210 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



The six classes of the Basset Francais that I have 

 named all have their respective admirers; but for the pur- 

 poses of this article I shall only take and describe as the 

 Basset Hound the smooth-coated Artois strain, with crooked 

 legs, as it is the type generally preferred and recognized. 



All the six classes have a general similarity to one 

 another. The rough-coated strain, or Basset Grifon, as 

 they are called, correspond more closely to the English 

 Otter-hound in coat and coloring, have more courage 

 and worse tempers, and are much less desirable as pets than 

 the smooth-coated strain. The half crooked-legged variety 

 are lighter in build than the crooked-legged; and the 

 straight-legged ones are much lighter and faster still, 

 approaching, in the smooth-coated strain, more nearly to 

 the English Beagle. 



All friends of the Basset Hound owe a great debt of 

 gratitude to the Count le Couteult de Canteleu. He has 

 for some years gone to great trouble and expense collect- 

 ing all the information possible about the history of this 

 ancient breed, in which he justly takes such a patriotic 

 pride, and in obtaining the best specimens in existence in 

 France, breeding them, and establishing the breed again 

 in public favor. It is directly from him, or through him, 

 that most of the English breeders have obtained their dogs. 

 He is one of the few French noblemen of to-day who 

 love and devote themselves to sport for sport's sake, living 

 the life of a grand-seigneur on his magniricent estate. 



The history of the Basset Hound in England begins in 

 1874, when Mr. Everett Millais first saw one in the collec- 

 tion at the Jardin d' Acclimation . at Paris. He was so 

 taken with the looks of the breed that he purchased and 

 imported Model, whom he showed that year at Wolver- 

 hampton. Lord Onslow was, I believe, the next one across 

 the channel to take this breed up, commencing in 1875 to 

 form his little pack, which had so many merry little runs in 

 the neighborhood of Guilford. Mr. Millais was forced, a 

 few years later, to give up breeding and go abroad, on 

 account of ill-health, and Lord Onslow, for some reason, 



