244 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



Not being in possession of any of the celebrated race of 

 the original Scotch greyhound, which are now, indeed, very 

 rare, and rinding that all the dogs in the forest of Atholl 

 were miserably degenerate, I bred some litters from a fox- 

 hound and a greyhound, the foxhound being the father. 

 This cross answered perfectly : indeed, I was previously 

 advised that it would do so by Mr. John Crerer, who, after 

 having tried various crosses for sixty years, found this 

 incomparably the best. Neither of these animals themselves 

 would have answered ; for the greyhound cannot stand the 

 weather, and wants courage to that degree, that most of 

 them will turn from a fox when they come up to him, and 

 see his grin, and feel his sharp teeth ; nay, they will scarcely 

 go through a hedge in pursuit of a hare till after some 

 practice. Besides, they have no nose, and run entirely by 

 sight; so that when the hart dashes into a deep moss or 

 ravine, the chase is over, and the dog stops, and stares about 

 him like a born idiot as he is. 



The foxhound is equally objectionable ; he has not suffi- 

 cient speed, gives tongue, and hunts too much by scent : 

 in this way he spreads alarm through the forest; and if 

 you turn him loose, he will amuse himself all day long, and 

 you will probably see him no more till he comes home at 

 night to his kennel. 



All these objections are obviated by the cross between 

 the two. You get the speed of the greyhound, with just 

 enough of the nose of the foxhound to answer your purpose. 

 Courage you have in perfection, for most dogs so bred will 

 face anything ; neither craggy precipices, nor rapid streams, 

 will check their course ; they run mute, and when they are 

 put upon the scent of the hart, they will follow it till they 

 come up to him ; and, again, when he is out of view, they 

 will carry on the scent, recover him, and beat the best 

 greyhound to fits : I mean, of course, on forest ground. 



The present Marquis of Breadalbane had two dogs of 

 this description, Percy and Douglas, which were bred by 

 me. As they were my very best upon scent, I gave the 

 late Duke of Atholl the use of them every season, to bring 

 cold harts * to bay, in which they were wonderfully success- 



* A cold hart means one that has not been wounded. 



