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lacking. Some years ago, in discussing with a hunts- 

 man where to go for a change of blood, I suggested 

 the Berkeley, and though he at once admitted its 

 good qualities, he replied, " I am afraid of getting 

 that light colour in the kennel." This, I fear, has 

 been the general sentiment. 



Referring again to Hunting Tours, in speaking 

 of the Berkeley "Cecil" says: "I have for many 

 years expressed my allegiance to that blood, and 

 every day's experience confirms me in the opinion 

 that for general purposes of utility, in countries where 

 a combination of those qualities have to a certain 

 degree been overlooked, there are no hounds fco sur- 

 pass them." By "general purposes of utility" I 

 presume the writer meant hounds that excelled in 

 the field and could cajbch their foxes, which is, after 

 all, the sort we want now. In 1863 I think the 

 badger pie would be the prevailing colour in the 

 Berkeley kennels. 



In spite of the determined efforts to stamp out 

 the old light colour, it occasionally crops up, and 

 when it does appear I hope some lover of the fox- 

 hound will cherish ijb. 



Peterborough has, I venture to think, made a 

 mistake in encouraging the taste for the very big 

 hound. It is quite true that sires with size and sub- 

 stance must be used, or otherwise the breed might 

 degenerate into weeds, but there is a happy medium. 

 Opinions have always varied as to what is the most 

 useful size for a foxhound, but personally I think 

 dogs of twenty-three inches and bitches of twenty-two 

 are big enough for all practical purposes. We have 

 it on record that " Mr. Meynell's taste led him to 

 admire large hounds, buji his experience convinced 



