The Basset. 87 



reaching to fully sixteen inches, and I believe they had been obtained by 

 a direct cross from a regular chien courant (hound) with a full basset 

 d jambes torses. When sire and dam are both good, there is no reason 

 why the progeny should not answer the breeder's purpose, but I confess 

 to a tendency for either one thing or another, and were I to go in for 

 fancy for that breed of hounds I would certainly get either a thoroughly 

 crooked basset or a thoroughly straight-on-his-pins beagle. By the way, 

 a black and tan or a red basset d jambes torses cannot by any possible use 

 of one's eyes be distinguished from a dachshund of the some colour although 

 some German writers assert that the breeds are quite distinct. To the 

 naked eye there is no difference, but in the matter of names (wherein 

 German scientists particularly shine) then, indeed, confusion gets worse 

 confounded. They have, say, a dozen black and tan bassets d jambes 

 torses before them. Well, if one of them is a thorough good looking 

 hound, they call him dachs bracken ; if he is short-eared, and with a 

 pointed muzzle, they cap him with the appellation of a dachshund. 

 Between you and I, kind reader, it is a distinction without a difference, 

 and there is no doubt that both belong to the same breed. I will, at a 

 fortnight's notice, place a basset d jambes torses, small size, side by side 

 with the best dachshund hound to be found, and if any difference in legs, 

 anatomy, and general appearance of the two can be detected, I shall be 

 very greatly surprised. That the longer-eared and squarer-muzzled 

 hound is the better of the two for practical work there is not the shadow 

 of a doubt ; but, of course, if digging badgers is the sport in view, then 

 the dachshund terrier is the proper article. But that is not to be 

 admitted. One cannot breed hounds from terriers, whereas one can breed 

 terriers from hounds, and therefore the dachshund terrier is descended 

 from the basset a jambes torses. As for dachshund hounds, they are in 

 every respect bassets & jambes torses ; at least, that is the opinion I have 

 come to after a great deal of experience. Quarreling about names is an 

 unprofitable occupation. Never mind the ' bracken ' or the ' hund,' 

 since the two articles are alike. I say, from the evidence of my senses, 

 that they must come from the same stock, and since they cannot come 

 from a terrier pedigree, the hound one is the only logical solution. 



" The basset d jambes droites is synonymous with our beagle ; but, 

 whereas our beagles rarely exceed 14in., it is not uncommon to see some 

 bassets reaching even 16in. in France ; but, it should be remembered 



