270 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



tion is partly due to the natural order of events, in that, as 

 certain parts of the country become thickly settled and the 

 feathered game exterminated, lovers of field sports, who 

 have heretofore devoted their time in the field to bird-shoot- 

 ing over Setters, Pointers, and Spaniels, finding the game 

 so nearly exterminated as to destroy the pleasure of seek- 

 ing it, discard their bird dogs in favor of the Beagle; for so 

 prolific is the natural game of this Hound the rabbit and 

 hare that even in the immediate vicinity of the largest 

 cities one can usually find enough of it to furnish a joyous 

 day's sport afield. 



The writer can cite several instances where, as stated 

 above, the bird dogs have been discarded and a small pack 

 of Beagles taken in their place, for the reasons advanced. 

 He also knows of a place, nearly in the heart of the city of 

 Brooklyn, where some wild hares have found their way 

 and located. He can name several spots within a half- 

 hour's walk of the above-mentioned place where hares are 

 to be found, and where, by not hunting them with the gun, 

 but by merely 



List'ning to the music o' the hounds, 



he has been able to enjoy many an hour's sport, and to 

 break in his young puppies, as, "at dewy eve," he has sat, 

 watched, and listened to them as, with their musically clear 

 and flute-like notes, and 



With ears that sweep away the evening dew, 

 And voices matched like bells, 



they trailed the little cotton-tails. 



It is, but a few years since any nondescript mongrel that 

 would run a rabbit was called a Beagle; and when we speak 

 of "rabbit dogs," we have to admit that, popularly consid- 

 ered, that includes all the small mongrel dogs in existence 

 whose owners imagine, or have been told, will trail a hare. 



While, as remarked above, the Beagle is an old breed, it 

 can not be said that, except in a few instances, we have 

 bred this Hound in our country systematically until within 

 the last few years. 



