()0 ■ FACT AGAINST FICTIOK. 



foxlioimcLs does not himself attend to the breeding 

 department of his kennel, liave occasioned more 

 mischief than years on years will serve to eradicate. 

 The same indeed to all other breeds of dogs, save 

 those only to be looked at. Thus the huntsman 

 having permission to comjoete for public prizes at 

 these shows — a prize Avhicli can only be awarded 

 by the eye — breeds with a view to external appear- 

 ances and to win the prize, rather than to kill his 

 future fox, and puts together the handsomest sire 

 and dam he can select as to shape and colour, 

 and passes over some finer-nosed creature, whose 

 gifted perfections are innate^ to be known only in 

 action, and not percej^tible to the eye. 



You may breed for personal beauty, legs and 

 feet ; but in doing so it is possible that the breeder 

 tshould omit to remember that the finest loins, the 

 power for muscular speed, and leg and foot are 

 utterly subservient in these cases to the gift of 

 scent. The speed of a foxhound does not depend 

 upon the shape and beauty of his legs ; for unless 

 liis nose serves liini with a scent on which to run, 

 legs, tliewsj and sinews must be idle, for it is the 

 nose that makes tliem all to go. Thus a cross- 

 grown, ugly, ill-shaped foxhound Avith a (jnud none 



