THE BEAGLE. 131 



THE BEAGLE. 



This little hound is probably as old a breed as the northern hound, being, in 

 fact, a miniature specimen of it. It was formerly very much in demand for hunting 

 the hare on foot ; but went out of fashion for some years, to be again revived as a 

 form of modern athletics. The intention has always been to obtain a hound of 

 delicate nose, united with so slow a pace as to allow of "the field" keeping up 

 without the aid of horses. With the exception of the head and ears, the modern 

 beagle has all the points of the foxhound. The former is much larger proper- 

 tionally, both in width and height, while the latter are almost like those of the 

 bloodhound in size and hanging. Foot beagles should not much exceed nine inches 

 in height; but for "Young England" they are now often used up to eleven and 

 even twelve inches, going a pace which requires a good runner, in. prime condition, 

 to keep up with them. A great many packs of " foot beagles " are now kept 

 throughout the country, some for hunting rabbits, others for hare, and others 

 again for "drag." Usually these little packs are of a "scratch" character, and 

 would not show to advantage by the side of Mr. Crane's beauties, two of which 

 served to illustrate the article in the last edition, and cannot well be improved 

 on, and which I have therefore retained. The following description of the pack 

 is reproduced from the last edition : 



" A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of South- 

 over House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best 'patterns' we have ever 

 known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a rabbit and run 

 him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature of the ground 

 compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to carry a very narrow 

 line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment. Mr. Crane's standard 

 is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We saw but one hound at all 

 differing from his companions, a little black-tanned one. This one on the flags we 

 should have drafted, but when we saw him in his work we quite forgave him for 

 being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was perhaps the very best of the pack, a 

 black-white-and-tanned dog hound, always at work and never wrong. He has 

 a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch, Lily, has the most beautiful points 

 we have ever seen, and is nearly all white, as her name implies. Damper, Dutch- 

 man, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful models. We give the measurement 

 of Damper : Height, 9in. ; round the chest, 16in. ; across the ears, 12in. ; extreme 

 length, 2ft. 4in. ; eye to nose, 2|in. 



" The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and ' singing 

 beagles ' were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's (it is said) 

 could be carried in a man's glove. 



" Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the 

 beagle to a minimum. Many of his mothers do. not rear their offspring, and 

 distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be 

 found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds would 



