68 SECOND DIVISION OF THE 



cur that was generally about the stables saw him, and immediately began 

 to bark at him, and when he got to the stable-door would not let him pass, 

 but bit him by the leg in order to prevent him. As the servants had never 

 seen the dog act thus before, and the same young man had been often 

 with them, they could not imagine what could be the reason of the dog's 

 conduct. However, when they saw the end of u valuable bridle peeping 

 out of the young man's pocket, they were able to account for it, and, on his 

 giving it up, the dog left the stable-door, where he had stood, and allowed 

 him to pass." a 



THE LURCHER. 



This dog was originally a cross between the greyhound and the shep- 

 herd's dog, retaining all the speed and fondness for the chace belonging 

 to the one, and the superior intelligence and readiness for any kind of 

 work which the latter possessed. This breed has been crossed again with 

 the spaniel, combining the disposition to quest for game which distin- 

 guishes the spaniel with the muteness and swiftness of the greyhound. 

 Sometimes the greyhound is crossed with the hound. Whatever be the 

 cross, the greyhound must predominate ; but his form, although still to be 

 traced, has lost all its beauty. 



The lurcher is a dog seldom found in the possession of the honourable 

 sportsman. The farmer may breed him for his general usefulness, for 

 driving his cattle, and guarding his premises, and occasionally coursing 

 the hare ; but other dogs will answer the former purposes much better, 

 while the latter qualification may render him suspected by his landlord, 

 and sometimes be productive of serious injury. In a rabbit-warren this 

 dog is peculiarly destructive. His scent enables him to follow them 

 silently and swiftly. He darts unexpectedly upon them, and, being 

 trained to bring his prey to his master, one of these dogs will often in 

 one night supply the poacher with rabbits and other game worth more 

 money than he could earn by two days' hard labour. 



Mr. H. Faull, of Helstone, in Cornwall, lost no fewer than fifteen fine 

 sheep, and some of them store sheep, killed by lurchers in January, 1824. b 



We now proceed to the different species of dog belonging to the second 

 division of Cuvier, which are classed under the name of Hound ; and, first 

 we take 



THE BEAGLE. 



The origin of this diminutive hound is somewhat obscure. There is 

 evidently much of the harrier and of the old southern, connected with a 

 considerable decrease of size and speed, the possession of an exceedingly 

 musical voice, and very great power of scent. Beagles are rarely more 

 than ten or twelve inches in height, and were generally so nearly of the 

 same size and power of speed, that it was commonly said they might be 

 covered with a sheet. This close running is, however, considered as a 

 mark of excellence in hounds of every kind. 



There are many pleasurable recollections of the period when " the good 

 old English gentleman " used to keep his pack of beagles or little harriers, 

 slow but sure, occasionally carried to the field in a pair of panniers on a 



a Travels in Scotland, by the Rev. J. Hall, vol. ii. p. 395. 

 b Annals of Sporting, vol. v. p. 137. 



