Report of the Stewards of Stock at the Batter sea Show. 301 
Down than the Shropshire, which militated a<2^ainst him." Of 
the third (Mr. Horton's), that " with all his other fine qualities, 
he was too light in the leg ;" and of the highly commended one 
(Lord Wcnlock's) that "he stands too near behind." "Only 9 
pens of theaves competed in Class III. ; but, take them as a 
Avhole, they were better than those exhibited at Leeds last year ; 
the competition between the three prize pens was very close, and 
had our fiat been reversed, I believe there would have been little 
fault found." 
" The Hampshire Down Sheep prcisented in tlicir vavioiis classes tlie usual 
difference of type between the original West Country, Down sheep, with its 
large form and strong constitution, and the ' Improved Hampshire Down,' 
with its more symmetrical form, better flesh, and finer wool. In each type 
their tendency to early maturity, which has given this breed of sheep their 
liigh character, has been properly preserved ; and this ■ is evidently a great 
point with the breeders. 
" In the shearling rams great size, and, in most instances, excellent 
quality of flesh and wool arc found ; but the acceptance of a black face as a 
type of the breed has led, in many instances, to a tendencji- to rustiness, if not 
to blackness, of the wool round the ears and poll ; we regard this as a grave 
defect, which, in common with occasional thickness in the neck and scrag, 
exhibits itself in some cases throughout all the classes. 
" The above remarks are equally applicable to Class II., though there the 
competition was much less. 
" The competition in the shearling ewes was considerable, and in this class 
especially the various characters of the Hampshire Down sheep Avere well repre- 
sented, and the difficulties of the Judges proportionably enhanced. 
" The theaves which took the first ])rizc were wonderfully good, with the 
exception of their necks, which were too thin ; a tendency to blackness was 
also observable roimd some of their polls. On the whole, we may remark that 
the animals of this breed showed no improvement on those exhibited at the 
Leeds Show ; indeed, we think that the class did not come up to the standard 
of 1861, if we except the shearling theaves. Berkshire contributed six out of 
the nine winners, and Hants and Wilts the remainder." 
The Oxfordshire Down class made up 62 entries, of which no 
less than 40 were shearling rams ; and but for overfeeding — wliicli 
had sadly crippled the resources of two successful exhibitors of 
former years — the array would have been much larger. Still the 
Judges report that " each class contained some very good sheep, 
and they must altogether be considered as (juite up to the mark. 
The theaves, especially, had not by any means that uniformity 
which they ought to possess, and the same men were obliged to 
resort to sheep of different types to make up their pens." Another 
Judge observes: " I consider them a very useful class of sheep ; 
but the quality of their mutton is rather too loose to please me." 
Many of them in their faces showed a strong affinity to the Cots- 
wold sheep, and among the prize theaves many of the heads 
bordered on the Leicester. The Judges' attention cannot be 
too strongly directed to the habit of " cutting down." Immedi- 
ately after Christmas they are housed, and half the avooI is cut 
