THE FOXHOUND. 127 



THE FOXHOUND. 



No dog has for so long a time been carefully bred, reared, and trained in 

 large numbers as the English foxhound. Up to the time of the passing of the 

 present Game Laws, the public greyhound was confined to a very few kennels, and 

 in them only were pedigrees preserved with anything like care ; but in many fox- 

 hound kennels careful records have been kept of the breeding of every litter for, 

 at least, 150 years; and, I believe, there is no instance in which a cross of any 

 kind has been tried masters being content with improving the breed by selection 

 of the best within its limits, taking care to go out of their several kennels for 

 sires to prevent the close in-breeding which would otherwise inevitably lead to a 

 delicacy of constitution inconsistent with the severe work demanded from the 

 foxhound. When it is remembered that this hound is often kept moving for 

 eleven or twelve hours without food, and after a fast from the previous noon, 

 and that during the greater part of that time he is either forcing his way through 

 thick covert in "drawing," or running at his best pace in pursuit of his game, 

 the amount of stamina required is at once apparent. To be sure of obtaining 

 this constitutional quality, it is necessary to attend carefully to pedigree ; for, 

 without it, a handsome and useful hound, as far as appearance goes, might often 

 be preferred on account of his exterior to another of lesser pretensions to beauty, 

 who might yet from his breeding prove to be far the better animal when both 

 had been entered to their game. As in the case of the racehorse, with regard 

 to the Darley Arabian, most of our best hounds now trace back to the Osbaldeston 

 Furrier, Sir E. Button's Hercules, or the Belvoir Comus ; but since their days 

 masters of foxhounds in every hunting country have vied with each other in 

 breeding, not only a single hound of that form and quality, but a whole pack 

 so " suity," as to vie with them in all important points. Nose combined with 

 speed and stoutness have always been considered as the essentials for the fox- 

 hound ; but of late years, owing to the enormous " fields " which have attended 

 our leading packs, and the forward riding displayed by them, another feature 

 has been demanded, and the supply in the " grass countries " has been obtained 

 in a remarkable manner. I allude to the gift peculiar to our best modern hounds, 

 of getting through a crowd of horses when accidentally " slipped " by the pack. 

 This faculty is developed to a very wonderful extent in all the packs hunting 

 " the shires," varying, of course, slightly in each ; and it is no less remarkably 

 absent in certain packs otherwise equal to the Quorn and its neighbours, or 

 even superior to them. The peculiarity is well known to hunting men ; but no 

 little annoyance is felt by the members of the several hunts to which I allude 

 when reference is made to individuals; and having great respect for the tender 

 feelings of every master of foxhounds and his followers, I shall not venture to 

 make any attempt to allude more particularly to this matter. 



The appearance of the modern foxhound is greatly altered by the universal 

 practice of " rounding " the ears, which has existed during the whole of the present 



