THE BASSET-HOUND. 



303 



I was most careful in selecting those of the 

 best type, with sound straight legs and good 

 feet, eliminating all that did not possess 

 distinct qualifications for sport and exhi- 

 bition, and with most satisfactory results, 

 the Champions Paris and Xena never having 

 been beaten in competition. Xena, indeed, 

 was the winner outright of the twenty-five 

 guinea challenge bowl three times in suc- 

 cession, winning one each for the three 

 successive owners, myself, Mrs. Walsh, and 

 Mr. Stark, representing eighteen consecutive 

 wins without a set back — a feat rarely sur- 

 passed. 



To these followed many good dogs, in- 

 cluding Queen of the Geisha (bred by Mr. 

 Stark), who rose to premier honours on the 

 death of Ch. Xena. Queen was almost as 

 good as Xena, but failed somewhat in hind 

 quarters, which were too stilty, but her 

 head and ears were the most perfect yet 

 produced. At the present time the smooth 

 dog hound taking the foremost place in the 

 estimation of our most capable judges is 

 Mr. W. W. M. White's Ch. Loo-Loo-Loo, 

 bred by Mrs. Tottie, by Ch. Louis le Beau 

 out of Sibella. Mr. Croxton Smith's Waverer 

 is also a dog of remarkably fine type. 

 Among bitch hounds Sandringham Dido, 

 the favourite of Her Majesty the Queen, 

 ranks as the most perfect of her kind. 



The rough or Griffon-Basset, introduced 

 into England at a later date than the smooth, 

 has failed for some reason to receive great 

 attention. In type it resembles the shaggy 

 Otterhound, and as at present favoured 

 it is larger and higher on the leg than the 

 smooth variety. I have myself imported 

 several from France, but have found them 

 less hardy than their velvety relatives, and 

 not so staunch or painstaking in their work, 

 and for packs they do not appear to be 

 generally liked. Their colouring is less dis- 

 tinct, and they seem generally to be lemon 

 and white, grey and sandy red. Their 

 note is not so rich as that of the smooth 

 variety. In France the rough and the 

 smooth Bassets are not regarded as of the 

 same race, but here some breeders have 

 crossed the two varieties, with indifferent 

 consequences. 



Some beautiful specimens of the rough 

 Basset have from time to time been sent 

 to exhibition from the Sandringham kennels. 

 His Majesty the King has always given 

 affectionate attention to this breed, and has 

 taken several first prizes at the leading 

 shows, latterly with Sandringham Bobs, 

 bred in the home kennels by Sandringham 

 Babil ex Saracenesca. 



Perhaps the most explicit description of 

 the perfect Basset-hound is still that com- 

 piled twenty-five years ago by Sir John 



MRS. TOTTIE'S ROUGH-COATED BASSET-HOUND DOG 



CH. PURITAN 



Pliotograph by A. Horner, Settle. 



Millais. It is at least sufficiently compre- 

 hensive and exact to serve as a guide : — 



" The Basset, for its size, has more bone, 

 perhaps, than nearly any other dog. 



" The skull should be peaked like that of 

 the Bloodhound, with the same dignity and 

 expression, the nose black (although some 

 of my own have white about theirs), and 

 well flewed. For the size of the hound, I 

 think the teeth are extremely small. How- 

 ever, as they are not intended to destroy 

 life, this is probably the reason. 



" The ears should hang like the Blood- 

 hound's, and are like the softest velvet 

 drapery. 



" The eyes are a deep brown, and are 

 brimful of affection and intelligence. They 

 are pretty deeply set, and should show a 

 considerable haw. A Basset is one of 

 those hounds incapable of having a wicked 

 eye. 



