The Bloodhound. 55 



The following quotation from Dr. Caius (temp. 1550) as to the use of 

 bloodhounds may prove suggestive, and enforce the arguments I have 

 repeatedly used in favour of the extraordinary scenting powers of this 

 noble hound being again utilised as a thief taker. Burglaries, especially 

 in rural and suburban districts, never were more rife ; the capture of the 

 thieves is often due to some happy accident, but capture and detection of 

 the perpetrators of these crimes too rare. The use of well trained 

 bloodhounds would, I am persuaded, prove most valuable in lessening 

 this class of crime, because of the absolute certainty with which they 

 could be trained to track the felon, even when put on the scent hours 

 after the deed had been committed. 



The dog was probably first used to trace deer stealers when the 

 stringent forest laws of the Norman kings were in force, and after- 

 wards his aptitude for the work was used for extended purposes. 

 That may be merely conjecture, but Dr. Caius seems to strengthen 

 the idea ; he says they " do not only chase the beast while it liveth, 

 but being dead also by any manner of casualty make recourse to 

 the place where it lieth, having in this point a sure and infallible 

 guide, namely, the scent and savour of the blood sprinkled here 

 and there upon the ground, for whether the beast being wounded doth 

 notwithstanding enjoy life and escape the hands of the hunts- 

 man, or whether the said beast, being slain, is conveyed clearly out 

 of the park (so that there be some signification of bloodshed), these dogs 

 with no less facility and earnestness than avidity and greediness, can dis- 

 close and bewray the same by smelling, applying to their pursuit agility 

 and nimbleness, without tediousness, for which consideration of a singu- 

 lar speciality they deserved to be called scmguinarius bloodhounds. 

 And albeit, peradventure it may chance that a piece of flesh be subtlely 

 stolen and cunningly conveyed away with such provisos and precaveats 

 as thereby all appearance of blood is either prevented, excluded, or con- 

 cealed, yet these kind of dogs, by a certain direction and an inward as- 

 sured notice and privy mark, pursue the deed doers through long lanes, 

 crooked reaches, and weary ways, without wandering away out of the 

 limits of the land whereon these desperate purloiners prepared their 

 speedy passage ; yea, the nature of these dogs is such, and so effectual is 

 their foresight, that they can bewray separate and pick them out from an 

 infinite multitude and an innumerable company, escape they never so far 



