_Origin of the Sheep--The Asiatic Argali--Rocky Mountain
Big-Horns--Their Remarkable Intelligence and other Peculiarities--A
Hunter's Experience Among Them--Sentinels Guarding the
Flocks--Differences between Wild and Domestic Sheep--Gentleness of
the Lamb--The Lamb and the Children in the Well--The Sheep that Broke
Through the Fence--Varieties of Sheep--The Long Wool and the Short
Wool--The Merino--His Origin and Present Extent--Sheep in Australia--An
Old Question and its Answer--Astrachan Sheep--Intelligence and Activity
of the Goat--Some of his Performances--His Powers of Climbing--Goats
said to eat Tomato-Cans and Old Boots--What Buffon says of the Goat--the
End._
Well,” remarked Mr. Graham as they sat down for their next discussion
of the animal kingdom, “what have you learned about the sheep and his
kindred?”
The youths waited a half minute or more, each desiring the other to
begin. Then Mr. Graham turned to Harry and nodded for him to speak. Thus
encouraged the youth made an end of the silence.
“I have found,” said he, “that the naturalists do not agree as to the
origin of the sheep. Some think he is descended from the argali, an
animal which is found in Asia and is as large as a deer. In shape and
general appearance he resembles a sheep but is larger than the largest
known variety of the domestic sheep. He runs wild in the mountains but
can be easily tamed, especially if he is captured when young.”
“Has he any relatives in America?” the gentleman asked.
“Yes,” was the reply; “the Rocky Mountain sheep or big-horn, as he is
also called, is the American argali, and resembles the Asiatic one very
nearly, Now while some naturalists think the domestic sheep is descended
from the argali, others believe that the sheep is a animal that has
never lived in a wild state.”
“What do you think about it?” was a query that somewhat puzzled the
youths.
“We haven't made up our minds yet,” answered Harry, “and from present
appearances we are not likely to at once. We went to look at a flock of
sheep and concluded from what we knew of the habits of the animal that
they would have a hard time to exist if they were outside the care of
man. We don't know much about the argali either in Asia or America,
but if he is no more intelligent than the sheep he would not be able to
elude the hunters as he does.”
[Illustration: 0209]
“You are quite right,” said their mentor, “as the argali far surpasses
the sheep in intelligence and activity. The argali is graceful in
figure, wonderfully sure of foot, his vision and heaving are of the
keenest, and when there is any danger near he is always on the alert
to discover it. Read what a hunter say of the _Ovis montana_ or Rocky
Mountain sheep,” he continued, as he opened the pages of a book entitled
“Sporting Adventures in the Far West,” by J. Mortimer Murphy.
George took the book and read as follows:
“Few creatures are more difficult of approach than the big-horn, for,
like all mountain animals, it is exceedingly keen of scent, unusually
vigilant, and so cautious that it carefully reconnoitres a country from
an elevated stand-point ere it presumes to advance toward it. The Nimrod
who would place the head of the big-horn among his trophies of the
chase, must be not only of an active and vigorous form to bear steep
mountain climbing and a rarefied atmosphere, but he must also possess
the qualities of patience, perseverance and hardihood, for its pursuit
may lead him through deep and gloomy precipices, and over ground so
stony and rough as to seem impassable.
[Illustration: 0210]
“When a flock is migrating to new pastures the sentinels or leaden
carefully scrutinize the country before them from every commanding
position, and when they are satisfied with its appearance the whole
party advance boldly, and having made it their head-quarters, throw
out vedettes, generally males, who mount guard on elevated crags
or hillocks, and vigilantly survey their surroundings until their
companions have dined, when all seek shelter amidst crags, small pine or
fir coppices, and inaccessible shelves of rock or somber canyons, where
no ordinary enemy can follow them without making its presence known.
[Illustration: 0211]
“When a sentinel detects the approach of a suspicions object, he sounds
an alarm at once by a few loud and peremptory hissing snorts; this
brings the flock huddling together, the lambs and ewes in the center;
and when the column is formed, all dash for the highest ridges at their
best pace, and never stop until they have sought a safe refuge among
crags or chasms. The advance is always led by a sturdy ram, one that
is generally looked upon as the leader, and the rear and flanks are
carefully guarded by the young males. In regions where they are little
disturbed they raise their heads every few minutes while feeding and
survey their surroundings; and as they are both sharp of eye and keen
of scent it requires the most careful stalking to approach them within
shooting range without being discovered. They will get the scent of a
hunter to windward seemingly half a mile away; and when that terrifying
odor is made known to the flock they display the greatest symptoms of
terror and dash wildly for the highest pinnacles, now leaping nimbly
from crag to crag, or vaulting dark and narrow chasms with the greatest
ease, nor do they stop until they have placed a goodly distance between
themselves and their most dreaded foe.”
