372 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



those parts, by Beckford ; for, as in a bow or bandy-legged 

 man, nothing is so disfiguring to a hound as his having 

 his elbows out, and it is also a great check to speed. In 

 some countries, the round cat-like foot is indispensable, 

 and it is agreeable to the eye in all ; but I would not 

 reject a well-shapen puppy in all other respects, for merely 

 somewhat of an open foot, provided his ankles or fetlocks 

 were good, a point I consider of the greatest importance 

 to all quadruped animals. The shoulders of the foxhound 

 should, especially, resemble those of a horse oblique, but 

 at the same time, strong ; for a narrow-chested hound is 

 almost certain to be shaken by hard work, and conse- 

 quently, unlikely to endure beyond his third season. 



"As Beckford recommends a small head, it may be 

 presumed the fashion on this point began to be changed in 

 his time, and has been since, I think, carried to rather too 

 great an excess, especially in one or two kennels of high 

 repute, in which small heads are become one of the leading 

 characteristics. For my part, I like some length of head 

 in the foxhound, not being able to divest myself of the 

 idea of a cross with the old-fashioned pointer when I see 

 him with a short head and a snubbed nose. Beckford also 

 says the neck should be thin. I should say, moderately 

 thin. I dislike a thin neck in any animal but a milch 

 cow and the stag; at the same time, I dislike a short, 

 thick neck in a hound. His neck should be moderately 

 long and moderately thick, with the muscles clearly 

 developed ; it should rise gracefully out of his shoulders, 

 with a slight curve, or crest, and, to completely satisfy 

 the eye, should be quite free from the exuberances of 

 flesh and rough hair on the lower side of it, called, by 

 kennel men, ' chitterlings,' or ' ruffles,' the hound hav- 

 ing them being termed throaty. There are, however, 

 numerous exceptions to this rule, as some of the best 

 hounds England ever saw have been throaty ; and 

 although I am aware that one individual instance will 

 prove neither the rule nor its exception, I can mention 

 Mr. Meynell's famous stallion hound, Guzman, who, 

 although throaty, was as good a foxhound as ever man 

 hallooed to, and the sire of many good ones. I agree with 

 Beckford that the stern of a foxhound should be thick 

 and moderately brushy ; and, if well carried, it is a great 

 ornament to him ; but there is one part of it which his 

 owner likes to see nearly deprived of its covering, and 



