386' 



COMMON SHEEP, 



poses of commerce. That of Spain is still finer, 

 but less proper for using alone ; and is mixed 

 ^vith the English for the superior kinds of cloth. 



England/' says Mr. Pennant, " once the envy 

 of Europe, for its vast commerce in the produc- 

 tions of this creature, now begins to be rivalled by 

 others, through the neglect, the luxury, and the 

 too great avidity of our manufacturers." Of the 

 English Sheep, those bred in Lincolnshire and the 

 northern counties are most remarkable for their 

 size, and the quantity of wool which they bear. 

 In other parts of England they are generally 

 smaller ; and in some parts of Wales and Scot- 

 land are very small. It would be superfluous in 

 a work of this nature, to dwell much on the his- 

 tory and character of the domestic Sheep. It is 

 proverbially a timid, simple, and harmless animal : 

 yet, as is well observed by Mr. Smellie, in his 

 edition of BufFon, ' ' Though the talents of the 

 Sheep are not so brilliant as those of other quadru- 

 peds, yet he appears not to be that stupid, defence- 

 less creature painted by the French naturalist." 



Sheep," says Mr. Smellie, when enslaved by 

 man, tremble at the voice of the shepherd or his 

 dog; but on those extensive mountains where 

 they are allowed to range almost without con- 

 troul, and where they seldom depend on the aid of 

 the sliepherd, they assume a very difierent mode 

 of behaviour. In these situations, a Ram or a 

 Wedder will boldly attack a single dog, and often 

 come off victorious ; but t\^hen the danger is more 

 alarming, they have recourse to the collected 



