314 MODERN TRAINING. 



class natural qualities in physical structure and powers 

 afield. This requires a pure ancestry as a prime factor; in 

 fact, the breeding of foxhounds requires all the care and 

 skill that is exercised tn maintaining and improving other 

 breeds. 



As to the qualities to be desired, the hounds should be 

 bred and trained so that they work almost as fast as the high 

 class English setter of to-day. Their noses should be good 

 enough to strike and trail up a fox, in favorable weather for 

 hunting, which has passed along from twelve to twenty- 

 four hours before; they should trail steadily, keep close to- 

 gether, and pick out the trail accurately and quickly not 

 scatter all over the country and go like wild dogs; but if the 

 track is too cold to nose out, they should be intelligent 

 enough to know it, but should stick to it until they.get the 

 course of the fox and go on circling from it for a mile or 

 more if they cannot strike it in a less distance, and they 

 should be dogs which would persist in trailing and working 

 this way all day if necessary not stop and give up in an 

 hour or two if the fox is not jumped. 



I like a dog with a clear, loud voice, one that gives tongue 

 very freely while trailing and running, but not one that 

 gives tongue when he runs over the track, and has lost the 

 scent. 



In chasing the red fox, when he is jumped, the pack 

 should be very fast runners, stick close together and close 

 to the trail ; but on a loss of it, they should make wide casts 

 for it and not turn too straight back; and if you have a dog 

 that is too slow, one that does not pack well, one that runs 

 over badly, or one that will quit a hotly contested race, he 

 should be killed, not given to some friend who will probably 

 breed from him or her. For red foxes they should be able 

 to run and trail from twelve to twenty hours, and that singly 

 if necessary. On favorable days, a first class pack nearly 



