ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN HORSES. 67 



that he owes all these good qualities to the large 

 infusion of Arab blood he possesses." 



This matter of breeding must be one of very grave 

 importance. 



"Ah, madam, those who proceed on ignorant and 

 unscientific principles, encourage largely the breed- 

 ing of mongrels. Many are so prejudiced and carried 

 away by the fashion of the day that they cannot see 

 the harm they are doing, and they will not be 

 warned in time." 



Have they no other Arabs in Russia than the 

 Orloffs? 



" There is a stud in Russia where the Azeel Arab 

 has been bred for a century. It began with the purest 

 blood attainable — most likely stolen — and the system 

 of selection has always been carefully carried on. 

 The object has been to produce such a race of su- 

 perlative hunters as would mount the owner of enor- 

 mous estates and his huntsmen, fit to run with his 

 noted pack of wolf-hounds. Captain Kerr writes 

 interestingly of his visit to Russia, and of his ex- 

 perience with these Arab hunters and the hounds. 

 He says : 'These hounds hunt by scent as do our stag, 

 fox -hounds, and harriers. The runs are often fast 

 and always long. The wolf can travel both fast and 

 far, and the Duke of Beaufort with his crack pack 

 could make little of the gaunt untiring wolf of 

 Brittany. Over and over again on good, sound, 

 wet ground I have tried to spear a wolf, but on even 

 the fastest race-horse I could never get within strik- 

 ing distance. When I put on a spurt Mr. Wolf 

 would just lengthen his stride, seemingly without an 



