72 British Dogs. 



colours are black and white, black tan and white, hare pied, and badger 

 pied. 



The stern should be thick at the root, gradually tapering, carried well 

 up with a gentle arch, and fringed slightly with strongish hair. 



CHAPTER XL THE OTTER-HOUND. 



BY CORSINCON. 



ALTHOUGH many writers describe the Otter-hound as a dog of mixed 

 breed, all refer him back to the old southern hound, or the bloodhound, 

 for his origin, whatever crosses may have been resorted to to produce the 

 dog we now recognise as the legitimate hound to pursue the ' ' Fish- 

 slicer." Elaine says he is the old southern hound, crossed with the water 

 spaniel, and that those with a dash of the bulldog in them are the best, 

 the water spaniel being supposed to supply the roughness of coat for 

 water spaniels of last century were very different in coat as in other 

 points to those dogs of to-day called by that name and also to give or 

 increase the aptitude for swimming, whilst the bulldog cross is supposed 

 to have infused the necessary hardiness, courage, and tenacity. 



Both Youatt and Richardson suppose him to be the result of a cross 

 between the southern hound and the rough terrier, and by others the 

 rough deerhound has been held to have had a share in the production of 

 the otter hound. I am strongly of opinion, however, that if any such 

 crosses have ever occurred, either by accident or design, it is so remote 

 and slight as to be now quite swallowed up, and as a stream lost in the 

 immensely larger volume of the river to which it is a tributary, so has 

 any infusion of alien blood been absorbed by the true old English hound 

 blood of the genuine Otter-hound. 



The hunting of the otter is one of our most ancient sports. Jesse, in 



