THE FOXHOUND. 199 



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neither out nor in. A Hound with weak or badly formed 

 shoulders is a deformed and crippled beast, and can never 

 be expected to amount to anything. 



The fore-arm should be not too long, but powerfully 

 muscled, and having sufficient clean, fine bone to bear the 

 weight thrown upon it by fifty-five pounds bounding at 

 terrific speed. The foot must be of firm texture, and well 

 padded; the shape is a matter of less moment, bench-show 

 men to the contrary notwithstanding. I have seen Hounds 

 that were great performers Hounds that I have seen lead 

 a great pack, and pull down and kill numerous red foxes 

 that would have been pronounced by these authorities 

 defective in the feet; perhaps ridiculed as " splay-footed. " 

 I have seen Hounds with feet the form of which would 

 have been pronounced perfect, but which nevertheless were 

 tender-footed, and could by no means stand a desperate 

 chase over rough ground. I am not sure that the despised 

 hare-foot is not the best form for the Hound; giving him a 

 better hold and purchase upon the ground, and being in no 

 way correlated with lack of hardness of the foot. 



The Hound should be deep in the heart-place, and 

 the breast-bone keel-shaped; but the breast must not be 

 weak and contracted. The back ribs should spring off 

 well from the backbone, and barrel out well, so as to give 

 ample room for the heart, lungs, and great vascular trunks; 

 for here is the ultimate source of power, speed, and 

 endurance. 



The loin should be high, well arched, broad, and power- 

 fully muscled: for here is the origin of a group of muscles 

 of tremendous power, which are, with those of the hip and 

 thigh, the main propellers which carry the body forward 

 at so great a rate of speed. The tail should be placed 

 nearly on a level with the sway of the back, though the 

 arching of the loin and the slope of the quarters somewhat 

 deceives the eye, so as to make it appear to be set lower 

 than is actually the case. The tail of the Hound curves 

 well upward; recent importations, I think, too much so. 

 It is stout, of moderate length, well haired, and even with 



