146 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



Solm's Druid, and Mr. Edwin Brough's 

 Napier into the pedigrees of many of the 

 celebrated hounds of the present day. 



" Druid " was a name given with per- 

 plexing frequency to Bloodhounds during 

 the succeeding decade, and Mr. Jenning's 

 dog, who was exported into France when 



CAPT. J. W. CLAYTON'S FAMOUS LUATH XI. 



BY LUATH X. BRAN VIII. 



BRED BY THE REV. G. STRATON IN 1874. 

 From a Drawing by C. Button Barber. 



just in his prime, is not to be confounded 

 with Colonel Cowen's Druid, a champion of 

 champions, bred in 1862, who was even 

 more remarkable as a sire than his earlier 

 namesake. With the exception of Leo 

 and Major, Old Druid had no son of suffi- 

 cient character to continue his reputation. 

 Colonel Cowen's hound, on the other hand, 

 had among his immediate progeny such 

 famous representatives of the breed as 

 Draco, Dingle, Dauntless, Hilda, Daphne, 

 Mr. Wright's Druid, and Mr. C. E. Holford's 

 Regent. Of these the last-named was the 

 most notable, as, like his sire, Regent took 

 first prizes year after year at both Bir- 

 mingham and the Crystal Palace. The Rev. 

 Thomas Pearce, a very good judge of the 

 breed, considered him absolutely faultless. 



Another famous Druid — grandsire of 

 Colonel Cowen's hound of the name — was 

 owned by the Hon. Grantley Berkeley. 

 This typical dog was unsurpassed in his time, 

 and his talent in following a line of scent 

 was astonishing. His only blemish was one 

 of character ; for, although usually as good- 

 tempered as most of the breed are, he was 

 easily aroused to uncontrollable fits of 

 savage anger. 



Her late Majesty Queen Victoria at 

 various times possessed one or more fine 

 specimens of the Bloodhound, procured for 

 her by Sir Edwin Landseer, and a capital 

 hound from the Home Park Kennels at 

 Windsor was exhibited at the London Show 

 in 1869, the judge on the occasion being 

 the Rev. Thomas Pearce, afterwards known 

 as " Idstone." Landseer was especially 

 fond of painting the majestic Bloodhound, 

 and he usually selected good models for 

 his studies. The model for the hound in 

 his well-known picture, " Dignity and Im- 

 pudence," was Grafton, who was a collateral 

 relative of Captain J. W. Clayton's cele- 

 brated Luath XL 



This last-named dog, bred by the Rev. 

 G. Straton in 1874, by Luath X. out of 

 Bran VI 1 1., is more particularly remem- 

 bered for his magnificent and noble head. 

 In colour he was a pale tan. His legs were 

 not of the best and straightest, and he was 

 unfortunate in having a Dudley nose. 

 These faults handicapped him severely in 

 competition with such a well-shaped speci- 

 men as his contemporary Don (owned by 

 Mrs. Humphries) ; but he was most suc- 

 cessful at stud, and his grandly developed 

 head characteristics were transmitted with 

 unvarying certainty to his offspring. His 

 mating with Mr. E. Bird's Juno II. pro- 

 duced Tarquin, thought by many to have 

 been the most perfect Bloodhound puppy 

 ever seen. Unfortunately, Tarquin died 

 before his promise could be realised. A 

 more memorable litter was bred from 

 Luath to Mr. Nichols' Restless, a grand- 

 daughter of Mr. Ray's Roswell. It com- 

 prised Napier, Nimrod, Diana, and Lawyer, 

 besides Belladonna and Mr. Brough's Bravo ; 

 all winners at first class shows. 



