362 THE HOUND. 



however, one pack of beagles kept in Dorsetshire, 

 known as the Mountain Harriers, whose perform- 

 ances are much spoken of in the sporting world ; 

 and His Royal Highness Prince Albert, has a pack 

 of small beagles, for his amusement, in Windsor 

 Park. 



The Greyhound. — The greyhound has now lost 

 his place in the catalogue of the dogs used in chase, 

 neither can be classed as such, since man has de- 

 prived him of the necessary faculty of smell ; but 

 he was held in such high estimation in the middle 

 ages, as to be considered the peculiar companion of 

 a gentleman. He never went abroad without these 

 dogs ; the hawk which he bore upon his fist, and 

 the greyhounds which ran before him, were certain 

 testimonies of his rank ; and in the ancient pipe 

 rolls, payments appear to have been often made in 

 these valuable animals. But at no previous period 

 of his existence was the greyhound the symmetri- 

 cally elegant animal w^e now see him, nor possessed 

 of nearly so much speed ; neither was the diversion 

 of the leash at any time carried on with so much 

 spirit as within the space of the last thirty years, 

 in various parts of Great Britain. But the neces- 

 sity for, or rather the cause of, the change in the 

 form of the greyhound, may be traced to his being 

 no longer, as formerly, made use of to course and 

 pull down deer, but chiefly to exhibit his speed at 

 our different spirited coursing meetings, for the 

 various prizes contended for, as also in private 

 matches. 



