262 ON THE SHEEP OF ZETLAND. 



pasture are common to several farms, yet the 

 sheep which belong to each, seldom stray far be- 

 yond their proper limits, and if transported to a 

 distant district, frequently return to the spot of 

 their nativity. . 



The different owners know the particular indi- 

 viduals which belong to them, by a mark on the 

 ear, and the people can discriminate slight dif- 

 ferences of this kind with wonderful accuracy, 

 even at a great distance. In summer, they are 

 driven into a small circular inclosure called a 

 crue, for the purpose of taking off the wool. The 

 native sheep are seldom shorn, but about the be- 

 ginning of June, when the fleece begins to loosen 

 spontaneously, it is pulled off by the hand. This 

 operation is called rooing the sheep. They are 

 left very bare after it ; but the people say, that 

 the wool on the animal continues much finer when 

 it is removed in this manner, than by the shears. 

 Exceptfor thepurposesof rooing, milking, kaveling 

 and marking them, on all other occasions the sheep 

 are caught by dogs trained for the purpose. It 

 is surprising to see with what accuracy a dog 

 singles out the particular sheep from among a 

 flock ; and in a short time, the individuals who 

 are not the objects of pursuit, appear to be sen- 

 sible of the election in their favour, and become 

 comparatively tranquil, while the other is hunted 

 down.' 



Although thus early accustomed to view the dog 

 as an enemy, they readily associate together ; for 



