SELECTION OF BLOOD. 153 
“9. The Partisans and Filho da Putas, seen in Venison and his sons, 
Alarm, Kingston, and Vatican; also in Sweetmeat, Colwich, and Giovanni. 
Nothing can exceed the beauty of form resulting from these combinations 
of the Waxy and Sir Peter blood; and it seems to be perpetuated in all 
the descendants, which are remarkable for blood-like frames, with Arabian- 
looking heads, fine muzzles, full eyes, light necks, and good shoulders, and 
also for wiry and lasting legs and feet. This latter peculiarity is perhaps 
owing to their light girth, and consequent want of weight for their legs to 
carry; but nevertheless they are almost all stout enough, and especially 
the Venisons.” 
(Curiously enough, the stock of Kingston ana Sweetmeat have been 
remarkable rather for pace than stoutness, but this is probably owing to 
the number of mares put to them which were deficient in the latter 
quality. Nevertheless they are both still fashionable, Kingston having 
33 and Sweetmeat 19 foals; Alarm also has 12, but Vatican has only 1.) 
“10. The Sorcerer blood, now chiefly to be depended on in Melbourne 
(almost worn out in the service), and his sons, West Australian, Sir 
Tatton Sykes, and Oulston. The first of the three is more Waxy than 
Sorcerer, the second is mixed with Orville and Cervantes, and the third 
is very much the same combination as that of Sir Tatton. I have fully 
commented on these horses at paragraph 272. Large, fast, and loose, 
they require room to display their peculiar powers, which are calculated 
to shine over a flat, or any straight course, rather than a small and 
confined one. Few of this blood are neat, and some are peculiarly coarse 
and gaunt, like the Melbournes, but yet so well proportioned and truly 
made as to catch the eye of the connoisseur. With large heads, roomy 
frames, big legs and joints, united to great useful hocks and powerful pro- 
pellers, they are fit for any work but turning corners, where they are 
undoubtedly out of their element. Such were the Soothsayers, Comuses, 
Revellers, Humphrey Clinkers, and Melbournes ; together, also, with the 
last horse’s celebrated sons, Sir Tatton Sykes, West Australian, and 
Oulston. All are fast enough for anything, but require time to fill up 
their fine frames, and should have been reserved till five years of age, if 
justice could have been done them. On the whole, this blood may be 
considered as inferior to none but the three first described strains, in 
which it is surpassed in persistence of good qualities for a series of years, 
though, taking any single horse against him, Melbourne will perhaps 
make a good fight for superiority.” 
(I have nothing to unsay here, and I may specially call attention to the 
fact that prior to the appearance of West Australian’s stock I had 
remarked that he is more Waxy than Sorcerer. Many other descendants 
of Melbourne in the male line are known in the stud, but there are none 
of any great promise at present.) 
TURNING NOW TO THE BLOOD most suitable for getting hunters, I may 
be pardoned for again inserting what I have already written in “ British 
Rural Sports,’ comprised in the following words, to which I have now 
nothing to add, aud in which there is little or nothing which I should 
wish unsaid :— 
“For this kind of breeding, nothing answers better than a cross of the 
Waxy, Orville, and Sorcerer blood, or of the two former with any of the 
descendants of Sir Peter or Woodpecker ; but in all cases provided they 
have good shoulders, and are sound. Thus, Drayton has been remarkable 
in this way, as also is Windfall, and Retriever promises to be equally 
useful. Of all others, the Waxy blood seems to be most telling in hunting 
