"The weather grew fine and warm, and the dead lamb soon decayed, which the body of a dead lamb does particularly soon; but still this affectionate and desolate creature kept hanging over the poor remains with an affection that seemed to be nourished by hopelessness. It often drew the tears from my eyes to see her hanging with such fondness over a few bones, mixed with a small portion of wool. For the first fortnight she never quitted the spot; and for another week she visited it every morning and evening, uttering a few kindly and heart-piercing bleats each time, till at length every remnant of her offspring vanished, mixing with the soil."

We shall add the following anecdote, and then proceed to describe the principal varieties of the domesticated and wild sheep.

A drover being on his way with a flock of sheep for Smithfield market, one of them became so lame and sorefooted that it could travel no farther. The man, wishing to get rid of the impediment, took up the distressed animal, and dropped it over the pales of a paddock belonging to Mr. O'Kelly, where the famous race-horse Duncannon was then grazing, and pursued his journey, intending to call for the sheep on his return to the farmer who had employed him, believing the creature, after a little rest, would quickly recover, which was the case; but such an attachment between the two rangers of the little space presently took place as almost to surpass probability. It is related, on indisputable evidence, that such was the affection of Duncannon for the sheep, that, besides sporting with it in various ways, he would sometimes bite it by the neck, with great tenderness, and lift it into the crib where the groom deposited his fodder; as much as to say, though you are not able to reach it, I will help you to the banquet. Besides this, the horse would on all occasions defend his new friend, and suffered no one to offer him the least molestation. Mr. O'Kelly being made acquainted with these circumstances, bought the sheep

of the farmer, marked the wool with his own initials, D. O'K., and left the two friends in peaceable possession of the paddock and its adjoining shelter.

THE NEW LEICESTER SHEEP.

"This improved breed is readily distinguished from the other long-woolled species. The great advantages of this kind of sheep have been stated to consist in producing a better profit to the store-master, in proportion to the quantity of food consumed, than most other breeds; in being more perfectly formed, and consequently more disposed to fatten quickly; in containing a much larger proportion of meat on an equal weight of bone; in thriving well on such pastures as would not support other sorts of the same size; in being capable of being kept or fattened in larger proportions to the acre than other breeds of the same size of carcass; in the wool being more valuable, though less in quantity; in their being ready for the butcher in the early part of the spring, instead of autumn, by which there is a considerable saving in the summer's grass; and in the mutton, from the closeness of its texture, keeping longer than that of other equal-sized breeds of sheep.

"On the other hand, the disadvantages of this breed are, the fattening too much, and the mutton in consequence becoming less delicate in its flavour than in other breeds that require greater length of time in the process; the deficiency in the quantity of wool; and in their not being calculated for the fold. It has also been suggested, that their peculiar rounded form, from throwing much of the fat on the external parts, prevents their tallowing well internally; and that, from their great propensity to fatten, they are liable to early decay, becoming old sooner than the other breeds. There can, nevertheless, be no doubt but that it is a valuable breed on pastures that are adapted to it, as is

evinced from its rapidly making its way into different districts of the kingdom. The progressive value of new Leicester sheep is stated as very great in the account of the agriculture of Lincolnshire, in which the advantages and disadvantages of the breeds of that county and the former are somewhat examined and considered. And it is necessary to draw a distinction between the rich south-eastern district and inferior soils, as, upon the former, the advantage is strongly, it is said, in favour of the Lincoln sort.

"The proper new Leicester sort of sheep has been found a very advantageous breed on the stone brash lands in Oxfordshire; and, in the opinion of some farmers there, there is no other sort that equals them, all their valuable properties being taken into account.

"The great use and advantage of this breed, besides those already stated, seem to be, the early production of a large quantity of mutton, of the less fine, but fatter kind, and the affording wool of a finer and more fit sort for some purposes, though less in weight. It is necessary, however, to dispose of the wethers of this breed of sheep at the early age of two years, as they then bear the best profit; and when kept longer are liable to become too fat for the better sort of tables. This early maturity may be turned to great advantage in many cases."—(Oxford Ency. Supplement.)

LINCOLNSHIRE BREED OF SHEEP.

This variety of breed is chiefly prevalent in the district from which it derives its name, also in some rich grazing ones in the same neighbourhood, and a few other places. They are now in a great measure free from those defects of the old breed which have been so much complained of, namely, a looseness of form, slow feeding, coarse-grained flesh, and too much bone; and this advantage has been effected by crossing them with the new Leicester tups.