[Illustration: 0212]
“A common sheep could do nothing like that,” said Harry, as George
paused and closed the book.
“Not by any means,” responded Mr. Graham, “as he is heavy in his steps
and slow in his motions. His intelligence is low and his constitution
could not stand the exposure to the weather that the wild animal endures
without injury. Except under very favorable circumstances a flock of
sheep would soon perish if turned out to shift for themselves.”
“Then I suppose we cannot find many stories of the intelligence of the
sheep as we can of the dog, the elephant and the horse,” one of the
youths remarked.
“We cannot,” was the reply, “but to offset the lack of sagacity in the
sheep we have its patience and kindness of disposition, in which it
is without a superior. The lamb has been in all ages the type of
gentleness, and will probably continue so as long as man and the sheep
exist together. He is also the type of playfulness, and there can be few
more pleasing sights than that of a flock of lambs sporting on the grass
or a single lamb playing among children by whom he is kept as a pet. I
have somewhere read a story of a lamb that belonged to some children and
went out with them one day as he had often done before. An hour or so
later the 'lamb came to the house bleating loudly and evidently wishing
to attract somebody's attention. When he obtained it he led the way to
where the two children had fallen into a shallow well, and though not
injured by the fall, which had only been a few feet, they were unable to
get out. It seems they were standing on a plank which covered the well;
the plank being old and rotten had given way beneath them, but as the
well had been filled nearly to the top with earth they suffered no
damage. In this case the lamb had the intelligence to understand that
help was needed and he went to bring it.
“Sheep will sometimes display considerable cunning in getting into
fields and pastures where they have no right to go. On the country farm
where I lived when I was a boy we had a small flock of sheep; they were
all stupid enough with the exception of one, that used to devote himself
to hunting for weak places in the fence between the pasture where they
ran and the adjoining field. It was what we called a 'brush' fence, and
this mischievous animal used to walk along the line and survey it with
great care. When he found what he thought was a weak place he would
insert his head through the opening and work patiently till lie had
enlarged it sufficiently to permit him to get through. Then the rest of
the lot followed 'like a flock of sheep,' and when we went to drive them
out the shrewd leader took them in a direction quite opposite to the
opening. He seemed to understand that it would be blocked up as soon as
discovered and he wanted to keep it for further use.”
[Illustration: 0214]
Harry asked how many varieties of sheep there are in the world. He had
looked through the works on natural history but was unable to find out.
“There are two great varieties,” answered George proudly, as he realized
that he had come upon some information which had escaped his brother.
“They are the long-wool and the short-wool,” said he, “the former being
most useful for the production of meat and the latter for their wool.
The long-wooled sheep have the wool straight or slightly curved
while the short-wooled kind have it thick and curly. The Leicesters,
Cotswolds, Scotch and Welsh breeds are of the long-wooled kind, while
the Merino is the most noted of the other sort.”
[Illustration: 0215]
“That is right,” said Mr. Graham, “and can you tell me which is the most
widely known of the short-wooled sheep?”
“I can,” said Harry; “it is the Merino, which was brought into Spain
by the Moors and derives its name from the Spanish word _merino_ which
signifies 'wandering.' It was introduced into France more than a hundred
years ago and has gradually spread all over Europe and to America and
Australia. There wasn't a sheep in Australia when Governor Philip went
there in 1788, and now that country sends a million and a quarter
bales of wool every year to London alone besides what it ships to other
countries and consumes at home. The merino is the favorite sheep of
Australia, and it has also found a home in the British colonies at the
Cape of Good Hope.
[Illustration: 0216]
“As to the other kinds of sheep,” continued the youth, “they are, as the
auctioneers say in their advertisements, too numerous to mention. Almost
every county of England has its peculiar breed, some of them being
more famous for their mutton than their wool, and others _vice versa._
Scattered over Europe are many breeds, but it is safe to say that the
most of them came from one original stock and owe their variation in
development to the differences of climate and modes of rearing. One of
the most famous breeds of sheep in England is the Southdown, which is
famous both for wool and meat: it has been introduced into France and
other countries, and we have a good supply of Southdowns nowadays in
America.”
“I am reminded,” said George, “of a conundrum I heard a while ago, and
it is about sheep.”
“What is it?”
“Why do white sheep eat more than black ones?”
“I know,” said Harry, “that's a chestnut. It's because there are more of
them.”
“Yes,” responded Mr. Graham, “and the naturalists have had much
difficulty in separating the one from the other in consequence of the
intermediate forms between them. The goat is generally believed to be
descended from the paseng or ibex of Asia, and he inherits some of the
qualities of his ancestors who dwell among the rugged mountains. He is
marvelously sure-footed, and can go where almost any other quadruped
would not dare venture.”
