THE HARRIER. 297 



Probably, as large game became extinct, and the Lare ^vas 

 principally hunted, the size of the hound was reduced in the 

 same manner as the Irish wolf-hound has dwindled into what 

 is now known as the Scotch deer-hound; and so the old 

 Southern hound in time became the parent of the blue-mottled 

 harriers, many of which now resemble him in everything but 

 size. In fact, Mr. Brooks, of Bex-hill, near Hastings, lias a 

 pack of nearly pure Southern hounds at the present day, and I 

 feel sure some of them stand twenty-four inches in height ; but 

 I shall have more to say concerning them in another chapter. 

 Sir Humphrey de Trafford has a pack as nearly similar in cha- 

 racter in Cheshire ; but I have never seen them in the field, 

 though I had the good luck, a few years ago, to be present at a 

 show at Manchester where they were exhibited. 



Where the common harrier came from I do not know ; but 

 as I think Whittaker has made out such a good case for the 

 Southern hound, I will give his opinion, and allow my readers 

 to judge for themselves, merely remarking that there are to be 

 seen at the present day many kinds of harriers, which show 

 little or no affinity to the blue mottle or Southern hound. 



He says, " The Eomans seem to have introduced the present 

 breed of our common hare-hounds, and the present race of our 

 common spaniels. The former are pretty certainly foreigners, 

 as their only game, the hare, could never have been hunted by 

 the primeval Britons. And they are most probably Tuscans." 

 Xemesianus has given us the following account of the Tuscan 

 dog, and the description I think agrees with the common 

 hare-hound : — 



Nor on the file of hunters last is found 



The merit, Tuscans, of your native hound ; 



What though their form be shagg'd with roughening hairs. 



Nor one gaunt semblance of the greyhound bears, 



doubt if these were ever used in chase, for the simple reason that with an 

 animal which ran at all, before turning to bay, they would not have had 

 speed enough to be there when most needed. 



