268 THE RED DEER OF EX MOOR. 



successful mastership, was in every way worthy of 

 the sport and of the countr}'. Mr. Bisset was 

 succeeded by Viscount Ebrington, and he in turn 

 by Mr Basset, each of whom held office for six 

 seasons ; Colonel Hornby, who was at the head of 

 affairs for two years ; and Mr. R. A. Sanders, whose 

 term of twelve years has been marked by a very 

 high average of sport. All of these have adhered to 

 the practice of relying on big draft foxhounds drawn 

 from all the best packs in the country. The standard 

 is 24^ inches for puppies on entry. This gives a 

 standard for second season hounds and upwards of 

 25 inches, or rather more. The maintenance of this 

 standard has two special advantages. Firstly, the 

 larger hounds have an undoubted advantage over 

 their smaller brethren in deep heather and in hunting 

 the water ; and, secondly, Masters of Foxhounds 

 naturally refuse to part with puppies of tlie highest 

 quality which are not too big for foxhound packs. 

 Were it not for the size we should not find on the 

 benches at Exford, as we do now, puppies out of 

 the same litters that have achieved honours at 

 Peterborough, and made for themselves reputations 

 for good work in the best packs in the country. 

 Mr. Sanders has, however, recently introduced a 

 few large bitches into the pack in the hope of 

 improving the cry, in which they have been to a 

 certain extent successful, and a few puppies have 

 been bred with promising results, two home-bred 

 puppies being in I9o6among the speediest in the pack. 



