NOTES FROM THE BELVOIR KENNEL 263 



more powerful, and more uniform than ever. 

 Weathergauge ('76) is the keynote of the present 

 kennel, and he was the outcome of generations of 

 Belvoir blood. This goes to prove that you can 

 afford to inbreed foxhounds much more closely than 

 many beheve. 1 notice, too, that the power of 

 hmb for which Weathergauge was remarkable, and 

 which he transmitted to his offspring, has by now 

 been intensified. Another characteristic of his which 

 was visible in many of his earher descendants, viz., 

 shortness of neck, by no means belongs to the 

 present generation. It has, indeed, been practically 

 eradicated by careful selection in breeding." 



Old Dexter, a marvel of constitution in his eighth 

 season, was represented by a number of beautiful 

 bitches in the entry of 1903, and Vagabond, who 

 was the next most-sought-after sire of the day, put 

 the stamp of Belvoir on the legs, feet, necks, and 

 shoulders of all his '' get." The top dog of this year's 

 entry was Day Star, by Dexter from Destiny ('98), 

 by Belvoir General ('93), son of Grafton Deputy ('87) 

 and Belvoir Gladness ('88), the dam of Destiny 

 being Belvoir Shamrock ('87), and Dihgence ('89). 

 A very level hound, standing 23J inches, with 

 wonderful bone and round feet, the critics placed 

 him very high amongst the champions seen in the 

 kennel during the past twenty seasons. Nearly a 

 whole-coloured black hound with rich tan head, he 

 was walked by Mr. Charles Hickson, of Bottesford, 

 and his career at the stud was awaited with much 

 interest by hound-breeders. Unfortunately, Day-Star 

 was killed out hunting by the kick of a horse in his 

 second season, and again the kennel suffered dis- 

 appointment at a moment when they were looking 

 out for a worthy successor to Dexter or Dasher. 



A very nice dog in this entry, placed second, 



