THE OTTERHOUND. 



159 



otter-hunting. The otter is so wary. His 

 holt can very well be passed, his delicious 

 scent may be over-run ; but the pure- 

 bred Otterhound is equal to all occasions. 

 He is terribly certain on the trail when he 

 finds it. Nothing can throw him off it, 

 and when his deep note swells into a sort 

 of savage howl, as he lifts his head towards 

 the roots of some old pollard, there is a 

 meaning in it — no mistake has been made. 

 In every part of a run it is 

 the same ; the otter dodges 

 up stream and down, lands 

 for a moment, returns to his 

 holt ; but his adversaries are 

 always with him, and as one 

 sees their steady work the 

 impression becomes stronger 

 and stronger that for the real 

 sport of otter-hunting there is 

 nothing as good as the pure- 

 bred Otterhound. There is 

 something so dignified and 

 noble about the hound of 

 unsullied strain that if you 

 once see a good one you will 

 not soon forget him. He is 

 a large hound, as he well 

 needs to be, for the " var- 

 mint " who is his customary 

 quarry is the wildest, most 

 vicious, and, for its size, the most power- 

 ful of all British wild animals, the in- 

 veterate poacher of our salmon streams, 

 and consequently to be mercilessly slaugh- 

 tered, although always in sporting fashion. 

 To be equal to such prey, the hound must 

 have a Bulldog's courage, a Newfoundland's 

 strength in water, a Pointer's nose, a 

 Retriever's sagacity, the stamina of the 

 Foxhound, the patience of a Beagle, the 

 intelligence of a Collie. 



THE PERFECT OTTERHOUND. 



1. Head. — The head, which has been described 

 as something between that of a Bloodhound and 

 that of a Foxhound, is more hard and rugged 



than either. With a narrow forehead, ascending 

 to a moderate peak. 



2. Ears. — The ears are long and sweeping, but 

 not feathered down to the tips, set low and lying 

 flat to the cheeks. 



3. Eyes. — The eyes are large, dark and deeply 

 set, having a peculiarly thoughtful expression. 

 They show a considerable amount of the haw. 



4. Nose. — The nose is large and well developed, 

 the nostrils expanding. 



5. Muzzle. — The muzzle well protected with 

 wiry hair. The jaw very powerful with deep flews. 



DOG HOUNDS OF THE DUMFRIESSHIRE OTTER HUNT, 



including THUNDER and SPANKER, 



ATTENDED BY THE WHIP'S DAUGHTER. 



6. Neck. — The neck is strong and muscular, 

 but rather long. The dewlap is loose and folded. 



7. Chest. — The chest, deep and capacious, but 

 not too wide. 



8. Back. — The back is strong, wide and arched. 



9. Shoulders. — The shoulders ought to be slop- 

 ing, the arms and thighs substantial and muscular. 



10. Feet. — The feet, fairly large and spreading, 

 with firm pads and strong nails to resist sharp 

 rocks. 



11. Stern. — The stern when the hound is at 

 work is carried gaily, like that of a rough Welsh 

 Harrier. It is thick and well covered, to serve 

 as a rudder. 



12. Coat. — The coat is wiry, hard, long and 

 close at the roots, impervious to water. 



13. Colour. — Grey, or buff, or yellowish, or 

 black, or rufus red, mixed with black or grey. 



14. Height. — 22 to 24 inches. 



