THE BOOK OF THE OTTER 



the only reason why draft foxhounds are preferred 



to otterhounds. Otter-hunting is a poor man's 



sport, and few people realise what it costs to run 



a pack and country. If you get a Master to take 



a country he has very often spent enough out of 



his own pocket when he has paid the difference 



between the subscription list and the hunting 



expenses. And breeding hounds on a big scale 



adds enormously to expenses. The result is that 



in nine cases out of ten the pack is made up of 



draft dog foxhounds, and a very few rough-coated 



otterhounds. An attempt may be made to breed 



a litter or two a year from the rough otterhound 



bitches. Five or six puppies may be got out to 



walk, and three or four left in kennel. As many 



of these as survive — possibly two and a half or 



three couple — are brought on the following season, 



and unless they are hopeless physical wrecks 



they are put into the pack to keep up the theory 



that they are a pack of otterhounds . And good 



or bad workers they are often kept on for this 



same purpose only. Under these circumstances, 



i6 



