78 COMPARISON OP HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



be short legged, and calculated to climb a hill : for it is found necessary to favour 

 the stoutest horse, up hill, and in that interval, superior speed tells : whereas upon 

 a level course, the game horse makes play strong enough to blow the horse of 

 superior speed. Something like this also, takes place with the public stage-horses, 

 which are always remarked to last longest, and that in a very considerable degree, 

 in hilly and bad roads. Of such destructive importance is the exertion of speed, to 

 which we are always incited by flat and level ways. 



To look at the Beagle, one certainly would riot suspect that great share of speed 

 with which the race is naturally endowed ; but when we know the dog to possess 

 both speed and game, in a nearly equal degree with the horse, no wonder need 

 be excited, at even the highest bred Hunter being distressed or even killed 

 outright, in following the Hound, which has only his own weight to carry ; 

 whereas the Horse may have, from ten to twenty stone of extra weight, upon his 

 back. The Colonel talks of large beagles, but we conceive that, in a deep and 

 high-fenced country, beagles can have no proper business, good sized hounds being 

 more properly adapted, and to cross them, merely retaining the name of beagle, is 

 taking a deal of needless trouble. Packs of beagles will certainly run down and 

 clear a country of hares, but we never observed the fox-beagle go too fast. 



^jfrs? 



