THE HARRIER AND THE BEAGLE 125 



right principles of venery into the youthful mind than to 

 follow all the ways of these little hounds. 



Dorsetshire used to be the great county for Beagles. The 

 downs there were exactly fitted for them, and years ago, 

 when roe-deer were preserved on the large estates, Beagles 

 were used to hunt this small breed of deer. Mr. Cranes' 

 Beagles were noted at the time, and also those of a Colonel 

 Harding. It is on record that King George IV. had a 

 strong partiality for Beagles, and was wont to see them 

 work on the downs round about Brighton. The uses 

 of the Beagle in the early days of the last century, 

 however, were a good deal diversified. They were hunted 

 in big woodlands to drive game to the gun, and perhaps the 

 ordinary Beagle of from 12 inches to 14 inches was not big 

 enough for the requirements of the times. It is quite possible, 

 therefore, that the Beagle was crossed with the Welsh, Southern 

 or Otterhound, to get more size and power, as there certainly 

 was a Welsh rough-coated Beagle of good 18 inches, and an 

 almost identical contemporary that was called the Essex 

 Beagle. Sixty years ago such hounds were common enough, 

 but possibly through the adoption of the more prevalent plan 

 of beating coverts, and Spaniels being in more general use, 

 the vocation of the Beagle in this particular direction died out, 

 and a big rough-coated Beagle is now very rarely seen. 



That a great many of the true order were bred became very 

 manifest as soon as the Harrier and Beagle Association was 

 formed, and more particularly when a section of the Peter- 

 borough Hound Show was reserved for them. Then they 

 seemed to spring from every part of the country. In 1896 

 one became well acquainted with many packs that had 

 apparently held aloof from the dog shows. There was the 

 Cheshire, the Christ Church (Oxford), Mr. T. Johnson's, the 

 Royal Rock, the Thorpe Satchville, the Worcestershire, etc., 

 and of late there have been many more that are as well known 

 as packs of Foxhounds. One hears now of the Chauston, the 

 Halstead Place very noted indeed the Hulton, the Leigh 



