198 Modern Dogs. 



never seen any sign of their being afraid of coming 

 through horses." 



Allusion has been made to the special faculty the 

 Welsh hound is said to possess in hunting the drag 

 or '' quest," i.e., in striking the scent of a fox where 

 he has been on the prowl over night or early 

 morning, and slowly and carefully making it out 

 until he is unkennelled. This hunting the '' quest " 

 is not entirely confined to Welsh hounds and to 

 Wales ; for it is still the custom with such packs as 

 the UUeswater, the Coniston, the Eskdale (Cumber- 

 land), and perhaps of some others which meet in 

 the North of England. In my early days most 

 north country harriers adopted a similar method, 

 and, meeting at eight o'clock in the morning, there 

 was always some pretty questing and hunting the 

 " drag " before puss was " see-hoed " away from her 

 form in the stubble or in the hedge bottom. In 

 such cases there is no danger of hounds being 

 ridden over, and it is a custom which must certainly 

 improve the scenting capabilities of hounds. 1 

 fancy it is in the latter particular that our wiry- 

 haired Welshman has been oftenest found useful 

 when mated with the foxhound, which, however 

 perfect he is said to be, can, like anything else in 

 this world of ours, be improved and made even 

 '' more perfect." 



