FRENCH AND OTHER CONTINENTAL HOUNDS. 491 



powers. For the chase he is usually fitted 

 with a light leather harness to which the 

 leash is attached, and when properly trained 

 he will lead the hunter surely and silently 

 straight up to his game. They are of Spitz 



CAPT. G. FERRANDS YEMTLAND BEAR- AND 

 ELK-HOUND TROFAOS. 



type, and are of several varieties, differing 

 mainly in size. Some of them are bobtailed. 

 Prominent among these varieties is the 

 Elk-hound, which may be termed the Scan- 

 dinavian Pointer, for, as well as for elk and 

 bear hunting, it is used as a gun-dog for 

 blackcock. It is remarkable for its powers 

 of scent, and under favourable conditions 

 will scent an elk or a bear three miles 

 away. Technically, however, it is not a 

 hound, but a general utility dog. The 

 breed is a very ancient one, dating back 

 in its origin to the times of the Vikings. 

 Intelligence, courage, and endurance are 

 among its notable characteristics. It is 

 rather short in stature, with an average 

 height of twenty inches. The head, which 

 is carried high, is large and square, broad 

 between the ears ; the stop well defined, the 

 muzzle of good length, the eyes dark and 

 full of expression, the ears sharpty pointed, 



erect, and very mobile. The neck is short 

 and thick, the chest broad and deep, the 

 back straight and not long. The stern is 

 thick and heavy, and carried curled over 

 the back. As in most northern dogs, the 

 coat is long and deep on the body, with a 

 dense woolly undercoat, but short and 

 smooth about the head. In colour it is 

 grizzle in all its shades, grizzle brown, black 

 brown, or black. Tan is rare. A white 

 patch on the chest is frequent, as are white 

 feet. The undercoat is always pale brown. 

 These alert and companionable dogs are 

 becoming popular in England. Lady Cath- 

 cart's Jiiger is a typical specimen, and Major 

 A. W. Hicks Beach owns and frequently 

 exhibits several good ones, notably Clinker 

 and King. Clinker is of his own breed- 

 ing, by Void out of Namsos, and has taken 

 many first prizes at important shows. 



In Siberia the Samoyede Dog is used to 

 some extent in the hunting of tlie bear, 

 at which work he shows considerable cour- 

 age. Among the Laplanders he is employed 



LADY CATHCARTS ELK-HOUND JAGER. 



for rounding up the tame elk ; and farther 



north, of course, he becomes a draught dog, 



There are dogs in Iceland of a somewhat 



similar type, with prick ears, a bushy tail 



