The Greyhound. 17 



both interesting and instructive to the tyro, although as a tale .that hath 

 been told to many ; and in defence of such a course let me quote Geoffrey 



Chaucer : 



For out of the old fieldis, as men saith, 



Cometh all this new corn from year to year ; 

 And out of olde bookis in good, faith, 



Cometh all this new science that men lere. 



It would be as much out of place here as it is unnecessary to enter on 

 any lengthened dissertation on coursing passionately fond of the sport, 

 next to seeing it it would be a labour of love to write or speak of it, and 

 it is almost with pain that I recall the words of Somerville, whose tastes 



preferred 



The musical confusion 

 Of hounds and echo in conjunction ; 



and who, with unjust prejudice, penned an undeserved censure against 

 followers of the leash when he wrote : 



A different ho and for every different chase 

 Select with judgment ; nor the poor timorous hare, 

 O'er-matched, destroy ; but leave that vile offence 

 To the mean, murderous, coursing crew. 



Without going deeply into the subject of coursing, it will, however, I 

 think, be necessary to briefly glance at what a dog is required to do in a 

 course, and that for two reasons : First, because I hold that all dogs 

 should be judged in the show ring by their apparent suitability for their 

 special work ; and, secondly, because this book may fall into the hands of 

 many who are real lovers of the dog and genuine sportsmen at heart, but 

 who, from various circumstances, have never had an opportunity of 

 seeing a course, or that so rarely as to be practically unacquainted 

 with its merits. 



The remarks of the inexperienced on a course are often amusing. The 

 most common mistake made by the tyro is that the dog that kills the 

 hare always wins, irrespective of other considerations a most excusable 

 error on the part of the novice, as in most or all other descriptions of 

 racing the first at the post or object is the winner ; but in coursing it is 

 not which is first there, but which has done most towards accomplishing 

 the death of the hare or put her to the greatest straits to escape. Be it 

 here understood that the object of the courser and the object of the dogs 

 differ materially. The dog's object is the death of the hare; the 

 courser's object is to test the relative speed, working abilities, and: 



c 



