PREFACE 



WITH HUNTING NOTE BY THE RIGHT HON. HENRY 

 CHAPLIN, M.P., EX-MASTER OF THE BLANKNEY 



" A THING of beauty is a joy for ever/' — a line which 

 might have been written with special reference to 

 the foxhound, whose beautiful symmetry captivates 

 the eye, whose marvellous powers in chase cheer 

 the heart, and whose memory is perpetuated by 

 generations of descendants showing the same char- 

 acteristics. No wonder as time goes on the popu- 

 larity of the noble animal increases, and a larger 

 number of people are interested in foxhound lore 

 than at any other period in the history of the chase, 

 including puppy-walkers and others, who do not 

 hunt, but follow every detail of the game with 

 critical intelligence. This is not to be wondered 

 at ; for a foxhound is a triumph of breeding and 

 selection, an animal that has kept pace with the 

 requirements of the age in a marvellous way, 

 without sacrificing any of the sterling merits which 

 distinguished the celebrities of the past. Beautiful 

 packs of hounds to-day are to be found up and down 

 England, for no animal has generally improved in 

 appearance so rapidly during the past ten or fifteen 

 years — a lasting testimony to masters whose judg- 

 ment moulds the destinies of a kennel, a reflected 

 glory to a hunt and a community whose fame is 

 ensured by the excellence of its pack. 



Mr. Henry Chaplin, in a kindl}^ letter written 

 from Bagnolesde I'Orne, Normandy, June 23, 1910, 



