SIIEEP. 
285 
ing of the whole body has so much of the dim- 
ness and hardness of hair, that it cannot be with 
any propriety denominated wool. These are con- 
jectured to be the animals named by Leo Africa- 
nus Adimain, and described by him as being of 
the size of an ass, and of the shape of a ram, 
with pendent ears. 
The Cretan sheep mentioned by Buffon under 
the denomination of Wallachian, is remarkable 
for large, spiral horns. The distance between 
the horns of the ewe enlarges towards their tops j 
those of the ram are parallel. They are under- 
stood to be natives of Candia ; numerous flocks 
of them graze on Mount Ida ; they are also 
spread through the other islands of the Archipe- 
lago, and are frequent in Austria and Hungary, 
The butchers in these last mentioned countries, 
prefer them to all other sheep. In size, and in the 
nature of the fleece, they differ not remarkably 
From the common kind. 
Those countries of Asia which abound most in 
slieep, afford yet another variety, distinguished 
by the amazing breadth and bulk of their tails. 
They do not, as far as we know, differ consider- 
ably from our common sheep, in any other res- 
pects. They are generally white ; yet sometimes 
vary in colour. The tail is seldom pointed, but 
commonly either square or round, much like a 
cushion. The great size of the tail renders it 
often so incommodious to the sheep, that it is 
found necessary to support it with a small wheel- 
ed machine. Some of these tails weigh more than 
thirty pounds. Persia, Assyria, Arabia, Egypt, 
Ethiopia, Barbary, and Tartary, all afford this 
variety. 
Of these sheep with large tails, the tails are 
not all of the same form : some are short and 
thick ; others broad., and of a moderate length ; 
