54 DOMESTICATED HUNTIXG-DOGS. 



but even they were more or less crossed witli the foxhound. Like 

 the Hoodhound and old southern hound, this dog has the peculiar- 

 ity of keeping to the hunted deer, which is not the case with the 

 fashionable staghound of the day. There is some difhcidty, how- 

 ever, in getting at a true description of the old staghound, and as 

 it can only be valviable to the antiquarian, I shall not attempt any- 

 thing further. 



The staghound at present used in Her Majesty's and Baron 

 Rothschild's kennels is merely a larger, and therefore faster, 

 draft of the foxhound of the day. The dogs are about 24 or 25 

 inches high, and the bitches 22 to 23. They have broad short 

 heads, straight hind legs, well-furnished thighs, full ears, which 

 are not required to be rounded so much as the foxhound's, inas- 

 much as they do nothing in covert, and sterns feathered like the 

 ordinary foxhound. The endurance of the staghound is very con- 

 siderable, though from his extra size and weight he cannot com- 

 pete in this respect with the foxhound of 23 inches ; but as he is 

 not required to hunt a second fox, and has not often more than a 

 few miles of road work in going to the meet, he is not wanted to 

 be so capable of long-continued exertion. Even in Somersetshire, 

 where wild red deer are hunted, the staghound is not employed to 

 " unharbour " them, and slow hounds which are nearly pure blood- 

 hounds are used for the purpose. 



It is unnecessary, therefore, to describe this hound more 

 minutely, as, by reference to the foxhound, his shape, colour, &c., 

 will be easily ascertained, and the size is given above. 



