212 BRITISH DOGS 



one of them, who exclaimed : " Let us make a collection." In 

 the doggy world, when a breed does not prosper as its devotees 

 desire, some one possessed of specimens writes to the newspapers, 

 and says, " Let us form a club " ; and, calling a few friends together, 

 a club is formed, and a standard framed to match existing speci- 

 mens, by which all future dogs of the breed are to be judged. 



In 1883, then, the Basset Club was instituted, and the immense 

 increase of these hounds in England is largely due to its influence. 

 The Club proposed to itself the task of defining the true type, of 

 publishing a full and minute description of the breed, and also a 

 book of pedigrees. A fourth edition of the Stud Book (originally 

 compiled by Mr. Everett Millais) was published in 1900, having 

 been corrected and brought up to date by Mrs. Tottie. 



Turning, for the time being, from this part of the subject to a 

 consideration of the uses of Bassets, it will be seen, from " Wild- 

 fowler's " contribution, that in France their chief use is in serving 

 the gun, and especially in driving ground game from the coverts to 

 the open glades, rides, or avenues, wherein the shooters take up 

 their position ; and although not kept exclusively to that work, yet 

 there is no mention of them being used as we do our Harriers and 

 Beagles. 



At the time that Arrian lived hounds corresponding to the 

 modern Basset were used for hunting, as we use the term, many 

 centuries before "villainous saltpetre was digged out of the bowels 

 of the harmless earth" for the making of gunpowder. Such use 

 of hounds was an absolute necessity of the then existing circum- 

 stances ; and, no doubt, in times nearer to our own, Bassets 

 were also used to drive game within reach of the bowman's shaft 

 long before the " mimic thunder " of the iron tube roused the 

 echo, as it sounded the death of hare or pheasant. 



Bassets are now employed to a considerable extent in hare- 

 hunting in this country, in packs, as Harriers are used, and, in 

 many instances, with marked success. 



Mr. Fred. W. Blain, of Bromborough, Cheshire, well known 

 in the earlier days of the breed, wrote to the previous edition 

 of "British Dogs": 



" During the past few years the number of Basset-hounds in 

 this country has greatly increased, and I am glad to see that 

 they are growing in favour as sporting dogs. For hare-hunting 

 they are excellent, and for some reasons I think they are preferable 

 to Beagles. They are by no means as slow as most people imagine, 

 and they will go on for hours at top speed, showing great endurance 

 and pluck. Like most delicate-nosed hounds, such as Bloodhounds, 

 Otter-hounds, and the old Southern Hounds, Bassets are inclined 

 to dwell very much on a scent, and to be rather too free with 



