SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 15 



hounds there is nothing equal to a foxhound foster- 

 mother. 



Objections have been raised to sires of five and 

 six years old, on the ground that their progeny will 

 prove less robust than those of younger years. 

 Experience does not lead us to such a conclusion, 

 as we have seen the strongest litters from rather 

 old hounds, when mated with young mothers. 

 The reverse of this rule will not hold good ; the 

 offspring of old dams may be very clever, but they 

 will be small, the generative power in the mothers 

 having been reduced. There are many, however, 

 though, good as gold, which never can be of any 

 real benefit to the kennel as mothers, and it is time 

 thrown away if they are selected for this purpose. 

 There must be an existence of certain expansive 

 proportions in the mother to ensure a healthy, 

 lengthy, robust progeny. Tall stilty mothers, with- 

 out length of body, will produce puppies of like 

 form, no matter to what sire they are sent. The 

 number of whelps may be, as we before hinted, 

 regulated by certain precautions, and where we 

 find large litters prevalent in any kennel, we 

 know the breeder, master, or huntsman to be 

 deficient in this part of the business. The largest 

 litter we remember consisted of seventeen, when, 

 we first commenced our career of M. F. H., with 

 the assistance of an experienced kennel huntsman, 

 who had been for many years under one of the 

 cleverest breeders of his time. Yet this man, 

 when thrown upon his own resources, made such 

 sad mistakes in this matter, causing by his 



