THE SOUTHERN HOUND TO BREED THE HARRIER. 81 



foundation to work upon in crosses for every variety of hunting' purpose. A 

 hound will hunt any and every scent, living- or dead, from that of a man to a mouse 

 or red herring 1 , or even a live tailor, as has lately been proved in print ; and which 

 we repeat without the smallest idea of shewing 1 disrespect to a most useful class of 

 the community, equally good and respectable as their neighbours, who are 

 in the constant habit of passing jokes upon them. The hound may be also 

 restricted to any particular scent, by being trained and used, as is the custom, to one 

 particular hunt. And occasionally the same pack have been accustomed to different 

 hunts. Hence the old lVolftmd Boar Hound, the Deer Hound, Fox, Hare, Buck, 

 and Otter Hound. 



The object is, to establish permanent Varieties of these, the most suitable and 

 convenient for each specific purpose, in respect to size, scent, speed, or continuance. 

 To conclude with the Southern Hound, it is probable, he was so styled, three hun- 

 dred years ago, with no more recollection or record of whence or when he came to 

 this Country, than at the present moment ; the term Southern only indicating his 

 exgenous origin, without any note of the period of his importation. It may 

 however be questioned whether, there really be at this time, any such existence in 

 England as the pure Southern Hound, in consequence of an endless crossing ; but 

 certainly, a sufficient number of near approaches to the species remain, in case any 

 improver should find it worth while to retrace our steps. The Greyhound or 

 no-nosed hound, is another species of equal antiquity in Britain, originally 

 imported from the vicinity of the same South-Eastern Country, whence we derived 

 his brother courser, the Race horse. 



Hounds for Hare Hunting, being generally chosen of an inferior size to the 

 Stag or Fox hound, the established or common breed of the Harrier, seems well 

 adapted to the purpose. Such Variety then, should be persevered in, and extended 

 in proportion to the call for them, which is sometimes made in vain, and a 

 difficulty experienced in obtaining a regular pack. We do not often hear of crack 

 Stallion harriers, but the highest formed individuals of each sex should be selected 

 and the breed kept up in a state of improvement. Or a new Variety of the 

 Harrier, if needful, may at any time be raised from the male Beagle, and the 

 female Southern or slow Hound, upon Mr. Cline's well known principle, set forth 

 in his Essay on Horse-breeding, giving the advantage of size to the female. In 

 hunting the Hare, contradistinguished from coursing, a prolongation of the sport is 

 the object in request, and enjoyment of the qualities of scenting and pursuit in the 

 hound, the speed of the Greyhound not being desirable ; yet Harriers are always 

 found to go fast enough for our speediest and strongest Marsh hares, and form an 

 excellent sporting pack for hunting the Roebuck. In the choice of hounds to 

 compose a pack, the most curious within our recollection, was one in the North, 

 some years since, consisting of equal numbers of the large terrier and the beagle, 



