THE DEERHOUND. 



177 



For the following additional notes on the 

 Deerhound I am indebted to Mrs. H. 

 Armstrong. 



" Though fast disappearing from the annals 

 of hunting, the Deerhound is a great favourite 

 to-day as a household pet and personal 



after the style of the Royal beast, the 

 lion, who appears to look over the heads, 

 or actually through the bodies, of his ad- 

 miring visitors at the Zoo, into the back 

 of beyond. 



" Unfortunately, the Deerhound is to-day 



THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS ST. RONAN'S RHYME 



(BORN FEBRUARY 23RD, 1903) BY ST RONAN'S RANGER GINAGACH. 



Photograph by Russell. 



companion, and well worthy is he of his 

 place ; for not only is he wondrous gentle 

 for his great size, but he is faithful, sensible, 

 and quiet. The latter quality, indeed, may 

 almost be described as a fault, for except 

 for his formidable size and appearance, 

 which strikes terror into the hearts of 

 evildoers, he cannot be said to be a good 

 watch, inasmuch as he will either welcome 

 all comers as personal friends, or he will 

 of his dignity and stateliness overlook 

 the approach of strangers, something 



a most delicate and difficult dog to rear. 

 Perhaps this is due to the extraordinary 

 amount of inbreeding which has been so 

 largely resorted to in this race. In order, 

 probably, to keep the type and character, 

 as also the pure lineage, we have the same 

 names occurring over and over again in 

 the same pedigree, and of those of the present 

 day none appears more often or more surely 

 than that of Ch. Swift — a hound bred by 

 Mr. Singer, of Frome, Somerset, and who 

 in turn is by Ch. Athole, the property of 



