The Hound Family 6oi 



The name of the author of the fifteen-page book is, unfortunately, not men- 

 tioned, but he was in error regarding the colour of the St. Huberts in the 

 Royal kennels and that of the Greffiers, as he spells the name. 



Another importation of hounds was made by St. Louis toward the 

 middle of the thirteenth century, which are described as taller than the usual 

 run of French hounds, and were faster and bolder than the St. Huberts. 

 These were described as gris de lievre, which may be interpreted as a red 

 roan. These hounds seem to have been extensively used as a cross on the 

 low French hounds, but no importation seems to have had so much effect as 

 that of the bracco, or bitch, brought from Italy by some scrivener or clerk in 

 the employ of Louis XH. This Italian bitch was crossed with the white St. 

 Huberts and her descendants were known as chiens grifjiers. So much im- 

 provement did these dogs show that special kennels were built for them at 

 St. Germains and they became the popular breed. 



Specimens of all of these hounds undoubtedly went to England and we 

 may also assume that English pilgrims and crusaders brought back dogs 

 from the East as they did to France, the progeny of which were drafted as 

 they showed adaptability or were most suited for the various branches of 

 sport, but it is more than doubtful whether any hunting establishments in 

 England approached the greater ones of France. The Duke of Burgundy 

 had in his employ no less than 430 men to care for the dogs and attend to the 

 nunts, hawking and fisheries. There was one grand huntsman, 24 attend- 

 ant huntsmen, a clerk to the chief, 24 valets, 120 liverymen, 6 pages of the 

 hounds, 6 pages of the greyhounds, 12 under pages, 6 superintendents of the 

 kennels, 6 valets of limers, 6 of greyhounds, 12 of running hounds, 6 of 

 spaniels, 6 of small dogs, 6 of English dogs (probably bulldogs), 6 of Artois 

 dogs; 12 bakers of dogs' bread; 5 wolf hunters, 25 falconers, i net-setter 

 for birds, 3 masters of hunting science, 120 liverymen to carry hawks, 12 

 valets fishermen and 6 trimmers of birds' feathers. 



It will be seen, however, that only three varieties of hounds are named, 

 and these were the lines of distinction set by Buffon, who named them 

 levrier, chien courant and basset as the successors of what are named in 

 the foregoing list as greyhounds, running hounds and limers. It is there- 

 fore to England we owe the perfection of the greyhound, the preservation of 

 the deerhound, and the improvement and subdivision of the running 

 hounds into foxhounds, harriers and beagles, together with the establish- 

 ment of type in each variety. 



