THE BLOODHOUND IN THE VALE. 151 



istic of the hounds was that they hunted entirely 

 by scent, never raising their heads for a view, 

 this trait doubtless coming from their ancestors 

 the black St Huberts, which were used for 

 hunting the dense forests of the Ardennes, in 

 which they could only run by scent. 



Some twenty years before Lord Wolverton was 

 hunting in Dorset, Mr Thomas Nevill of Chilland 

 had a pack of bloodhounds, with which he hunted 

 the carted deer in the country round Winchester. 

 This pack was built up from a couple of the so- 

 called Talbots, that were kept by the keepers 

 of the New Forest for the purpose of recovering 

 wounded deer. Mr Nevill took the greatest pains 

 to breed his hounds true to type, though he did 

 not by any means confine their hunting to deer. 

 A story is told by Mr Nevill Fitt which shows on 

 what good terms the hounds and their quarry 

 were, and what a wonderful power over animals 

 Mr Nevill had. A fallow -doe was so entirely 

 without fear of the hounds that she would go into 

 the kennels with the Master, and eat from the 

 trough at which the bloodhounds were fed. On a 

 hunting day the doe would trot out by the Master's 

 side with the hounds all round her, being perfectly 

 fearless in their midst. Then when the spot 

 determined on had been reached, the doe was 

 started off, and the hounds laid on after a few 

 minutes' delay. The line was generally a straight 

 one for home, and the doe, finding the door of her 

 pen open, took refuge, and had the door closed 



