ON BLOODING HOUNDS 117 



people whose carelessness about hounds has caused 

 them to remain ignorant of many most interesting 

 traits in the character of that highly-bred animal, 

 the modern foxhound. 



Many of those who go out hunting are content to 

 notice in a casual manner the clustering hounds wait- 

 ing with waving sterns at the meet for their hunts- 

 man's arrival, and perhaps deem it an interesting and 

 pretty sight to watch their greeting with its clamorous 

 rush ; but few have any idea of the depth of character, 

 powers of memory, and peculiar intelligence of the 

 foxhound, who nevertheless seems, in some respects, 

 a strangely dull and unobservant animal that cannot 

 compare with the collie or terrier in cleverness ; yet 

 in others he seems to display more brain-power than 

 the rest of the canine tribe, as one may gather when 

 listening to old stories by huntsmen of their best-loved 

 hounds. 



One of the traits of the character of the foxhound 

 is his extreme sensitiveness, which causes him to be 

 subject to fits of deep dejection, to sulk in an extra- 

 ordinary manner ; and, objectionable as this very 

 common habit may be, it will be found that the 

 animal seldom gives way to it without reason. Fox- 

 hounds, although they will work like demons, are not 

 only impatient when disappointed in getting hold of 

 a fox that they have run to ground, and show dislike 

 to leaving the place where they have marked him, 

 but if the disappointment is repeated a few times, 

 begin to show a want of keenness about every detail 

 of the chase. They become slack, in fact, and this 

 displays itself not only in drawing but in casting. I 



