LETTER III. 25 



with straight legs. As they were a very favourite sort, 

 they were notwithstanding put forward, and they turned 

 out quite as good as their better favoured brothers and 

 sisters, but from physical deficiency could not stand quite 

 so hard a day's work. I gave one of these hounds to a 

 friend, in whose kennel he remained many years, and he 

 said he would do more work up to a certain time than 

 any five couples he had. From another of these hounds 

 I again bred, and his stock was straight on their legs and 

 clever. It is a generally received opinion that like begets 

 like, but colour, shape, and disposition will often run 

 back (as huntsmen term it) to generations that are passed. 

 For many years I had a favourite sort of black and white 

 hounds with tanned faces, but on one occasion a perfectly 

 white whelp made its appearance. Looking back for an 

 explanation of this phenomenon, I found that her great 

 grandmother had been also white. 



Foxhounds, if well bred, will give little trouble in 

 breaking, and there is not much fear of their turning out 

 well afterwards. Those who breed largely are nearly 

 sure of a fine looking entry of young hounds ; but those 

 who breed with caution and judgment will have the best 

 pack of hounds. Nothing injures a pack more than the 

 failure of the two-seasoned hunters. The first season 

 young hounds do not often exhibit their real characters, 

 but in the second, if there is anything amiss in the 

 pedigree, it will come out. Be therefore very careful 

 in selecting stallions for your bitches ; choose those of 

 well tried good character, good drawers, quick hunters, 

 and hard workers, but never use a flashy hound, and 

 never put an old dog to an old bitch. A young bitch 

 will often produce a fine litter of whelps from an old dog. 



