THE HOUND. 225 



The cross, therefore, would not necessarily be destruc- 

 tive of all scenting capacities, and it is notorious that the 

 new high-bred racing foxhound has deteriorated greatly 

 from the old Southern hound, and somewhat from the old 

 English foxhound, in nose. He is less capable of picking 

 out a cold scent foot by foot on a bad scenting day, but on 

 the other hand he comes away with his fox, on finding, with 

 such a dash, and keeps up so wonderful a stroke of speed, 

 with such endurance and pluck, that, in any tolerable 

 weather, the scent has no chance to grow cold, and that, on 

 a good hunting day, no fox that was ever unkennelled can 

 live before him an hour, or any ordinary one half that 

 time. 



No horse but one thoroughbred, or, if not tracing 

 directly to Barb blood on both sides, with at least seven 

 or eight crosses of pure blood, can by any chance live 

 through a run of an hour with fourteen stone on his back 

 within sight or hearing of them, and no horse not the son 

 of a thoroughbred sire, at least, could stay one mile at 

 their pace. 



They are truly wonderful animals, with speed equal to 

 that of a slow greyhound, dash and courage equal to any 

 thing, and scent amply sufficient to sustain their other 

 powers. 



There may be, as I have said, and probably is, a very 

 remote, perhaps ten or fifteen times removed cross of grey- 

 hound blood in them, but I am satisfied that there is no 

 bull-dog, unless what may have come through the grey- 

 hound, which we know has an infusion of that strain intro- 

 duced by Lord Orford. 

 10* 



