Jack Rabbit Hunting With Greyhounds 73 



In claiming all this and more as the true history of the 

 beginning of the chase the writer merely wishes to voice the 

 sentiments and traditions of coursing men and greyhound 

 fanciers the world over. It is barely possible, however, that 

 somewhere along down the line of traditional descent, some 

 enthusiastic lovers of the chase may have "said more than 

 their prayers," and that some allowances must be made for 

 the inaccuracy that invariably creeps into all traditions and 

 history. Nevertheless, there is an abundance of proof that 

 the greyhound is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, family 

 of the canine race. It is believed by many — Darwin not- 

 withstanding — that the greyhound is the original stock from 

 whence all other branches of the race descended. They are 

 certainly not a modification of any other known species of 

 family. It is a well authenticated fact, also, that coursing 

 the hare was a favourite sport with our fathers, centuries 

 before the good news came to earth that "a child was born." 

 Yes, ages before this our fathers cheered on the chase as we 

 are cheering it on to this day. It may be a weakness perhaps 

 in coursing men to dwell as they do on the antiquity of their 

 favourite sport, but it is, after all, a happy reflection, to know 

 we are pursuing a game that our ancestors played at centuries 

 before Rome w^as born; and still the grand old sport goes on 

 and its followers of to-day are living over and over again the 

 glorious days of their fathers, while preserving to the genera- 

 tions yet unborn the customs and traditions of the chase. 



Xenophon (400 B. C), we are told, left a vivid descrip- 

 tion of hunting the hare, and a younger Xenophon, evidently 

 a 'chip off the old block,' has laid down the follo^dng rules, 

 which show there were real sportsmen two thousand years 

 ago. He says: 



"Whoever courses with greyhounds should neither slip 

 them near the hare, nor more than a brace at a time, for 

 though the hare is remarkably swift-footed and has often 



