184 Forty Years Beagling 



opinions about them, seems to me to be due to the 

 fact that the standard is a little hazy. 



"When bench shows were started in this country 

 'Stonehenge' was the authority by whose standards 

 all breeds were judged. AJl that 'Stonehenge' 

 said about beagles was : 'like the foxhound but with 

 head and ears more like the bloodhound.' This de- 

 scription did not fit the Rowett head, so the Eng- 

 lish-American Beagle Club made a standard of 

 their own. 



"They started in by giving the beagle a full, dark 

 eye and pleading expression, and ended by saying 

 he should be a miniature foxhound. Here was au- 

 thority for three distinct types, and soon we had 

 another that won without authority. Now which 

 is right? 



"The bloodhound head has never been much in 

 evidence in this country and does not seem to have 

 found favor anywhere. I do not think that the 

 heavy muzzle and stern expression of the foxhound 

 look right on a small hound like the beagle, and I 

 do not see any use for it, as they are not expected to 

 break up their game. The old Rowetts all had long, 

 light, clean-cut heads, dark eyes and innocent ex- 

 pression; but no snappier or gamer hounds ever 

 lived. Came into the ring on their toes; flag up; 

 seized the first dog they could reach and fought like 



