i8 WOLF-HUNTING. 



fashioned characteristics, and the total absence of any fox-hound 

 blood in their veins, I don't think I ever saw a harder-driving lot 

 in chase in my life. Above all, when, as will always happen in 

 cover-runs, a portion of the pack was ever and anon thrown out, 

 it was delightful to witness the struggle among them to fresh- 

 catch the scent, and the freedom from all fowling propensity 

 among the tail hounds. 



Shall I be regarded as a Goth and a Vandal, if, in spite of the 

 worship paid to kennel-pedigree, long as that of " Bourbon or 

 Nassau," I venture to believe that the present gaiidy English 

 foxhound would be vastly improved for all hunting purposes, 

 and that too without extinguishing one spark of his dash and 

 ardour, if his mixed blood were again refreshed by the old 

 standard-hound blood, the sang piir of Lower Brittany? I say 

 " mixed blood," because unquestionably the present foxhound is 

 the result of a cross originally contrived between the smooth 

 terrier and the old-fashioned hound of this land in former days. 



Were any master independent enough to resort to this ancient 

 stock-hound and invigorate his pack with the original, genuine 

 hound blood, it is the conviction of many experienced houndsmen 

 that better runs in all weathers would be obtained by such 

 mettle. We should then once more have hounds similar in 

 fashion to the old Beaufort badger-pies, carrying high crowns 

 and feathered sterns noble hounds, that, no matter how wild 

 the weather, would hunt a fox to death inevitable so long 

 as he stood above ground before them ; or, if the scent 

 served, would kill him in an hour under any circumstances. 

 There are no such hounds in England now as there were in 

 the time of the sixth Duke. Even their colour that long- 

 surviving relic of the old type is all but lost bred out and 

 banished by the black and tan, the more fashionable hue of 

 modern days. 



But, as " every dog will have his day " even Queen Eliza- 



