202 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



the back, and slightly fringed with hair below. The end 

 should taper to a point. 



The symmetry (value 5) of the Foxhound is considerable, 

 and what is called "quality" is highly regarded by all 

 good judges. 



The music of the pack is one of the greatest charms of 

 the chase. Even the fox himself undoubtedly enjoys this 

 glorious melody when running in front of a pack which is 

 not dangerous, and which, with marvelous intuition, he 

 almost immediately realizes. It always appeared to me 

 that my father, the keenest and most ardent fox-hunter 

 of his time in Virginia, enjoyed the music more than any- 

 thing else about it. He would put a good Hound out of his 

 kennel and give it away, because, as he said, it did not 

 chime with his pack. He had a splendid ear, a magnificent 

 voice, and a natural talent for music. A discord was an 

 agony to him, and his pack was, I believe, the most melo- 

 dious in tongue ever heard in Virginia, The qualities of 

 the voice in the Hound are strongly hereditary, and may 

 easily be bred for with success. 



It is of the greatest importance that the dog should not 

 be bred from until fully matured. No animal is so easily in- 

 jured by excessive or premature taxation of the procreative 

 powers. A dog of great value should be strictly limited to 

 the best and most promising females, for nothing is more 

 certain than that the character of his progeny will begin to 

 be disappointing as soon as he begins to be overtaxed. 



The Foxhound bitch is a very prolific animal. On sev- 

 eral occasions I have known them litter as many as twenty 

 whelps. Thirteen whelps to a litter are nothing unusual. 

 I do not believe any bitch can properly care for more than 

 six whelps. If a foster-mother can not be had, all above 

 that number should be drowned not later than the day 

 after they are born; saving, of course, the most vigorous and 

 prettily marked. In all cases, any appearing decidedly 

 defective should be immediately drowned. As has been 

 already suggested, the best dog should be mated with the 



