Species of domesticated

Merino
Merino ram.
© James Marshall

Shropshire
Shropshire ewe.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The table provides a comparison of selected breeds of sheep.

Selected breeds of sheep
	name	type of wool	distribution	characteristics	comments
	Black-Faced Highland, also called Scottish Blackface	carpet	originally Scotland, now also U.S., Italy, Argentina	black or mottled, horned	stylish appearance
	Columbia	medium	developed in U.S. since 1912	large, white-faced, hornless	high wool yield; mutton acceptable
	Corriedale	medium	developed in N.Z., now also in U.S., Australia	white-faced, hornless	bright, soft fleece; good quality lambs
	Cotswold	long	originally England, now also U.S.	large, white-faced, hornless	coarse, curly fleece; acceptable mutton
	Dorset	medium	developed in England, now in U.K., U.S., Australia	medium-sized, white-faced	small wool yield; out-of-season lambs; horned and hornless varieties
	Hampshire	medium	developed in England, now also widespread in U.S.	large, hornless; dark face and legs	superior mutton breed; limited wool
	Karakul	fur	originally Central Asia, now also Africa, Europe, U.S.	medium-sized, fat-tailed	coats of very young lambs called Persian lamb
	Leicester	long	originally England, now U.K., North America	massive body, white-faced, broad-backed	heavy fleece
	Lincoln	long	originally England, now also Australia, N.Z., North and South America	world's largest sheep, hornless	coarse, long wool is used chiefly for carpets
	Merino	fine	originally Spain, now also Australia, North America, South Africa	horned or hornless, heavily-wooled head	excellent, fine, soft fleeces
	North Country Cheviot	medium	originally Scotland, now widespread	white chalk; large, deep-bodied	hardy; produces superior fleece
	Rambouillet	fine	developed in France from the 18th century, now also in U.S.	smooth-bodied, horned or hornless	lambs mature rapidly; bred from Merino
	Romney	long	originally England, now also N.Z., North America, Australia	hornless with white face and legs	mostly raised for mutton; wool used for variety of products
	Southdown	medium	originally England, now also N.Z., Australia, North America	hornless with small, rounded body	raised for mutton; fleece is short
	Suffolk	medium	developed in England, now also in U.S.	black face and legs, large, hornless	fine mutton breed; acceptable wool

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
New from Britannica

The U.S. Postal Service has no official motto. The famous “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night..." line was written about Persian mail carriers almost 2,500 years ago.
See All Good Facts
HomeHealth & MedicineConditions & DiseasesInfectious Diseases

brucellosis

pathology
Actions
Alternate titles: Bang disease, Malta fever, Mediterranean fever, undulant fever
By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica • Edit History
Table of Contents
brucellosis, also called Malta fever, Mediterranean fever, or undulant fever, infectious disease of humans and domestic animals characterized by an insidious onset of fever, chills, sweats, weakness, pains, and aches, all of which resolve within three to six months. The disease is named after the British army physician David Bruce, who in 1887 first isolated and identified the causative bacteria, Brucella, from the spleen of a soldier who had died from the infection.

brucellosis

See all media
Key People:
Alice Evans Bernhard Lauritz Frederik Bang David Bruce
Related Topics:
sheep cattle fever notifiable disease pig
See all related content →
Three main species of Brucella bacteria are common causes of human brucellosis, and the bacillus of each of the species has its major reservoir in domestic animals. The causative bacteria are B. melitensis (goats and sheep), B. suis (swine), and B. abortus (cattle). The infection may not be apparent in animals, for the brucellae and animals that they infect have become fairly well adapted to one another. In cattle, for example, the only signs of illness (also known as Bang disease) may be a drop in milk production or a general malaise, although abortion is also common. Brucellosis is, therefore, of considerable economic importance, although it causes no dramatic loss of livestock.