SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN HOUNDS, AND TALBOT. 49 



the north. Both, however, were large, bony hounds, with long- 

 falling ears, but the southern hounds had absolute dewlaps, or at 

 all events such excessive throatiness as to make them rejected in 

 the present day on that account alone. The portrait at the head 

 of this article does not represent this peculiarity sufficiently, and 

 the dog there drawn would pass muster in this point among modern 

 foxhounds. In other respects he is, I believe, a faithful copy of 

 the southern hound, and shows the bony limbs, great strength and 

 heiffht, as well as the length of ear and heaviness of head so re- 

 markable in them. Markham, who lived three hundred years ago, 

 in comparing the two kinds of hound, describes the northern as 

 having " a head more slender, with a longer nose, ears and flews 

 more shallow, back broad, belly gaunt, joints long, tail small, and 

 his general form more slender and greyhound-like ; but the virtues 

 of these Yorkshire hounds I can praise no farther than for scent 

 and swiftness, for with respect to mouth, they have only a little 

 shrill sweetness, but no depth of tone or music." The Talbot 

 has been described in different terms by various authors, and 

 his likeness delineated in changing forms, but there is no doubt 

 that he was a heavier hound than the northern, though not 

 perhaps quite up to the solemn and slow dignity of the southern 

 hound, being very much like the bloodhound, except in colour, 

 which was generally pied. In the nineteenth century, when pace 

 is considered an essential to hunting, these three hounds are dis- 

 carded in favour of either the staghound, foxhoimd, harrier, or 

 beagle, all of which are now bred as fast as possible consistently 



with the possession of a good nose. The music of the pack is also 



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