]59 
« 
THE BLACK-FACED RAM. 
PLATE XV. 
The Ancient, or Black-faced Heath-breed, extends 
from the north-western parts of Yorkshire to all the 
high districts of the Highlands, particularly those of 
the western coast. It is by far the most picturesque 
looking of our sheep, and, with wild little Kyloe, is 
fitting accompaniment to the landscape of our north- 
oru hills. It is extremely active and hardy, even 
somewhat goat-like in its motions and scansorial ha- 
bits ; of a firm, compact make, a piercing and wild- 
looking eye ; the horns in the male very large and 
t'oluminous, more convoluteil than even in the Me- 
*''no ; the wool long, coarse-like and shaggy ; the 
lace and legs always black. There are spurious 
hi'eeds, which have the face and legs brownish, and 
spotted with black ; but, in the words of Dr Walker, 
*1 the true ram “ his face and slender legs are black 
^ jet, without any mixture of white.” The flesh or 
tnutton is fine grained and well flavotired, but the 
tt^ool is coarse, and comparatively unprofitable, which 
has of late caused a considerable change of the north- 
®rn stock to the Cheviot breed, which are found to be 
ttearly equally hardy, and to yield a more profitable 
