The Foxhound : Essential Features 69 



at the occiput, with " stop " ill-defined; length and 

 strength of skull are requisites. The fore-face must 

 be broad in all proportions, square in outline, whilst 

 the jaws should be powerful, the nose large, the lips 

 and the flews deep. Pig jaws and pendulous flews 

 are regarded as unsightly. The ears are generally 

 rounded, but whether this is really necessary is an 

 open question. The correct type of eye is one that 

 is expressive of the highest degree of intelligence, 

 with the iris deep coloured and the globe of the eye 

 of medium size. The Bloodhound type of eye is 

 not a good one for a Foxhound. If the conformation 

 of the neck is good the head will be well balanced, 

 and this materially adds to the beauty of a hound. 

 The shoulders should be rather straight, also long and 

 strong, yet not overloaded with muscle; neither 

 should the breasts be broad. The body or middle 

 piece requires to be specially deep at the chest, the 

 ribs broad, but the flank area thick, so as to give a 

 good coupling of the hind Umbs to the body. The 

 back ribs must be well sprung, otherwise the hound 

 becomes weedy at the flank and too much tucked up. 

 Great strength of back and loins is one of the prime 

 features of a Foxhound. There must be nothing 

 beyond the most trifling rise of the loins, and the more 

 level the line of contour the better the quaUty of 

 the hound. The stem should be carried in scimitar 

 fashion; this brings us to the quarters and the 



