( 640 ) 
XXIV. — Report on the Exhibition of British and Foreign Sheep, 
Goats, and Pigs, at Kilburn. By William Housman. 
British Sheep. 
As men advancing in years begin to perceive that summers are 
not so sunny, roses so sweet, nor stiles, to those whose shadows 
do not grow less, made so wide as " when we were boys," the 
unfavourable comparison of the present with the past is some- 
times extended to their flocks and herds — at least to other men's 
flocks and herds. There is a widely prevailing notion that all 
cultivated breeds must see their best days and then necessarily 
decline, and it is not uncommonly harboured in forgetfulness of 
what " a breed " is and what it is not ; in forgetfulness, too, of the 
marvellous extensiveness of man's " dominion over every living 
thing that moveth upon the earth." Of this dominion we have 
examples in the man who, drawing with a piece of chalk his ideal 
form of a sheep, said, " I'll breed up to that," and did it ; and in 
the breeders who year after year exhibit at " the Royal " well- 
matched pens of model sheep, some of breeds unknown fifty 
years ago, from flocks at home as even as the proverbial peas 
in a pod. Many admirable illustrations may be borrowed from 
the recent exhibition at Kilburn, as I think we shall see in 
reviewing the classes severally, with the valuable assistance of 
the Judges' comments. 
British Sheep, to which 75 classes were assigned, had entries 
(in some classes very numerous) in all but four. In the 71 
classes the entries were 760, and as the ewes and ewe lambs 
were pf course exhibited in pens of five, numbering 191 entries, 
the rams in single entries numbering 569, the total number of 
animals entered was 1512. Mr. Whitehead, the Steward of 
stock for the Sheep Department, reports the absence of 77 pens, 
representing 140 animals, so that the number of British sheep 
and lambs actually on the show-ground was 1372. Of these, I 
regret to notice, 18 rams, 4 pens of ewes, and 7 pens of lambs — 
in some cases whole classes — were disqualified by the Inspectors 
of Shearing, who thus report upon their unpleasant, yet, as it 
unhappily appears, most necessary labours : — 
As Inspectors of Sheep-shearing we have to report tliat after a ver}' careful 
examination of the stock, we found xerj many sheep in tlie Show-yard not fairly 
and honestly shorn ; and after giving some numbers of sheep the benefit of a 
doubt, we then recommended the numbers as given to the Council to be dis- 
qualified. These showed in some cases most glaring infringement of the rules 
as laid down for our guidance. We have to remark that some of the Border 
I,eicester, Roscommon (Irish) sheep, and other classes gave us much con- 
sideration whether or not to recommend the disqualification of other numbers 
besides those given. Two or three years ago we found a great improvement 
