440 Breeds of Sheep best adapted to different Localities. 



consideration of a breed which is very little known, the name not 

 having extended much farther than the narrow precincts within 

 which they are to be found. The breed alluded to is denominated 

 the Herdwick, which is a polled breed, whilst the black-faced 

 are horned. Its origin is involved in some obscurity; the tra- 

 ditional history is as follows : Early in the last century a ship was 

 stranded on the coast of Cumberland, which had on board some 

 sheep, stated to have come from Scotland. They were got on 

 shore, and, being driven up the country, were purchased by some 

 farmers living at Wasdale Head. They were small, active, 

 polled, and their faces and legs speckled.* They were at once 

 turned upon the neighbouring hills ; they had not been there 

 long before they evinced a peculiar sagacity in foreseeing the 

 approach of a snow-storm, as it was invariably seen that a little 

 before its coming, they clustered together on the most exposed side 

 of the mountain, where the violence of the ivind usually prevented 

 the snow from lodging. This instinct caused them to be regarded 

 with a degree of interest amounting to superstition ; and their 

 excellent qualities and adaptation to their new situation became 

 speedily evident ; some portions of the fleece were considerably 

 finer than that of the common black-faced sheep, whilst the 

 matted quality of the wool enabled them to endure any severity 

 of weather. The proprietors of these animals determined to 

 keep them as much as possible to themselves, and an association 

 was formed, — one of the regulations of which was that no member 

 should sell a ram and not more than five ewe lambs in one 

 season. This monopoly, however, was soon evaded, and the 

 breed has gradually spread ; but it is still confined within very 

 narrow limits, relatively to its adaptation to such extensive 

 breadths of mountains. They are principally to be found on 

 Langdale Pikes, Wasdale, Eskdale, Ulpha, part of Coniston, and 

 Seathwaite., or, in other words, in that part of the lake district 

 stretching from Ambleside, at the head of Windermere Lake, to 

 near Whitehaven, in Cumberland ; its northern boundary being 

 Keswick Lake, and its southern Coniston Lake. The breed is, 

 however, spreading fast into Westmoreland, viz., at Troutbeck, 

 Sleddle, Grayrigg, &c. ; they will doubtless ultimately displace 

 the old heath or black-faced sheep. Great endeavours are now 

 being made by the farmers in the district named to procure 

 flocks of pure Plerdwicks : some of whom have been constantly 

 aiming at this point for upwards of twenty years, and are still 

 under the impression that they have not got their flock to the 



* From observations made in North and South Wales, subsequent to this paper 

 being written, the writer is strongly inclined to believe that the Herdwicks are a Welsh 

 variety of sheep, and also thinks that the Welsh mountain sheep might be greatly im- 

 proved by situation and attention. 



