8 THE GREYHOUND. 



Cowdry Park, the seat of Lord Montacute, the Queen saw 

 sixteen bucks pulled down by Greyhounds after dinner, 

 the bucks having fair law. These dogs were probably of 

 the strong Deerhound type. 



Hare-coursing now became established on a firmer and 

 better basis than it had occupied, owing to the formation of 

 the laws of the leash into a regular code by the Duke of 

 Norfolk, which, with alterations not affecting their prin- 

 ciple, rules at the present day. The development of cours- 

 ing from that date to the present time I shall treat of 

 more fully hereafter. 



It is impossible to trace the divergence from the original 

 Greyhound, and the modifications which have resulted in 

 the varieties we now possess ; but all history and records 

 of sport seem to point to the fact that Wolfhound, Deer- 

 hound, and Greyhound, sprang from the same source, 

 although, probably, not each alike bred in purity. In 

 the case of the latter the type has, by careful breeding, 

 become fixed, and even in the most trivial features there 

 is a closer likeness between the individuals of the race 

 than ever before existed. Each variety of the group will 

 be found dealt with separately, and at length, in " British 

 Dogs;" in this book I confine myself to the modern 

 Greyhound. But the following description, said to be from 

 an old MS., though of what date I do not know, applies to 

 the generic character of the purer varieties of the group : 



The Greyhound, the great Hound, the graceful of limb, 

 Bough fellow, tall fellow, swift fellow, and slim; 

 Let them sound o'er the earth, let them sail o'er the sea, 

 They will light on none other more ancient than he. 



