30 THE AMERICAN HUNTING DOG 



a painting of his own kitchen, showing the head 

 falconer surrounded by his dogs receiving the 

 day's toll of fish and game. Older men, the fisher 

 men, are bringing in salmon and sea fish, while 

 young and lusty varlets, the under hunters and 

 game keepers, attend to wildfowl, hares, haunches 

 of venison, partridges and pheasants, all of which 

 are shown in the greatest profusion. The dogs 

 are interesting as showing distinct types of 

 beagles, harriers, and coursers, looking very like 

 the modern greyhound. The older grey (badger) 

 hound, a leggy dog, thin and wiry, yet not over 

 knee high, is also in the picture. 



Foxhounds and beagles interest us principally 

 as being the two great American hunting dogs, 

 for the useful and ubiquitous coonhound was later 

 developed as a foxhound and bloodhound cross, 

 while the beagle is bred both small for rabbits and 

 large, almost a counterpart of the harrier, for 

 hunting snowshoe hare in our northern tier of 

 states. In 1735 the first foxhound came to be 

 known as a distinct breed for coursing and track 

 ing foxes. The greyhound alone would not do ; he 

 had to be crossed with a tracker to give him the 

 necessary scent. During the nineteenth century 

 breeding to type was carried on extensively, and 

 numerous hunt packs were established all over 



