14 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



CHAPTER III. 



WHELPS, ETC. 



Certain proportions necessary in brood-bitches — Large litters objection- 

 able — How to obviate this excess — Treatment of lady foxhounds 

 — Air and exercise — Lodgings at night — Paddock and boxes for 

 whelps — Cutaneous eruptions — Remedies — Foster-mothers. 



As to the selection of whelps, where all are, as far 

 as human ken can go, of equal pretensions, unless 

 influenced by colours, you must, if you can, keep 

 those likely to prove the best ; and your thoughts 

 will bear a very near resemblance to our own when 

 putting a puppy away, which probably might have 

 proved better than any one of the litter we had 

 chosen. This is a very trying occasion, and none 

 but very anxious masters or huntsmen experience 

 the doubtful feelings and extreme reluctance with 

 which they are obliged sometimes to consign half 

 a litter of well-bred foxhounds to the water-butt 

 or fish-pond. We have invariably, when the op- 

 portunity occurred, used younger mothers as 

 wet-nurses to the progeny of a favourite dam, 

 although thereby losing the services of the former 

 for the best part of the season. Terriers, spaniels, 

 and other females of the canine species, may 

 rear a couple of whelps indifferently, but for fox- 



