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C H AFTER XXIX. 



THE BLOODHOUND. 



THOUGH the Bloodhound has lost much of his former utility, the breed is nevertheless one 

 that is generally admired in the present day. The noble proportions of the dog, his magnificent 

 head, and the knowledge of what he has been known to do, are each and all powerful agencies 

 in his favour, and the usually brilliant colour of a Bloodhound is also an additional attraction. 

 The uses to which this breed of dog was originally put in this country were the tracking of 

 wounded beasts and the pursuit of malefactors. For either purpose their marvellously keen 

 powers of scent admirably qualified them, and is alluded to by Dr. John Caius in the following 

 words : 



" The greater sort which serve to hunt, having lippes of a large size, and eares of no small 

 length, do not onely chase the beast whiles it lieth, but being dead also by any maner of casualtie, 

 make recourse to the place where it lyeth, having on this point an assured and infallible guyde, 

 namely, the sent and. savour of the bloud sprinckled heere and there upon the ground. For 

 whether the beast, beying wounded, doth notwithstanding enjoye life, and escapeth the handes 

 of the huntesman, or whether the said beast, beying slayne, is conveyed clenly out of the parcke 

 (so that there be some signification of bloud there), these dogges with no lesse facilitie and 

 easinesse, their aviditie and greedinesse can disclose and betray the same by smelling, applying 

 to their pursute agilitie and nimbleness without tediousnesse, for which consideration of a 

 singular specialitie they deserved to be called Sanguinarii, or Bloudhounds. And albeit, perad- 

 venture, it may chaunce (as whether it chaunceth sealdome or sometime I am ignorant) that a 

 piece of flesh be subtily stolen and cuningly conveyed away with such provisos and precautions 

 that all apparaunce of bloud is eyther prevented, excluded, or concealed, yet these kinde of 

 dogges, by a certaine directione of an inward assured notyce and privy marcke, pursue the deede 

 doers through rough long lanes, cruked reaches, and weary wayes, without wandring away 

 out of the limites of the land whereon these desperate purloyners prepared their speedy passage. 

 Yea, the natures of these dogges is such, and so effectuall is their foresight, that they can betray 

 separate, and pycke them out from among an infinite multitude, creepe they never so farre into 

 the thickest thronge ; they will finde him out notwithstandyng he lye hidden in wylde woods, in 

 close and overgrown groves, and lurcke in hollow holes apte to harbour such ungracious guestes. 

 Moreover, although they should passe over the water, thinking thereby to avoyde the pursute 

 of the houndes, yet will not these dogges give over their attempt, but presuming to swym 

 through the streame perservere in their pursute, and when they be arrived and gotten the further 

 bancke, they hunt up and downe, to and fro runne they, from place to place shift they, untill 

 they have attained to that plot of grounde where they passed over." 



According to the " Naturalist's Library," the Bloodhound was usually about twenty-eight 

 inches high. The author of " Cynographia Britannica " gives the height as twenty-seven inches, 

 and describes the dog as being 



