THE WILTSHIRE GREYHOUND. 229 



former days. Mr. Hole's * Alacrity,' I believe, was not more than 

 28 Ibs. ; and ' Little Vic ' and ' Magic ' were not much more. 

 The Wiltshire coursers have, however, found out that a good big 

 dog will always and in all countries beat a good little one ; but as 

 there is much difficulty in getting a really stout dog of great 

 size, the little one will oftener win in Wiltshire than in other 

 countries. But it must be remembered that the Wiltshire country 

 and the Wiltshire hares are both materially affected by the recent 

 changes in the agricultural management of the downs. These are 

 now much broken up, and the course is necessarily often over 

 arable land, or even in turnips. Besides this, I am inclined to 

 think that the superior food afforded by seeds and other green 

 crops has enlarged the size of the hares now found on the downs, 

 and consequently they are really faster than the old hare of the 

 district, which was often only 5 Ibs. in weight, whereas a full- 

 grown hare of that size is now a rarity, and I have seen many, 

 even jack hares, of 7 Ibs. or 8 Ibs. each. All of the Wiltshire dogs 

 are, therefore, now crossed with the Newmarket, Lancashire, or 

 Scotch breeds, and no stallion dog is now offered to the . public of 

 pure Wiltshire blood, nor indeed do I now know any kennel where 

 this breed is maintained in any approach to purity. 



One of the best bitches which ever ran in Wiltshire was Mr. 

 EandelFs ' Brilliant,' by ' Chieftain ' out of ' Ruby,' and in her 

 there was no old Wiltshire cross, being, on the dam's side, a niece 

 of ' Waterloo ; ' but she was capable of running the Wiltshire 

 hares in a style superior to most of the indigenous greyhounds of 

 the day. Her form, like her dam's, was the model of symmetry and 



