370 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



are very soon reckoned, their faults, in shape and per- 

 formance, present a larger catalogue. Independently of 

 good shape, which combines strength with beauty, the 

 highest virtue in a foxhound is not merely the exquisite- 

 ness of his nose, but in his being true to the line his game 

 has gone, and a stout runner to the end of the chase. But 

 he must not only thus signalize himself in chase, he must 

 also be a patient hunter with a cold scent, and also with 

 the pack at fault. In short, to be a hard and stout runner 

 and a good hunter, and steady on the line, which ' a good 

 hunter' implies, constitute a perfect hound, when com- 

 bined with good form. Nose and stoutness, then, must 

 be principal objects in the breeder. 



" The prevailing faults of hounds, too often innate, can 

 only be cured by education. The greatest of all are, 

 skirting, or not being true on the line, and throwing the 

 tongue improperly ; first, without a scent ; secondly, not 

 throwing it at all, or running mute ; and thirdly, on a 

 wrong scent, which is called running riot ; but the fault 

 of skirting, the greatest of all, is generally innate, and too 

 often incurable. Thus has the breeder of the foxhound 

 to guard against propensities as well as faults ; and it has 

 been justly observed that, of late years, the system of 

 hunting is so much improved so much attention paid to 

 the condition of hounds, and their style of working, that 

 a master of hounds feels it as a reflection on his judgment 

 if one hound in his pack is detected in a fault. 



" The selection of dog and bitch to breed from is a nice 

 point for a master of hounds or his huntsman to decide 

 upon ; but if he aim at excellence, he must keep his eye 

 on perfection. In no animal not even in the horse is 

 perfect symmetry so desirable I may say necessary as 

 in the foxhound, inasmuch as without it there is no 

 dependence on his services, however good may be his 

 nature. I will describe him, first, in the words of a very 

 old writer on those subjects, and afterwards in those of Mr. 

 Beckford, when it will appear that there is a strong re- 

 semblance in the portraits drawn by each. ' His head,' 

 says the former, 'ought to be of middle proportion, rather 

 long than round ; his nostrils wide ; his ears large ; his 

 back broad ; the fillets great ; the haunches large ; the 

 thighs well trussed ; the ham straight ; the tail big near 

 the reins, and slender towards the end ; the leg big ; the 

 sole of the foot dry, and formed like a fox's, with the 



