THE SCOTCH DEERHOUND 121 



not find any allusion to the Deerhound, save in writings of a com- 

 paratively modern date, which in a measure justify us in supposing 

 that the Deerhound is the modern representative of that superb 

 animal.' Now, if my theory is correct that the Deerhound is simply 

 the tall, rough Greyhound used for hunting the larger game, this 

 apparent want of allusion is explained, as we have plenty of refer- 

 ences to such Greyhounds. It is remarkable that, to this day, the 

 Deerhound is often called ' a Greyhound ' by the Highlanders. A 

 gentleman informed me, some years ago, that his forester always 

 used the term * Greyhound,' and I have letters from gentlemen 

 in the Highlands in which the terms Greyhound, Staghound, and 

 Deerhound are used indifferently; in fact, Deerhound is a term 

 even now far less in use than Staghound. 



We cannot, therefore, feel surprised if we do not meet the term 

 ' Deerhound ' in old times, when we get mention of the Greyhound 

 under the term of Highland Greyhound, or its equivalent. The 

 'Irish Greyhounds' mentioned by Taylor, in 1620, were most 

 certainly Deerhounds ; but, to save any quibbling on terms, I will 

 now proceed to show that the specific word ' Deerhound ' was 

 used long ago, before any degeneracy from the Wolfdog can be 

 supposed. In Pitscottie's ' History of Scotland,' published about 

 1600, occurs the following passage: 'The king (A.D. 1528) 

 desired all gentlemen that had dogges that war guid to bring thame 

 to hunt in the saidis boundis, quhilk the most pairt of the noblemen 

 of the Highlandis did, sick as the Earles of Huntlie, Argyle, and 

 Athol, who brought their deir houndis with thame and hunted with 

 his majestic.' 



This authority is decisive, and completely shatters the last 

 possible remnant of the chief argument for the identification of the 

 Irish Wolfdog with the Deerhound. The inference that both were 

 the same is met by the irresistible fact that the Irish dog was 

 imported into Scotland when the Deerhound existed in large 

 numbers, and at a period when it cannot have degenerated. The 

 further inference of the Richardsonians, that with a change of 

 occupation came a change of name, and that the name Deerhound 

 was not used until very late times, when the Wolfdog had de- 

 generated into the Deerhound, is shown to be utterly unfounded 

 by the fact of the use of the name Deerhound three hundred years 

 ago. The last pretence for such an inference is now destroyed. 



In modern times the breed of Mr. Menzies, of Chesthill, is 

 doubtless the oldest strain we have note of. A gentleman who 

 knows the district well, and purchased a dog called Ossian at 

 Menzies of Chesthill's sale some years ago, informed the writer 

 that the family claimed to have had the breed pure for one hundred 

 years. Ossian is the grandsire of my Champion Cuchullin. 



Next in point of antiquity would come the strain of Mr. Grant, 



