194 Forty Years Beagling 



"So is this matter of beagle form and hunting 

 characteristics, one of individual ideas, or do these 

 underlie all personal opinions that rule, which pre- 

 vails for the good of all? 



"There are some that would have a little compact 

 12-inch hound of true and steady traihng and mod- 

 erate 'running' ability; theirs must be a hound of 

 14I/2 inches, with considerable daylight under him, 

 and one that would push his quarry straight and 

 fast, even at the cost of a few temporary losses and 

 without the following of every twist and turn that 

 ought to characterize the 'trailing' quality of every 

 beagle. Others again would not own a 10- or 12- 

 inch hound as a gift, because he would not cover 

 territory enough for them or push the game fast 

 enough to get it under cover where a ferret could 

 be used. And, there are those that would have 

 nothing but 11- or 10-inch hounds; but any one of 

 these wishes or desu^es is not for the good of all. 



"It is well there should be some leeway in the 

 size of beagles, for in this topographically-varied 

 New England of ours, we have use for all sizes 

 according to the game and territory upon which it 

 may be hunted. Still, it would seem we ought to 

 be able to agree upon some definite form or type, 

 to rule the same in all sizes, and let the speed be 

 determined bv the size of the hound; not, as the 



