ihe bloodhound. 



contents. When the Dog first discovered how palatable an article of diet was a 

 blackbird's egg, he used to push his nose into the nest and crush the eggs with 

 his teeth, or would try to scrape them out with his paw. In both these methods, 

 he wasted a considerable portion of the liquid contents of the eggs, and after a 

 while invented a much better mode of action. Whenever he discovered the newly- 

 built nest of a thrush or blackbu-d, he would wait until there were some four or 

 five eggs in the nest, and then would bite out the bottom of the nest, so as to let 

 the eggs roll unbroken into his mouth. 



One of these little animals, which belonged to a Gloucestershire family, was 

 very clever and docile. 



Every evening, he would voluntarily fetch his towel and brush, and stand 

 patiently to be washed, combed, and brushed by the hands of his mistress. Gen- 

 erally, he was accustomed to take his meals with the family, but if his mistress 

 were going to dine from home she used to say to hnu, " Prince, you must go and 

 dine at the rectory to-day." The Dog would therefore set off for the rectory, 

 rather a long and complicated walk, and after passing several bridges, and taking 

 several turnings, would reach the rectory in time for dinner. There he would wait 

 until he had taken his supper, and if no one came to fetch him, would return as 

 he came. 



It is a very small animal, as a really fine specimen ought not to exceed six or 

 seven pounds in weight. Some of the most valuable King Charles Spaniels weigh 

 as little as five pounds, or even less. These little creatures have been trained to 

 search for and put up game after the manner of their larger relatives, the springers 

 and cockers, but they cannot endm-e severe exercise, or long-continued labom, 

 and ought only to be employed on very limited territory. 



The magnificent animal which is termed the Bloodhound, on account of its 

 ■peculiar facility for tracking a wounded animal tlu^ough aU the mazes of its 

 devious course, is very scarce in England, as there is but little need of these Dogs 

 for its chief employment. 



In the " good old times" this animal was largely used by thief-takers, for the 

 purpose of tracking and securing the robbers who in those days made the country 

 unsafe, and laid the roads under a black mail. Sheep-stealers, who were much 

 more common when the offence was visited with the capital punishment, were 

 frequently detected by the delicate nose of the Bloodhound, which would, when 

 once laid on the scent, follow it up with unerring precision, unraveUing the smgle 

 trail from among an hundi'ed crossing footsteps, and only to be baffled by water 

 or blood. Water holds no scent, and if the hunted man is able to take a long leap 

 into ';lie water, and to get out again in some similar fashion, he may set at defiance 



102 



