NOTITIA VENATICA, 15 



niucli more than wliat they are called, not only in their speed and 

 actions, but also in their appearance ; and I see no reason Avhy, with 

 the increase of their speed and their similarity of shape to that animal, 

 they should not also become, like him, deficient in the powers of smell- 

 ing. Baron Cuvier, in his " Regne Animal," gives the following rea- 

 son for the greyhound being less gifted with the powers of smelling - 

 than other dogs with larger and broader heads. In speaking of their 

 long noses and flat foreheads, he says, " The flatness of the forehead 

 is produced by the obliteration of the frontal sinuses from those cavities 

 which are formed at the base of the nose, which being immediately con- 

 nected with the nasal cavities, and covered with the same membranes 

 as they are, increase the sense of smelling ; this is generally accom- 

 panied with an extraordinary slenderness and length of the legs, as well 

 as a great contraction of the abdomen — phenomena Avliich, although not 

 explained, are without exception." Although a small head may be con- 

 sidered by some as a mark of beauty in a foxhound, large-headed 

 hounds are in nowise inferior ; and as a proof of this I must be allowed 

 to relate an anecdote upon the subject. A draft hound, named Glider, 

 many years since, Avent from Lord Fitzwilliam's to Lord Foley's kennel, 

 upon which occasion Will Deane, his lordship's huntsman, remarked 

 that he could not guess at his lordship's dislike to Glider, which was 

 the best blood in the country, being by Mr. Meynel's Glider, out of 

 Lord FitzwiUiam's Blossom, unless it was the size of his head ; but he 

 begged leave to say that, although it was a trifle out of proportion, 

 there was a wonderful deal of mischief to the foxes contained in it. 

 And so it turned out : Glider proved himself an excellent worker, and 

 afterwards became a favourite stud-hound in the kennel of his now 

 master. 



As I have before observed, it was at the commencement of the career 

 of the "great Meyuel" that the "dawn of science" began to cast its 

 rays upon that system, out of which has groAvn the modern style of 

 fox-hunting ; he was, as an old sportsman and excellent judge of hunt- 

 ing* (now no more) has justly remarked, " without doubt, the most 

 successful master of hounds of bis time, producing the steadiest, wisest, 

 best, and handsomest pack of foxhounds in the kiiagdom. His object 

 in breeding hounds was to combine strength with beauty, and steadiness 

 with high mettle. His idea of perfection of shape was short backs, 

 open bosoms, straight legs, compact feet, as the greatest and first con- 

 sideration in form ; the first qualities he considered were fine noses and 

 stout runners. In the spring of the year he broke in his hounds at 

 hare, to find out their proi)ensities, which, when at all flagrant, they 

 early discovered, and he drafted them accorcUng to their defects ; after 

 hare-hunting they were, during the remaining part of sumuier, walked 

 daily amongst riot. When the hunting season commenced, his hounds 

 were hunted in the woodlands, amidst abundance of foxes, for two 

 months. In the month of November the pack were carefully divided 

 into the old and young pack ; the old pack consisted of three-year-olds 



* The late J. Hawkes, Esq. 



