THE PACK. 251 



imported, and as the demand for speed arose, no 

 doubt even the Southern hounds were bred for pace 

 to meet the demand, just as foxhounds were when 

 the custom of riding better-bred and faster horses 

 necessitated increased pace in the hounds. 



That the Southern hound was a recognised breed, 

 separate from the foxhound, as late as 1749, is 

 proved in Beckford's "Thoughts on Hunting," 

 published in that year, the only book of the period 

 which deals authoritatively with the science of fox- 

 hunting. He speaks of a pack which was all 

 shapes and sizes, yet killed a goodly proportion of 

 foxes, and adds that they ran in a string, and that 

 when in difficulties the fault was always made good 

 by an old Southern hound. He mentions this as if 

 the Southern hound was then a perfectly well-known 

 and recognised breed. 



Such being the hounds existing in England at 

 this period, we cannot help wondering from what 

 source was derived the grand old pack which for 

 something, we believe, like two centuries or more 

 showed such wonderful sport in Somerset and Devon. 

 We have no description of the pack at that time, the 

 earliest being contained in Dr. Collyns's " Chase of 

 the Wild Red Deer," which describes them as they 

 were before being sold in 1825. Dr. CoUyns says he 

 is unable to trace their exact origin, but they had 

 been in the countv for years, and had been bred 

 with the utmost care for the purpose of staghunting. 

 He says : — 



