The Harrier, 123 



character, which, as already hinted, has well nigh 

 departed. Still, all the harriers of sixty or seventy 

 years ago were not so slow and careful as Beckford's 

 undoubtedly were, for there were complaints that in 

 1825, the Kirkham, Lancashire, hounds were too fast 

 for the hares they hunted. These, however, were 

 big hounds, and not unlike the Penistone of 

 to-day. 



There are masters of harriers whose pride is still 

 in the purity of their strains, though maybe, at some 

 time or other, a point or two has been stretched for 

 the infusion of new blood to maintain the size and 

 standard required. Not very long ago sundry 

 letters appeared in the Field on the matter, result- 

 ing from certain awards at a recent dog show. In 

 one case, Mr. Allen-Jefferys, Hythe, near South- 

 ampton, who owns a pack of black and tan harriers, 

 which originally came from Sir Talbot Constable, 

 with which he now hunts the deer, complained that 

 he was beaten by half bred foxhounds. Possibly 

 this was so, but the winners were neater all round, 

 and smarter than the black and tans, and thus 

 more suitable for the show ring and the bench. 

 Owing to a scarcity of hares in his country, 

 Mr. Jefferys' harriers have been entered to " deer," 

 and now may be found in the table of stag- 

 hounds. 



