252 STAG-HUNTING 



as a namesake, by Belvoir Brusher out of Warwickshire 

 Audible, who did much service between 1882 and 

 1886, being sent in the latter year to France to be 

 used at the stud there. 



What the ' thoroughbred heavy staghound,' who 

 was the foundation of the pack, may have been like, 

 must now be very much a matter of conjecture. ' Stone- 

 henge ' } says : ' The old English true staghound, 

 which is now nearly if not quite extinct, resembles the 

 bloodhound, but has a lighter cross, probably with the 

 greyhound, and therefore somewhat approaches to the 

 modern lurcher in formation of body, with the head of 

 a southern hound. . . . Like the bloodhound, and 

 the old southern hound, this dog has the peculiarity 

 of keeping to the hunted deer. . , . There is some 

 difficulty, however, in getting at a true description of 

 the old staghound.' 



Dr. Collyns, writing in 1860, gives the following 

 description of the old North Devon pack, with which 

 he had often hunted as a young man : * In height they 

 were about twenty-six to twenty-eight inches, colour 

 generally hare pied, yellow, yellow and white, or 

 badger pied, with long ears, deep muzzles, large 

 throats, and deep chests. In tongue they were perfect, 

 . . . even when running at speed.' 



1 The Dog, p. 53. Edition of 1872. 



