FRENCH AND OTHER CONTINENTAL HOUNDS. 489 



a white collar and white feet and tail tip. 

 The maximum height is 20 inches, and the 

 weight about 58 lb. 



Some of the Continental hounds would not 

 readily be recognised as such by English 

 sportsmen. The Bosnian Brack, as an 

 instance, might almost be mistaken for a 

 sheep-dog. It is wire-haired, and about the 

 size of a Collie, generally red or brown, or 

 white with yellow or red patches. They 

 have a good Foxhound in Norwaj', in 



RUSSIAN HOUND KASTROM SKA. 

 PROPERTY OF M. J. REVAL, MOHILEW. 



Sweden, in Finland, even in Livonia and 

 Lithuania, and travellers among the Alps 

 will have noticed the workmanlike little 

 hound of the Swiss valleys, and its elegant, 

 large-eared neighbour of Lucerne. They 

 may also have observed the Bruno, which 

 variety is the heaviest of the Swiss hounds, 

 short-legged, and long in the couplings, with 

 a long, sharp muzzle and pendulous ears, 

 which, with its yellow-brown self-colouring, 

 give it the appearance of a large and leggy 

 Dachshund. The Dachsbrack, by the way, 

 is not to be confused with the smaller 

 Dachshund familiar to English fanciers. 

 It is taller — often 16 inches high — heavier, 

 and stands on long, straight legs. There 

 are many excellent packs of these useful 

 little Bracks in Germany. 



In all European countries where sports- 

 men hunt the fox, the stag, and the hare, 

 there are packs of hounds suited to the 

 manner of the chase and the conditions of 

 62 



the sport. They cannot all be mentioned 

 here, and readers desiring technical informa- 

 tion concerning them may be referred to 

 Count Henry de Bylandt's valuable and 

 exhaustive volumes.* 



For large and savage game, such as the 

 wild boar, the bear and the wolf, more 

 powerful hounds are, of course, required, 

 and in all European countries where these 

 dangerous animals are the frequent quarry, 

 dogs have been selected and adapted. 

 ;\Iany of them are of very ancient type. 

 The Wolfhound of Albania, for 

 example, which is stiU used to protect 

 the flocks, was known to the Greeks 

 in the time of Alexander the Great. 

 Plinv is the authority for the exag- 

 gerated story that when Alexander 

 was on his way to India the King 

 of Albania gave him one of these 

 dogs. It was of great size, and 

 Alexander, delighted at its evident 

 strength, commanded that bears, 

 boars, and stags should in turn be 

 slipped to it. When this was done, 

 the hound regarded these animals 

 with calm contempt, whereupon 

 Alexander, " because his noble 

 spirit was roused," ordered the 

 dog to be slain. The Albanian king, hearing 

 of this, sent another dog, with the warning 

 that it was useless to try a hound so 

 redoubtable with small and insigni- 

 ficant game, but 

 with lions and 

 elephants, which 

 were more worthy 

 quarry. A lion was 

 then slipped and 

 the hound rose to 

 the attack, and 

 speedily proved 

 himself equal to 

 the occasion. The 



elephant gave him a severer task, but was 

 finally laid low. 



The Albanian Wolfliound is seldom seen 

 out of its native land, but one was brought 

 to these islands some years ago, and became 



* " Les Races de Chiens." Par Comte H. de 

 Bylandt, 2 vols., 1905. 



ALBANIAN WOLFHOUND. 



From an Antique Greek Vase. 



