1 94 BRITISH DOGS 



a small Foxhound, or a small Bloodhound, or a long-eared Terrier, 

 but a breed as distinct as any breed can be, and those who would 

 make him a small copy of any other breed are either ignorant, 

 thoughtless, or possess the same class of mind as the gentleman 

 who recently proposed to alter our cathedrals into " buildings 

 more suited to the [supposed] wants of the present day." Still, 

 our Beagle is a hound, and in consequence has many points in 

 common with all hounds : the short back, compact body, straight 

 legs, round feet, powerful loin, and nicely placed shoulders, must 

 all be possessed by the perfect Beagle, and are of more or less 

 importance according to the work he has to do. The really good, 

 true Beagle head is a study : long, thin ears, a skull free from 

 coarseness but with plenty of room, an eye full, soft, almost pleading 

 in expression, a nostril wide and large, a lip pendulous and very 

 full such is the Beagle head. The great difficulty is to get it on- 

 to a perfect body and legs, and this has given rise to much loose 

 talk and writing about "modern" and "old-time" Beagles, 

 apparently those with good bodies and legs but unbeagle-like 

 heads being classed as " modern." Of course, if they have not Beagle 

 heads, they are not Beagles modern or ancient ; but perfection all 

 round has yet to be attained, and many a Master of a hard-working 

 pack, as a choice of evils, reluctantly sacrifices perfection in head 

 in order to maintain perfection in body and legs. His hounds are 

 none the less Beagles, but good hounds failing a bit in head 

 points, and, if not carefully watched, are likely to throw out pro- 

 nounced unbeagle-like characteristics, such as the bold, determined 

 stare of the Foxhound, his drive and pace and quick wide casts 

 when at fault, impetuosity, and music faulty alike in quality and 

 quantity. Most of us have met with these departures from Beagle 

 style, and know that in some packs they are very marked. On the 

 other hand, many will cheerfully sacrifice body or legs to maintain 

 the Beagle head in perfection : such are beautiful typical headed 

 Beagles, failing in body or legs or both. So long as we recognise 

 such failings are faults, and serious faults, breeders will in time 

 work a cure. The danger commences when owners pretend to 

 take a pride in faults they find it difficult to eradicate urge, for 

 instance, that a Beagle need not have straight legs, or that a Fox- 

 hound type of head is correct " for a modern Beagle." Lovers 

 of the Beagle appreciate the absurdity of the contention, realise 

 the true reason for it, smile, and pass on ; but the novice is apt to 

 fall a victim. To counteract this danger, which a few years ago 

 was considerable, a club was formed for the protection of the 

 true Beagle, and has brought together many skilled breeders bent 

 upon producing and maintaining the Beagle in perfection; con- 

 sequently we now have a centre from which reliable information 

 is disseminated concerning the breed, and where novices are always 



