THE PACK. 255 



" First cross. — Put a thoroughbred heavy stag- 

 hound dog to some thoroughbred foxhound bitch. 

 This is not yet the breed required. 



" Second cross. — Put the bitches, the product of the 

 first cross, when fifteen months old to a thoroughbred 

 staghound dog, and to some thoroughbred staghound 

 bitches put those dogs the product of the first cross 

 which are most promising. The product of the last 

 cross is the sort required. After a few years, should 

 a cross be required from another kennel, which is 

 very necessary, cross with a sharp staghound, but 

 by no means with a foxhound." 



The use of the term " thoroughbred " here is 

 somewhat misleading, as none of a kennel bred on 

 these lines could really be considered "thoroughbred." 

 The last advice is also curious, and must have been 

 traditionary, for at the time he wrote there were not» 

 it is believed, any other staghounds, bred as such, in 

 England. The Royal hounds were at this time mostly 

 of foxhound origin, and so were probably the Earl of 

 Derby's hounds, which, to judge from the well-known 

 print, cannot have exceeded 24 or 24^ inches. 



There was, however, in Ireland a pack of 

 staghounds (the Cahirelly) belonging to Mr. Michael 

 Fiirvvell, which were hunting in Limerick as late as 

 1833, and a run with them of upwards of twenty 

 miles is described by a correspondent of the New 

 Sporting Magazine of March in that year. They 

 are described as follows : — 



" Those hounds are generally white and of immense 



