Greyhounds 1 23 



adjunct has been of little consequence. In St. 

 Louis the slackness of betting has been due to 

 the strict anti-gambling laws. On the plains 

 the attendance has been oversmall for wagers 

 of noticeable amount. Without these obstacles 

 coursing might have degenerated altogether into 

 a gambling affair. It is exciting ; perhaps more 

 so than any other sport with animals. The races 

 come fast, one after the other. It is very easy to 

 bring off between twenty and thirty courses in 

 an afternoon. Small betting is quickly tempted 

 by these rapidly succeeding and blood-stirring 

 contests. 



Little attention has been paid in America to 

 showing greyhounds on the bench. Usually 

 some professional handler has one or two good 

 bench specimens, which he carries around 

 because he is practically certain of winning prizes 

 with them on account of the small competition. 

 These bench winners nearly always disappear 

 from view after their usefulness in this respect 

 has passed. Few devoted coursers care to put 

 their dogs on the bench. Exhibitions are a pro- 

 lific source of disease among dogs of any kind, 

 and especially among greyhounds. Then, too, 

 coursers have a prejudice against showing. A 

 prominent English expert told me that the 

 courser who patronizes bench shows in his coun- 

 try is likely to create an impression that his dogs 



