THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



from home for his blood, and sending his bitches to the celebrated 

 stallion hounds of the best kennels within his reach. This, 

 however, it must be remembered, is not within the command 

 of every man's purse, the expenses attendant on sending bitches 

 to a distance, under any circumstances, being heavy ; as they 

 must not only be placed under the care of a trusty servant, 

 but there are other occult charges which none but masters of 

 hounds are aware of. It is, however, a notorious fact, that the 

 produce of some stallion hounds, if they have but a fair chance 

 by the bitch, seldom fail in turning out well, and transmitting 

 their good qualities to many succeeding generations. 



' As to the size of hounds, various arguments are made use 

 of by the advocates of large and small ones. Those of the 

 former sort, that they get better across a deep and strongly- 

 fenced country than the smaller ones do ; whilst the admirers 

 of the latter insist upon their being better climbers of hills, 

 more active in cover, and quicker out of it, when their fox is 

 gone; and are oftener found to be more perfect in form and 

 shape. As to strict uniformity in size, how pleasing soever it 

 may be to the eye, it is by no means essential to the well-doing 

 of hounds in the field, and has been disregarded by some of 

 our first sportsmen — the great Meynell for one, who never 

 drafted a really good hound for being over or under the general 

 standard of his kennel. The great object of that eminent 

 sportsman — and such has been mine — was to breed them with 

 muscular power and bone, combined with as much symmetry 

 as could be obtained ; and to be equal in speed and good 

 qualities, rather than equal in height. For myself, I am 

 anxious to see my dog hounds rise to twenty-five inches, or 

 more, and bitches from twenty-three to twenty-four ; but such 

 a standard is very difficult to maintain ; and, after all, perhaps, 

 it may be said of hounds, as has been said of horses, that 

 their height has little to do with their size, as far, at least, as 

 their powers of action are concerned : and I believe that, in all 

 animals that labour, a medium height is best. 



' The amount of hounds to be bred annually will depend on 

 the average strength of your kennel, and the number of da^'s' 

 hunting in the week, which the country they are intended for 

 requires. From sixty to eighty couples of working hounds are 

 as many as any man ought to keep, being a complement for 

 at least four days in the week. This will require the breeding 



380 



