142 Modern Dogs. 



indeed, been a useful matron, for at the show in 

 question she was dam of a first and second prize 

 winner in larger sized dogs, great dam of first and 

 dam of second and third in bitches, grandam of 

 the first prize winners in rabbit beagle dogs and in 

 bitches, and grandam of both the dog and bitch 

 which won the championships. Her stock are not 

 all black and tan, some being ordinary hound 

 marked and blue - mottled ; but almost all her 

 progeny have turned out well. These black and 

 tan beagles are no doubt interesting, but I consider 

 them a bad colour ; they are difficult to see in the 

 distance, and are not nearly so pretty as the 

 " mottled" or " spotted beauties" which are much 

 the commoner of the two. Perhaps these black and 

 tans have been placed over others on account of their 

 undue length of ear, which, folding bloodhound- 

 like, should certainly not be taken as a beagle 

 characteristic. 



Amongst the best of rabbit beagles some dozen 

 years or so ago was the blue-mottled '' Blue Belle," 

 shown by Mrs. Reginald Mayhew, and afterw^ards in 

 America. Here was about as perfect a little crea- 

 ture as could be imagined, and the most hypercritical 

 could only say she was a little weak in face. She 

 had such character, the best of legs and feet, so 

 difficult to obtain in perfection on either beagle or 



