PERCY AND DOUGLAS. 315 



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 any thing ; 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 suc- 

 cessful; for if they were fairly laid on, no hart could 

 escape them. They are now nine or ten years old f ; and 



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

 Anno 1838. 



