangely enough, $ | 
pes percentage of the rams and an occasional ewe came with 
orns. : 
_ “In the collection of the University of Halle there is aven 
interesting suite of ovine skulls, beginning with such of the most 
In 1863 the French government introduced some of the famots 
Ong ti, or Chinese prolific sheep. The consignment was divi¢ | 
tion, where they have increased enormously. They “i 
well, as high as one hundred and fifty-four pounds; the fesh * 
Z 
of common quality. The head, which is very small, is co 
but what gives the greatest peculiarity to the sheep is, that $ r 
have no ears. The legs are long and hairless; the body shoti 
on itself in a crease of the skin that encloses a fat of very E 
quality. The distinguishing trait of the race is its fecuri 
producing from two to five twicea year. Two only are £ en 
raised, though the mothers are excellent milkers. 
* The male (hornless) of this breed is figured by L. Figuiet. 
(To be continued.) 
