148 
THE MERINO, 
vated in Spain. It is distinguished from the Bri- 
tish breeds, by bearing wool on the forehead and 
cheeks. The horns are very large and ponderous, 
and convoluted laterally. The wool is fine, long, 
soft, and twisted, in silky-looking spiral ringlets, and 
having a large proportion of natural oil, to which the 
dust and other impurities adhere, gives a dingy and 
unclean appearance to the animal, which conveys 
an idea of inferiority, but which is immediately re- 
moved when the unsullied pureness and fineness of the 
wool is seen on separating it. The make of the Me- 
rino is not so symmetrical as some of our British 
breeds, and there is a loose skin hanging from the 
neck, which detracts from its appearance. Many 
different breeds exist, but the best is supposed to be 
those of Cavague and Negrote. These are kept 
during the winter in particular districts of milder 
climate, and are travelled to other districts to be 
shorn, and again removed to the most favourable 
grazing stations. The Pyrenean races are rather 
more hardy, but yield a remarkably fine wool ; they 
are cultivated to a great extent, and in a particular 
manner, which we find detailed by Mr Young in the 
Annals of Agriculture ; 
“ On the northern ridge, bearing to the west, are 
the pastures of the Spanish flocks. This ridge is 
not, however, the whole; there are two other moun- 
tains quite in a different situation, and the sheep 
travel from one to another as the pasturage is short 
or plentiful. I examined the soil of these mountain 
