BOOK II. 

 HOUNDS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE GREYHOUND. 



S ITS NAME IMPLIES, this variety of the dog must be classed with 

 the hounds, but it differs from all the others of this division in being 

 used for the pursuit of hares by the eye alone. Its congener, the 

 deerhound fills up the gap between the two being encouraged to take 

 up the scent of its game when it loses view. But it must not be 

 supposed that our modern greyhound is entirely without the power of scent, 

 as there are numberless proofs to the contrary in the shape of pure-bred dogs 

 of this kind which are used as lurchers. A good dog of this sort will run from 

 view to scent and back again as often as is required by the nature of the ground, 

 and will account for every hare he is allowed to hunt undisturbed. Indeed, the 

 chief difficulty with the trainer of greyhounds is to keep his charge from using 

 their noses, which many strains are very apt to do, to the great disgust of the 

 public courser ; though the tendency of this development of the olfactory organ 

 is so much in favour of " currant jelly " that the private courser does not always 

 object to it. On the whole, however, the greyhound may be defined as the only 

 British dog hunting its game by the eye alone. 



As the points of this dog have been fully described in " The Greyhound," and 

 as it is desirable to keep them before the public without any alteration, I shall 

 insert them in the ipsissima, verba which are introduced in that book. 



" Experience has convinced all coursers that a dog with plenty of length from 

 his hip to his hock is likely to be speedy, because there is a greater than usual 

 length of muscle to act upon the hock, and also a longer stride. The same 

 unerring criterion has also led us to believe that a good back will give increase 

 of power; in fact, that, cceteris paribus, size is power. But this law must not be 

 taken without exceptions, since there must of necessity be a due proportion of 

 parts, or else the successive actions necessary for speed will not take place in due 

 order and with the proper regularity of stroke, and also because, by a well-known 

 mechanical law, what is gained in power is lost in speed or time. This framework, 

 then, of bones and muscles, when obtained of good form and proportions, is so 



