64 NATURAL HISTOHy OF THE DOG. 



deer, who was still going at speed, and were now cl< 

 with him. Bran was then leading, and in a few seconds 

 was at his heels, and immediately seized his hock with such 

 violence of grasp, as seemed in a great measure to paralyze 

 the limb, for the deer's speed was immediately checked. 



" Buskar was not far behind, for soon afterwards passing 

 Bran, he seized the deer by the neck. Notwithstanding the 

 weight of the two dogs which were hanging to him, h 

 the assistance of the slope of the ground, he continued 

 dragging them along at a most extraordinary rate, in de- 

 fiance of their utmost exertions to detain him, and succeeded 

 more than once in kicking Bran off. But he became at 

 length exhausted ; the dogs succeeded in pulling him down, 

 and though he made several attempts to rise, he never com- 

 pletely regained his legs. On coming up, we found him per- 

 fectly dead." 



I have seen smooth deerhounds in Scotland, but they were 

 not deerhounds properly so called, being merely a cross be- 

 tween the ordinary greyhound and foxhound. In such case 

 it is better that the greyhound should be father, as you will 

 thus be more likely to obtain size end power, combined with 

 swiftness. This is more particularly to be attended to wii. n 

 it is the rough greyhound to which you resort, for among all 

 the rough greyhounds, and morn especially those of Ii 

 and Scotland, there exists a greater disparity of size bctu n 

 male and female, than between the sexes of any oth< T m-m- 

 ber of the canine family. For instance, of a litter of pups 

 a dog shall grow to the height of, say, thirty inches and not 

 a female of the same litter shall exceed twenty-four inches 

 in height at the shoulder. This is a very remarkable fact, 

 and worthy of attention. 



The bloodhound has been employed as a cross, but the pro- 

 geny are too slow and heavy for deer coursing, whatever the} 

 may be worth as finders, for which latter purpose why not 

 use the bloodhound at once, without resorting to any cross at 

 all ? It is a pity that the deerhound should be so scarce ; if 

 suffered to become extinct, we may seek in vain for any dog 

 that shall combine in his single person so many valuable 

 qualities. 



THB SCOTTISH GREYHOUND. 



This is but a degenerate deerhound a deerhound rendered 

 inferior in size, less shaggy in coat, less ardent and coura- 

 geous in the chase, less powerful, and therefore less service- 



