132 
Panics in Sheep, 
A tenant of ours, about two miles north-west from Ditchley, had all his 
feeding sheep mixed up together, hurdles broken, racks and troughs heaped 
up together, and some of the sheep were hurt. 
Mr. Charles Calvert, of Fairspeir House, Ascott-under-Wych- 
wood, writes : — 
My sheep broke loose, overturning some of their racks and troughs. . . . 
The shepherd next morning found them scattered about the adjoining fields, 
apparently not much the worse for their panic. 
Mr. A. Hay ley Gregson writes of Potter’s Hill Farm, Witney, 
Oxon : — 
I found the 200 ewes and 110 fatting sheep (penned 500 yards one from 
the other) had broken their folds. Every trough and rack were overturned, 
one ewe lying on its back dead, apparently thrown in the rush and unable 
to regain its legs ; two more ewes had been on their backs for some time, as 
shown by the marks in the soft ground. I noticed that the ewes, after 
breaking from the fold, stopped directly and fed, as if their fright was the 
matter of a moment or so’s duration. 
And of High Lodge Farm, near Fairspeir : — 
The whole of the sheep on that farm had been seized with the same 
panic, but although one was held in some netting no losses resulted. 
In other cases, however, the effect of the fright was more lasting. 
Mr. A. F. Douglas, agent to Mr. Freeman Mitforcl. at Batsford, 
Moreton-in-Marsh, reports of Mr. Dugdale’s sheep on Sezincot 
Farm, which broke out, knocking the hurdles down, but remaining 
beside the fold, although outside it : — 
Ever since that night, until the moon began to shine in the morning, the 
sheep have been very frightened, and whenever they heard the shepherd’s 
footstep would get up in a startled way and huddle together till they heard 
his voice. Never used to do so before. 
Also of Batsford Home Farm : — 
Three lots of sheep were in the field — two lots of feeding sheep, one lot 
of breeding ewes. The latter were in a more sheltered place than the feed- 
ing sheep. The feeding sheep knocked down, and more or less broke, about 
twenty hurdles. All the troughs and racks in their pens were knocked over. 
Two sheep seem to have separated themselves from the others and rushed 
down the field ; one fell over a clump of roots, and evidently lay there for 
some time, presumably either stunned or cast on its back. The other feed- 
ing sheep went down the field and joined the breeding ewes, and were 
found outside their fold in the morning. 
And of Lower Lemington Farm, near Batsford : — 
Sheep broke down about four hurdles and raced partly over the field, 
and were found in the morning, some lying down, others quietly eating some 
unburied roots. Were very frightened in the morning for some time after. 
It may be remarked that Batsford Home Farm is at an altitude 
of nearly 1,000 feet. 
