NOTITIA VENATICA, 27 



complete. The faults and imperfections in one breed may be rectified 

 from another, and if this be properly attended to, I see no reason why 

 the breeding of hounds may not improve till improvement can go no far- 

 ther." And in another place, he gives the following advice : — " In 

 breeding, I would advise you to be as little prejudiced as possible in fa- 

 vour of your own sort ; but send your best bitches to the best dogs, be 

 they where they may. Those who breed only a few hounds, may by 

 chance have a good pack ; vrhilst those Avho bi-eed a good many, may 

 (if at the same time they understand the business) reduce it to a cer- 

 tainty." The custom of sending out bitches to a distance is attended 

 with a very great expense ; nevertheless, it is the only path to be pur- 

 sued, where the breeding department is on a large scale, and perfection 

 in the pack is the grand desideratum. But, at the same time, the per- 

 son sent with the bitches should invariably see the operation consum- 

 mated, as it is a well known and accredited fact, that the huntsman of 

 one of the first establishments of the day is in the constant habit of in- 

 troducing stud hounds of less celebrity than those selected by the owners 

 of the bitches sent ; and to prevent detection he invariably undertakes 

 the superintendence of that part of the kennel economy, during the 

 hour that the men are absent at breakfast, so jealous is he of others ob- 

 taining his best strains of blood. Where the establishment is small, and 

 strict economy is continually jogging the memory, it would be an ad- 

 visable plan to obtain a stallion hound of a good sort from some quarter 

 that can be depended on, A good judge in these matters might have 

 many chances during the summer of procuring one, or even a couple, 

 which should be kept for the purpose until the following spring ; few 

 owners of packs are in the habit of parting with a stallion hound, which 

 is worth accepting, early in the year ; but in the months of May or 

 June, a young dog of good blood, which may by accident have become 

 stifled, or otherwise injured in his limbs, may generally be obtained for 

 the purpose of propagation during the ensuing breeding season, even if 

 you are unable to procure a good stock-getter. 



Nothing would be more Ukely to improve the breed of fox-hounds 

 than prizes, to be awarded by competent judges, to those who might 

 excel in so delightful a speculation as showing a couple or three young- 

 hounds in a sweepstakes. The awarding piizes to the best breeders 

 and feeders of cattle has been attended with the most beneficial results ; 

 and I see no reason why improvement in the breed of the foxhound 

 should not be promoted by the same means. Some years ago, three 

 celebrated masters of hounds* made a practice of showing a few couples 

 of their new entry for a prize, which was most appropriate, namely, a 

 piece of scarlet cloth, to be made up into hunting coats. 



The practice of spaying bitches, so frequent in many kennels, al- 

 though it has its advantages in augmenting the number of your forces 

 in the spring, and in occasionally being the means of giving strength to 

 the sickly and reclaiming wildness, is by no means to be recommended : 

 it is a most barbarous and cruel practice, extremely difficult to perform, 



* Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Wickstead. and Mr. Foljambe. 



