HUNTING THE HARK 



must Jiave implanted in liim the instinct of hunting a 

 hare in a manner most conducive to a successful 

 result, and this hereditary instinct is a thing not to be 

 lightly lost ; so let us try and combine the best 

 physical and mental (if wo may so call them) qualities 

 that we can get. Now, the process of improving the 

 ordinary harrier to be met with in this country has un- 

 doubtedly been going on rather fast of late years. 

 Some little time ago an association of Masters of 

 Harriers was formed and a Harrier Stud l]ook was 

 started ; a yearly show has been established at Peter- 

 borough for the hounds contained in that Stud Book, 

 and the show and the Stud Book combined are ap- 

 parently effecting an important change in harriers. 

 The physical points of the animal— legs and feet, 

 necks and shoulders, loins and ribs — are being much 

 more attended to than heretofore, with the result that 

 the ordinary harrier is becoming a far more shapely 

 animal to look at, whatever the effect on his nose and 

 hunting powers may be : and in regard to these 

 latter most important points, there can be nO reason 

 to suppose that by increasing the physical powers of 

 the hound you thereby deteriorate his hunting quali- 

 ties ; so that there is every reason to hope that the 

 harrier of the future will keep on improving in all 

 the qualities which are essential towards his doing 



