Report on the Exhibition of Live Stock at Birmimjham. 583 
best having since crossed the Atlantic for the Phihidelphia Exhi- 
bition. This sheep, although only highly commended last year 
at Taunton, attracted the particular notice of jNIr. H. Overman, 
one of the Judges, who predicted that, with good treatment, the 
ram would develop into a first-prize winner. The excellent 
plait and forcquarter of this sheep are remarkable, and his girth 
reaches 4 feet 9 inches ; but the second-prize animal, belonging 
to Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P., was of nice character also, with a 
girth equal to the one just remarked on. Lord VValsingham's 
third had a particularly nice touch, and his Reserve sheep 
seemed scarcely inferior to either of the others put before him. 
This should prove how close was the competition. But there 
were six other very superior sheep in the class. H.R.H. the 
Prince of Wales was highly commended with a straight-backed, 
well-shaped specimen ; and the like honour was accorded Mr. 
Rigden and Sir W. Throckmorton, for grandly backed sheep, 
with excellent character. Three other rams, belonging to the 
two exhibitors last named and Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P., were 
also commended. No fewer than ten sheep altogether were con- 
sequently honoured. 
Great size, combined with good quality, was also the prevailing 
feature of the Southdown shearling ewe pens. Lord Walsing- 
ham's star was once more in the ascendant, and the Judges would 
have erred had they not placed his massive, lengthy, handsome 
ewes in the front ; while the evenly matched pen of sweet character, 
belonging to Sir N. W. Throckmorton, seemed to assert just as 
decidedly their right to second place. But there was a very close 
contest indeed between Mr. Colman's third-prize pen and the 
Duke of Richmond's Reserve before these distinctions were 
affixed, and the Judges had to discriminate attentively and expend 
a considerable time on the labour before determining what to do. 
A very nice pen, belonging to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, was 
commended. 
The Judges' Report on the Oxfordshire Downs, Southdown, 
and Hampshire classes, is as follows : — 
Class 97 — Shearling Oxfords — was as fine a class as we have ever seen 
exhibited, and gave us much trouble to select the prize animals, many of 
which were of equal merit ; and we commend the class generally as being a 
very useful lot of sheep. 
In Cii.\ss 98 the entries were not so large ; but as we noticed the whole of 
them, this is sufficient to show they were all good specimens of the breed. 
Class 99 — Shearling Ewes — numbered only six entries ; but those selected 
for the prizes were considered of very equal merit. 
Class 100 — -South Down Shearlings — came out in great force, and was i s 
icood a class as we have seen exhibited for some years, being of a larger size, 
and not deficient in quality. 
In Class 101 we found a remarkably fine class of sheep, of good use and 
quality ; and 
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