332 THE HOUND. 



periority of speed, and is also a great security 

 against laming themselves in leaping fences, which 

 they are more apt to do when they become blown, 

 and consequently weak. The fore-legs " straight as 

 arrows'' is an admirable illustration of perfection in 

 those parts, by Beckford ; for, as in a bow, or 

 bandy-legged man, nothing is so disfiguring to a 

 hound as his having his elbows out, which is like- 

 wise a great check to speed. In some countries the 

 round, cat-like foot is indispensable, and agreeable 

 to the eye in all ; but we would not reject a well- 

 shapen puppy in other respects for somewhat of an 

 open foot, provided his ancles or fetlocks were good, 

 a point we consider of the greatest consequence to all 

 quadruped animals. The shoulders of the fox- 

 hound should resemble those of the horse — oblique, 

 but at the same time strong ; for a narrow chested 

 hound is almost certain to get shaken by hard 

 work, and consequently unlikely to endure beyond' 

 his third season. 



As Beckford recommends the small head, we may 

 presume the form and fashion of this point began 

 to be changed in his time, and has, we think, been 

 carried to too great an excess in the fox-hound of 

 the present day, particularly in one or two kennels 

 (the Bel voir, for example,) where very short, as 

 well as small heads, have been a leading charac- 

 teristic. For ourselves, we like some length of 

 head in the fox-hound, not being able to divest 

 ourselves of the idea of a cross with the pointer 

 when we see him with a short head and a snubbed 



