THE HARRIER 69 



cross between the large slow-hunting Harrier and 

 what he called the little Fox -Beagle, a hound which 

 in all probability was the forerunner of our foot 

 beagle. Happily we still have a few packs sur- 

 viving which contain the genuine old-fashioned blood. 

 A gentleman, whose identity as a well-known autho- 

 rity on hounds was but thinly concealed under the 

 pseudonym of " X," gave a most interesting descrip- 

 tion in Country Life of the Cotley Harriers, which 

 I am enabled to illustrate by the courtesy of the 

 Master, Mr. E. Eames, of Broad Oak, Chard. The 

 Master's grandfather, Mr. T. Deane, of Cotley, 

 started a pack in the year 1797, and it was then 

 hunted by the late Mr. T. P. Eames until his death, 

 in 1886. Mr. Eames has the pedigrees back to 

 the time of old Parson Froude, of Knowstone, whose 

 hounds it is said were descended from the old Stag- 

 hounds. From this clue " X " traces their descent 

 from the Royal White Hounds of France, upon which 

 Turberville has a chapter. The first of the race 

 was called Souyllard, which was given by a poor 

 gentleman to King Louis, who set no great store by 

 him because he loved the Dun Hounds above all 

 others. The Seneschal Gaston begged the King to 

 make a present of him unto the. wisest lady of his 

 realm, namely, 'Anne of Bourbon. " I agree not to 

 that," quoth the King, " in that you have named 

 her the wisest, but you may say less foolish than 

 others, whereas there are few wise women in the 

 world." It is not necessary to follow the history 

 of Souyllard, but it is of moment to note that the 

 Queen of Scots gave Louis a white dog called Bar- 

 raude, thus suggesting that the white hounds were 

 known in these islands at that time. The Cotley 



