226 Forty Years Beagling 



which is by many considered conflicting, and which 

 apparently cuts httle figure with judges when plac- 

 ing theii' awards. At one show I questioned a 

 judge as to the number of points allotted to the dif- 

 ferent parts of the dog and he had to go to his 

 pocket to find out. Another party asked the same 

 judge the same question and he started to name the 

 points without consulting the pocket aforesaid. 

 The result was that when he had gotten about half 

 through with the dog he had three points left. 



"It had seemed to me that whatever dogs struck 

 the judge's fancy did the winning, without regard 

 to what they would score under the standard. 

 With one judge it would be coat, another head, 

 another legs and feet, etc., etc. A dog with a very 

 snipey nose, for instance, no matter how good in 

 other points, is in disfavor at once, with nine bea- 

 glers out of ten, and is, if shown, generally out of 

 it, and yet muzzle only counts five points in the 

 standard. Then there is another clause in the 

 standard which says a beagle shall be a miniature 

 foxhound, heavy and sohd for his inches. Now, 

 how can he be both? And is English or American 

 foxhound meant? 



"I have always contended that whatever type is 

 best suited for field work should win on bench, but 

 except in rare cases they do not do it. The scarcity 



