The Beagle. 99 



" Legs. With plenty of bone and muscle, short, 

 and strong ; feet round and close. 



" Coat. Hard, close, and smooth. 



" Colour. Black and tan ; blue mottled and tan ; 

 black, tan, and white ; tan and white. 



" Height. 22 inches, more or less, which should 

 depend upon the depth of the body." 



I have dwelt thus long on this hound because, so 

 far as I am aware, its description has not hitherto 

 been published, and because there is a likelihood of 

 this fine old variety becoming as extinct as the 

 dodo, and, perhaps, it is in danger of being forgotten 

 altogether. 



Mr. Ryan writes me that his hounds average 

 about 24 inches, are smooth coated, black and tan, 

 with " very long ears, and hanging jowls, but have 

 no strain of the bloodhound in them. They are 

 remarkable for their tongue, which is rich and 

 wonderfully sweet. Their noses are very keen, and 

 in work they are true and persevering. Not so fast 

 as the foxhound, they possess a considerable turn 

 of speed, are docile, and take to hunting at once." 



These beagles at Emly were formerly restricted 

 to hare hunting, but with the increasing scarcity of 

 that quarry the master has had to fall back upon 

 deer, and he and their followers have been very 

 much pleased with the sport they have afforded. 



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