THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 47 



There are necessary points in the shape of a hound, 

 which ought always to be attended to by a sportsman ; 

 for, if he be not of a perfedt symmetry, he will neither run 

 fast, nor bear much work : he has much to undergo, 

 and should have strength proportioned to it. Let his 

 legs be straight as arrows ; his feet round, and not too 

 large 5 his shoulders back ; his breast rather wide than 

 narrow; his chest deepj his back broad ; his head small; 

 his neck thin ; his tail thick and brushy ; if he carry it 

 well, so much the better. This last point, however trifling 

 it may appear to you, gave rise to a very odd question. 

 A gentleman (not much acquainted with hounds), as we 

 were hunting together the other day, said : " 1 observe, 

 ** Sir, that some of your dogs* tails stand up, and some 

 " hang down; pray, which do you reckon the best hounds?'^ 

 Such young hounds as are out at the elbows, and such as 

 are weak from the knee to the foot, should never be taken 

 into the pack. 



I FIND that I have mentioned a small head, as one of 

 the necessary requisites of a hound ; but you will under- 

 stand it as relative to beauty only j for, as to goodness^ I be- 



