236 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



in hilly and flinty countries. A dog of twenty-four 

 inches is about the height to be preferred ; but, 

 notwithstanding this general opinion, the sporting 

 world are much indebted to those gentlemen who 

 still keep hounds of the largest size, or in the course 

 of a few years the breed would probably dwindle 

 below the mark, that is, if no very large hounds 

 existed to breed from, as in all other tame animals ; 

 and however prejudiced persons may be against 

 large hounds, or however indifferent they may be 

 about appearances in general, still they must all 

 agree in opinion, that a pack of fox-hounds should 

 look Uke a pack of fox-hounds. It may be said 

 ^vith truth that a pack of dwarf fox-hounds, not 

 larger than harriers, will kill as many foxes as a full- 

 sized pack, if equal attention has been paid to the 

 blood ; but, in the present age and rage for riding, 

 half of these small hounds would be ridden over 

 in countries where the banks are high and ditches 

 wide, for they cannot take them in their spring, and 

 often fall backwards, and keep puUing each other 

 backwards, causing much delay, and requiring more 

 patience than men have, consequently they would be 

 ridden over. Neither can small hounds go through 

 deep wet land so well as a large, fair-sized hound ; 

 particularly where the water stands, as it does, in 



