COMMON SHEEP. 387 



Strength of the whole flock. On such occasions 

 they draw up into a complete body, placing the 

 young and the females in the centie, while the 

 males take the foremost ranks, keeping close by 

 each other. Thus an armed front is presented on 

 all quarters, and cannot easily be attacked with- 

 out danger of destruction to the assailant. In 

 this manner they wait Avith firmness the approach 

 of the enemy ; nor does their courage fail them 

 in the moment of attack ; for when the aggres- 

 sor advances within a few yards of the line, the 

 Rams dart upon them with such impetuosity 

 as to lay him dead at their feet, unless he save 

 himself by timely flight. Against the attacks of 

 single dogs or foxes, when in this situation, they 

 are perfectly secure. A Ram, regardless of dan- 

 ger, will often engage a Bull ; and his forehead 

 being much harder than that of any other animal, 

 he seldom fails to conquer ; for the Bull by lower- 

 ing his head, receives the stroke of the Ram be- 

 tween his eyes, which usually brings him to the 

 ground. " 



Of all the domestic animals, none is so subject 

 to various disorders as the Sheep. Of these one of 

 the most extraordinary, as well as the most fatal *, 

 1 is owing to vast numbers of worms of the genus. 

 ^ Fasciola. which are found in the liver and 2'all- 

 J bladder. They are of a flat form, of an oval 

 shape, with slightly pointed extremities, and bear 

 a general resemblance to the seeds of a gourd, 



* The Rot. 



