CHAPTER XI 

 THE SCOTCH DEERHOUND 



FROM his superior size and rough coat the Deerhound has a more 

 imposing appearance than his refined brother the Greyhound, and 

 many would place him at the head of the family. He is frequently 

 referred to as the Staghound. It is well to note this, to prevent 

 confusion, as in England the Staghound is a totally different dog, 

 hunting by scent alone, and often simply a large Foxhound. He 

 is also named the Rough Greyhound, and the Northern, or Fleet- 

 hound. 



Blome, writing of the various hounds of his time, after describing 

 the deep-mouthed hound, says : "For the Northern, or Fleet-hound, 

 his head and nose ought to be slenderer and longer, his back broad, 

 his belly gaunt, his joynts long, and his ears thicker and shorter 

 in a word, he is in all parts slighter made, and framed after the 

 mould of a Greyhound." It is, however, uncertain whether Blome 

 here meant to describe the Deerhound, or the light-built and swift 

 Foxhound of the North, which, by comparison with the slow, deep- 

 tongued, Southern hound, approached to the Greyhound form. 



In that much-valued work the "Sportsman's Cabinet" no 

 mention is made of the Scotch Deerhound, and the Staghound 

 described and illustrated by Reinagle is a pure modern Foxhound. 



Richardson, a well-known authority on dogs, writing nearly sixty 

 years ago, gave it as his opinion that the Irish Wolfhound was the 

 ancestor of the Highland Deerhound, an opinion not by any means 

 well supported ; this question, however, is discussed at some length 

 in the chapter on the Irish Wolfhound. Equally open to doubt 

 are the crosses suggested by some as having been resorted to in 

 order to prevent the Deerhound from dying out and particularly 

 those of the Foxhound and Bloodhound. 



In treating of the Deerhound, " Stonehenge," who is usually 

 careful and accurate, says : " On carefully examining the description 

 given by Arrian, no one can doubt that the dog of his day was 

 rough in his coat, and in all respects like the present Scotch dog." 

 On the contrary, Arrian is very clear on this point, showing he was 



