The most advantageous of all House sheep is nowadays considered the Merino sheep ( Ovis aries hispanica), which has acquired its characteristic peculiarities in Spain and was used successively to breed almost all European varieties. Of medium size and full-bodied, it is distinguished by its large head, which is flat on the forehead, arched along the back of the nose, and blunted at the snout; it has small eyes, large tear grooves, and moderately long, pointed ears.