444 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



color, such glistening over the sameness of tint, as to 

 afford a most delightful spectacle to an amateur of 

 coursing. 



k " I have myself bred up a swift, hard- working, cour- 

 ageous, sound-footed dog. He is most gentle and kindly 

 affectioned, and never before had I any such a dog for 

 myself or my friend, or my fellow sportsman. When 

 not actually engaged in coursing, he is never away from 

 me. If a short time only has passed since he saw me or my 

 friend, he jumps repeatedly by way of salutation, and 

 barks with joy as a greeting to us. He has also different 

 tones of speech, and such as I never heard from any other 

 dog. Now I do not think that I ought to be ashamed to 

 chronicle the name of this dog, or let posterity know 

 that Xenophon the Athenian had a greyhound called 

 Horme, possessed of the greatest speed and intelligence 

 and fidelity, and excellent in every point." 



The Greek sportsmen held their greyhounds in the 

 highest regard, even employing servants as bed-fellows, 

 and would exact as much attention from them as they 

 required shown to their children. 



Until the last century, the common people were not 

 allowed to possess a greyhound in many portions of 

 Europe, and even to-day they are acknowledged the aris- 

 tocrats among dogs. 



Should I attempt to give a full history of the grey- 

 hound and coursing, it would fill a large volume; but 

 being limited in space, it will suffice to say that coursing, 

 or hunting wild animals with fleet-footed dogs, is of very 

 ancient origin, and the greyhound, in a somewhat varied 

 form from what we now see, was one of the first dogs 

 mentioned in history, and is seen sculptured on the ruins 

 of some of the most ancient structures. 



They were originally employed in the chase for large 

 game, as tigers, wolves, wild boars, deer, etc., and were 