“I wonder if it is true,” said one of the youths, “that when two
“But it isn't exactly right,” said George, “at least not for all parts
of the world. In Central Asia the flocks contain more black sheep than
white ones; the Astrachan sheep is generally black and his wool is very
soft and curly. The skin of the Astrachan lamb is used as a sort of fur,
and very pretty cloaks, muffs, collars, coats and similar things are
made of it.”
[Illustration: 0217]
“While I was looking up the description of sheep,” said Harry, “I read
something about the goat, who may be called his first cousin, when goats
meet on a mountain road where it is too narrow for them to turn around
or pass at the side, one will lie down and let the other go over him.”
[Illustration: 0218]
“It has been told so often,” Mr. Graham answered, “that it certainly
ought to be true. Not long ago I read of exactly such an occurrence
somewhere in Spain, and it was witnessed by several persons. But what
is much more likely to happen is that the animals would fight for the
possession of the road, and one or perhaps both would be forced over the
precipice and dashed to death on the rocks below.
“The goat's power of climbing and his fondness for getting into
dangerous places are something remarkable. I have seen in the Alps and
also in Algeria the goats browsing on the steep side of a mountain where
it would be impossible for a man to climb, and where a single slip
or mis-step would send the animal down for hundreds of feet almost
perpendicularly. At Constantine in Algeria there is a wall of rock
five or six hundred feet high; it is slightly, broken near the top,
perpendicular further down, and the goats browse along the broken part,
springing slowly from break to break until they can get no farther. Then
they slowly ascend the cliff and start out for a new grazing place. The
funny thing was that there was plenty of grass elsewhere and they had no
occasion to get into such dangerous positions. They seemed to do it for
the fun of the thing.”
“You remember they had a goat at the monkey theater,” said Harry, “that
climbed upon bottles in the shape of a pyramid, stood on the top of a
pole, balanced himself on a table and did other curious things. I wonder
somebody doesn't train goats to walk a tight rope, for it must be they
could do it.”
[Illustration: 0220]
“I think I've heard of their doing it,” Mr. Graham remarked, “though I
am not positive on that point. I've seen an elephant walk a tight rope,
but it was stretched only a foot or so from the ground so that a fall
wouldn't injure him.”
[Illustration: 0219]
[Illustration: 0221]
The conversation about goats took a wide range and included performances
both actual and apochryphal. George asked what variety of goat it was
that was credited with eating tomato-cans, umbrellas, boots, and similar
things usually considered inedible, and was told he must seek it in the
upper districts of New York and at Hoboken and other suburban places.
But while Mr. Graham would not aver that the goat lived upon the
articles mentioned, he positively assured the youths that he had seen
the creature devour newspapers and bill-posters with apparent relish,
and that it didn't seem to make any difference to him whether the
newspapers were Republican or Democratic, secular or religious. He was
sure that the digestion of the goat was one of the best in the world
and could justly be envied by a great many men. “But leaving all jest
aside,” said he, “the goat is a hardy feeder and can live on very
little; he has been called the poor man's cow, as he can be kept by
people who cannot afford the expense of a cow and the milk of the goat
is rich and nutritious. Invalids are sometimes nourished on it when the
milk of the cow does not answer the purpose, and in some countries large
flocks of goats are maintained for their milk. The medicinal properties
of goat's milk and whey are well known, and cheese made from goat's milk
brings a higher price in the market than that from cow's milk.”
“I found what Buffon, the naturalist, said of the goat,” said George,
“and it is worth remembering. He considers the goat superior to the
sheep both in intelligence and agility. He is stronger, lighter, and
more agile than the sheep, he is sprightly, capricious and given to
wander, and it is with difficulty he can be confined to a flock. He
loves to retire into solitude, and climb steep and rugged places. Though
he seems to feel the effects of severe cold, he is not afraid of rain or
storms or too great a degree of heat: he cheerfully exposes himself to
the sun and without inconvenience sleeps under its most severe rays.”
The various kinds of goat, the Angora and Cashmere varieties, which
supply the wool for shawls and other fine fabrics, the Syrian goat with
pendulous ears, the Swiss goat which is kept in large flocks and is
highly profitable to its owners, and the common goat which is found
in all civilized countries of the world, all were discussed and duly
considered. But the youths were disappointed in the animal, as they were
obliged to offset his numerous good qualities with the fact that he
is wayward and unruly, and does not form any serious attachment to his
owner. The youths decided that they would not enter the business of
rearing goats, but be content with the pet animals they then possessed.
George suggested that it was time to look after their horses. While they
are busy with those favorites we will lay down our pen for the present,
in the hope that we will be allowed to listen whenever they again
discuss the members of the animal kingdom.
[Illustration: 5222]