CHAPTER III 



SIZE 



IT would seem that Mr. F. C. Phoebus, of 

 Bernardsville, New Jersey, started matters 

 by suggesting that the size of the beagle as 

 described as not to exceed 15 inches should be 

 raised an inch to sixteen inches. 



"Bradley," in Forest and Stream of May, 1892, 

 takes up the cudgels in behalf of the standard as 

 follows: Saying that, as he remembers it, "Mr. 

 Phoebus's argument was that choice beagle pups 

 when they come to maturity, sometimes exceed 15" 

 in height, but rarely, if ever, go over 16". Mr. 

 Phoebus is correct, when he says beagles rarely go 

 over 16" at the shoulder. But why are they no 

 larger ? Merely because they are bred from beagles 

 which conform to the present standard. Let us, 

 however, suppose, for a moment that the standard 

 has been raised to 16", and we have succeeded in 

 breeding some typical beagles which just scrape 

 under the new measure — they are perfect and we 

 decide to match them. Let us ask any breeder if a 

 few of these pups will not be as liable to exceed our 



39 



