32 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



of ages of domestication, and may occur any- 

 where on a dog, as partial albinism, without 

 regard to symmetry or rule. 



It will be found, however, that through all 

 the ages iiotbing has been able to upset the 

 fundamental pattern on all the hound-like dogs, 

 which we see preserved in its purity in the 

 black and tan bloodhound. White may sup- 

 plant it anywhere, but if there is color it will 

 invariably fall according to this design. Thus 

 beagles, foxhounds, and many other dogs with 

 hound blood in them will without exception 

 have their black marks in the proper area for 

 black to come, and their tan marks likewise, 

 whether they come in large patches or as ticks 

 or flecks of color in a white ground. 



The drawings show the main characteristics 

 of the two types, as well as their markings. 



THE BEAGLE 



(For illustration, sec t^agc ^o) 



The beagle is not over IS inches high. He 

 must not be bandy-legged like the dachshund, 

 nor long and low in the body, these qualities 

 being reserved for the basset. He should be 

 an active, intelligent, well proportioned, and 

 capable little dog, with plenty of tenacity of 

 purpose, though great speed is not to be ex- 

 pected. The ears, wdiile long, do not in any 

 way equal those of the bloodhound or basset, 

 reaching just to the tip of the nose. 



He must have no terrier traits, either physi- 

 cal or temperamental, nor any throaty tendency 

 nor flews. The expression is just like that of 

 a very alert foxhound. The legs must be 

 strong and straight, the stifle well let down, 

 and the hock fairly well bent, and the feet 

 strong and close, with full, hard pads. Any 

 hound colors are correct — that is. black saddle 

 and neck, with tan legs, hips, shoulders, and 

 head, interrupted anywhere by white. 



They carry a gay stern, and are in every way 

 very engaging, safe, companionable little dogs. 

 Like all hounds, they make friends easily, and 

 are therefore more easily led astray than some 

 dogs, particularly when young. 



Harriers resemble foxhounds, but are some- 

 what smaller, and, as the name implies, are 

 kept for hunting hares. They are not used in 

 this country, but in England they are hunted 

 in packs as in fox-hunting, the hunters follow- 

 ing on horseback. 



The beagle and basset are smaller hounds, 

 used chiefly for hunting hares and rabbits, and 

 are usually followed on foot. There are 

 smooth-coated and rough-coated varieties of 

 both breeds. 



BASSET 



(For illustration, see page 30) 



The basset, which is little known in this 

 country, was imported into England from 

 France between fifty and si.xty years ago. It 

 was a popular sporting dog in Germany and 



Russia also at that time. With its keen scent, 

 extremely short legs, and very slow movements, 

 it was well equipped for finding game in dense 

 cover. The face of the rough basset is often 

 very wistful; it is one of the most beautiful 

 canine faces I know. 



The basset is doubtless a compound of the 

 old long-eared hound and the dachshund. In- 

 deed, the type is exactly described if we picture 

 a small bloodhound set on a dachshund's legs, 

 and further words become unnecessary, except 

 to say that the breed "comes" in two forms — 

 smooth or hoimd-coated and rough or terrier- 

 coated. 



The latter has never, I think, and the former 

 but seldom, been introduced into this country, 

 where the more active (though possibly more 

 erratic) beagle has so firm a hold. In Europe 

 it is used as a rabbit dog, being low enough tu 

 enter the warren. Here, where the rabbits do 

 not dig, but live on the surface, the lively beagle 

 is more useful than his slow, sedate, and steady 

 congener. Any "hound color" is correct. 



THE POINTER 



(For illustration, see page Jl) 



So far we have spoken of dogs which when 

 used for hunting purposes are usually sup- 

 posed to catch and kill the game which they 

 follow. We now come to a class of_ hunting 

 dogs which are not expected to kill the game, 

 but to help their masters to kill it, or to re- 

 trieve it after it has been killed. 



In the very front ranks stand the pointer and 

 the setters — English, Irish, and Gordon — and 

 which is the best is largely a matter of indi- 

 vidual taste. 



The chief duty of each is to scent out the 

 game (usually such birds as partridge, grouse, 

 and quail), and, when near enough, point out to 

 the gunner the spot where it lies concealed. 

 As the hunter approaches, the birds rise and 

 are shot on the wing. Very often the dogs are 

 trained to pick up and bring in the game after 

 it is shot. 



The pointer, as the illustration shows, is 

 smooth coated, and his name suggests his busi- 

 ness. 



This most popular of upland hunting-dogs 

 has undergone many changes in standard as to 

 size, conformation, and color. But certainly 

 no "strain" has been more successful, nor 

 stamped its virtues more generally upon fol- 

 lowing generations of pointers, than the famous 

 "graphic" pointers of 20 years ago, and it is 

 one of the best of these that was used as a 

 model. 



The working pointer should be a lean, hard- 

 limbed, and well-muscled dog of about 60 

 pounds weight, though 10 pounds either way 

 would meet the preferences of different fan- 

 ciers. He must be keen of eye and nose, obe- 

 dient, teachable, and staunch. Many otherwise 

 fine pointers lack the courage of their convic- 

 tions, and it is easy to spoil a good dog either 

 by too gentle or too rough handling. 



Colors are legion ; white should predominate. 



