310 



DOG. 



hound in Britain, and the numbers are yery few; and 

 for bonafidc stag hunting we may say there are none, 

 though there is an occasional run " for sport " at a 

 carted stag. Numerous packs are used upon these 

 occasions, which are got up more to show off the pack 

 than for any other purpose. The stag-hound is a 

 large, handsome, and tractable animal, but much in- 

 ferior, in point of nose, to the bloodhound. 



THE TALBOT. This name is usually associated 

 with that of the " Old English " hound ; but, as is the 

 case with the "gazehound," it is not satisfactorily 

 known what particular animal is meant. " Talbot " is 

 certainly an old English name, in the same way as 

 Matin is a French name. We suspect, however, that 

 calling the talbot the old English hound is just about 

 as correct as it is in the manufacturers of dictionaries 

 to call the matin the mastiff'. The probability is, that 

 talbot was a general name for hounds, whether they 

 were used in the chase or as watch-dogs, when those 

 hounds were not trained to some one particular sport. 



THE Fox-HocND. This species may be said to 

 be, at the present time, the favourite hound in Britain, 

 and great attention has been paid to the breeds ; 

 so that, whether in private kennels, or in subscription 

 or country packs, there is perhaps no country in which 

 this variety of dog has been brought to so much per-, 

 fection as in England. These dogs have a keen 

 scent, and the style of their running is very fine, and 

 especially the air with which they carry their heads. 

 Where the ground will admit of it, fox-houuds run 

 more in rank than any other dogs, and sometimes the 

 column presents a pretty long front in line. The 

 nose of the fox-hound is rather long, and, in propor- 

 tion to his body, his head is small ; his ears are pen- 

 dulous and long, but not so much so as those of either 

 the stag-hound or blood-hound. His chest is deep, 

 his legs are very straight, his feet round and well 

 proportioned, his breast wide, his back broad, his 

 shoulders are placed well back, his neck thin, his tail 

 bushy and thick, which he carries high when in the 

 chase. His colour is generally white, variously 

 patched with black brown and liver colour in different 

 parts of the body. Fox-hounds, and indeed all hounds 

 which are kept for hunting in packs, can be regarded 

 as in only a state of partial domestication. They 

 are, as it were, the military of the race, take the field 

 in squadrons, live apart in their kennels or barracks, 

 and do no civil duties. 



THE HARRIER. This species resembles the fox- 

 hound, only it is smaller, less powerful, and, generally 

 speaking, not so ferocious^ Harriers are more gene- 

 rally kept in Britain than fox-hounds, there being 

 much more scope for hare hunting than for fox 

 hunting ; for, as the country becomes more cultivated, 

 foxes diminish in number, while, under the same 

 circumstances, hares increase. Harriers do not run 

 so majestically as fox-hounds, but their cry is much 

 more musical and agreeable. 



THE BEAGLE. This is smaller than any of the 

 other varieties of hound, and by no means so fleet in 

 the chase. It, however, possesses qualities which are 

 in some respects superior, being more sagacious, and 

 possessing a much better nose, so that it can follow 

 on the scent in situations where the harrier would be 

 thrown out. 



Besides those which have been noticed, there are 

 several other denominations of hounds ; but the 

 above must suffice as a general sketch of the race. 



Somewhat allied to hounds are the Terriers, a 



smaller breed, but much more strongly made, more 

 courageous, better mouthed, and, along with great 

 sharpness of bite, possessing no inconsiderable share 

 of the bull-dog property of retaining their hold. We 

 believe they are not used in packs, or much in the 

 chase in any way, their chief use being to bring 

 burrowing animals out of their earths ; and so staunch 

 are they at this, that a terrier will often draw a 

 badger of more than his own weight. Terriers attack 

 all wild animals indiscriminately, and they are not to 

 be turned from their purpose either by largeness of size 

 or by rankness of smell. They are, properly speak- 

 ing, the vermin dogs ; and though they are very expert 

 at unearthing, and very forward in attacking foxes, 

 hares, and rabbits, they are equally efficient against 

 badgers, polecats, weazels, rats, and mice. On 

 account of their latter propensity, they are very much 

 used about farms, and about houses generally ; and, 

 though they are somewhat irritable, they make most 

 efficient watch-dogs, as they are not only very for- 

 ward to attack, but very formidable, and exceedingly 

 difficult to be vanquished. There is no doubt that a 

 sufficient number of them would be able to overcome 

 the largest wild animal ; and they have a sort of 

 natural propensity to the hog tribe, and might, even 

 in smaller number than some dogs of larger size, be 

 efficient against the wild boar. The writer of this 

 article knew a gentleman who had a very fine Scotch 

 terrier, which not only cleared a large farm, and also 

 the farm-yard, of all vermin, but acted as cattle-dog 

 or sheep-dog, as occasion required, and was so vigi- 

 lant and so formidable a guardian, that no intruder 

 could with impunity either invade the house or 

 trespass on the farm, but used successfully to repel 

 the inroads of a very powerful and fierce boar which 

 used to come in a furious and formidable manner, so 

 much so, indeed, that he often threw the labourers in 

 the fields into the greatest alarm ; but if Trap happened 

 to get notice of the invasion, the boar, though very 

 large, much in the shape of a wild boar, and of that 

 brindled colour which indicates the nearest approach 

 to that formidable animal, paid severely for his 

 temerity ; the dog, who had been trained to keep 

 animals in their right places, but to kill nothing 

 except game and vermin, made no direct attack on 

 the life of the boar. He laid hold of him by the ear, 

 and that hold he kept till the boar, though much 

 stronger and far heavier than the dog, was so com- 

 pletely subdued, as that Trap could lead him by the 

 ear to his own place of abode. The dog had seldom 

 occasion to lead him half way ; but he used to watch 

 his motions, and if the boar offered to return, the dog 

 instantly went to meet him, and so punished his other 

 ear, that there was no need for a second warning, at 

 least during the next week. 



One of the principal uses of the terrier as a 

 hunting dog is to accompany the fox-hounds ; and in 

 cases where all the earths are not carefully stopped, 

 a labour which it is not easy to perform in places 

 where there is much cover, the terrier is indis- 

 pensable, because his assistance is necessary in 

 unearthing the fox. 



SCOTCH TERRIER. This dog is generally low in 

 stature, very seldom more than thirteen or fourteen 

 inches in height, with a strong and muscular body, 

 and short stout legs. His ears are small and half 

 erected. His head is large in proportion to the 

 size of his body, with the muzzle considerably 

 pointed ; he has an exceedingly acute scent, so that, 



