On Cross Breeding. 
299 
the time of the Romans in this country, certain distinct breeds 
were perpetuated, with little improvement and little change. The 
progenitors of the present Southdown or Sussex breed, inferior 
as they were to their descendants, ranged probably, in the days 
of the Romans, over the Southdown hills; whilst another breed, 
now happily extinct, occupied for the most part the hills and 
downs of Wiltshire and Hampshire. A large, bony, narrow, but 
active sheep, with large heads, Roman noses, and long curly 
horns, high in the withers and sharp in the spine, but yet the 
largest short-woolled breed in existence, were the denizens of 
these counties during the last century. 
In Wiltshire, although they remained as a pure breed much 
longer than in Hampshire, yet, as far as can be learnt, they 
were supplanted by the Southdown, whose superior qualities 
displaced the old Wiltshire altogether ; and we are not aware 
of any instances in which they were crossed, except for Tthe 
purpose of crossing them out by using again and again the 
Sussex ram. Mr. James Rawlence of Bulbridge, near Wilton, 
The Old Wiltshif.e Sheep.— 1. Ram bred by Sir. Porter, Hindon, Wilts. 2. Ewe 
from the same flock. For sheep of any of the other pure or cross bi eeds mentioned in 
this Essay the reader is directed to the show-yard at any of our agricultural meetings. 
The old Wiltshire sheep is, however, now extinct ; and the above engraving is there- 
tore given of it. It has been reduced, by permission of Messrs. Longmans, the pub- 
lishers, from .1 plate in Professor Lowe's work ' On Domesticated Animals.' 
