222 THE HARRIER. 



leave no more of the external organ than is necessary to protect the orifice. It is said that 

 this process is necessary in order to guard the animal's ears from being torn by the brambles 

 and other thorny impediments which constantly come in its path, and through which the Dog 

 is continually forced to thrust itself. But the custom does not seem to confer a corresponding 

 benefit on the poor creature whose ears are subjected to the operator's steel, and it maybe that 

 the custom of cropping Dogs' ears will go out of fashion, as is happily the case with the 

 equally cruel practice of cropping the ears of horses, and docking their tails. 



This Dog is a sufficiently sagacious animal, and if it were subjected to the influence of 

 man as frequently as the Terrier and other companions of the human race, would not lose by 

 comparison with them. Even in the state of semi-civilization into which these Dogs are 

 brought, their obedience to the voice and gestures of the huntsman is quite marvellous ; and 

 even when in their kennel they will come individually to be fed, no Dog venturing to leave its 

 place until its name has been called. 



As to the various sporting details connected with this animal, such as breeding, training, 

 feeding, etc., they may be found in many sporting works, where they are elaborately discussed, 

 but are not suitable for a work of the present character. 



The Harrier, so called because it is chiefly employed in hunting the hare, is in the 

 present day nothing more or less than a small foxhound, the description of the latter animal 

 serving equally for that of the former, with the one exception of size. As has been mentioned 

 in the account of the foxhound, the average height is about twenty-three inches, but the height 

 of the Harrier ought not to exceed eighteen or nineteen inches. 



Partly on account of its smaller size, and partly on account of the character of its work, 

 the Harrier is not so swift an animal as the foxhound, and does not test so fully the speed and 

 strength of the horses that follow in its track. It is a swifter animal in these days than was 

 the case some few years back, because in the modern system of hare-hunting, poor "puss" is 

 so rapidly followed by the hounds that she has no time to waste in those subtle contrivances 

 for throwing the hounds off her track for which she is so justly famous, and which have often 

 baffled the efforts of the best and strongest Harriers. 



The points of a good Harrier are similar to those of the foxhound, and may be described 

 as follows : 



' ' There are necessary points in the shape of a hound which ought always to be attended 

 to by a sportsman, for if he be not of a perfect symmetry he will neither run fast nor bear 

 much work. He has much to undergo, and should have strength proportioned to it. Let his 

 legs be straight as arrows, his feet round and not too large ; his shoulders back ; his breast 

 rather wide than narrow ; his chest deep ; his back broad ; his head small ; his neck thin ; his 

 tail thick and bushy ; if he carry it well, so much the better. Such hounds as are out at the 

 elbows, and such as are weak from the knees to the foot, should never be taken into the pack. 



"I find that I have mentioned a small head as one of the necessary requisites of a hound ; 

 but you will observe that it is relative to beauty only, for as to goodness, I believe that large- 

 headed hounds are in no wise inferior. The color I think of little moment, and am of opinion 

 with our friend Foote, respecting his negro friend, that a good Dog, like a good candidate, 

 cannot be of bad color." 



These remarks were written by Beckford, in the year 1779, and are of such sterling value 

 that they are accepted even in the present day as the criteria of a good hound. He proceeds 

 to observe in the same letter, from which the above description has been transcribed, that the 

 shape of the Dog's head is as variable as the color of his hide, and that some sportsmen prefer 

 a sharp-nosed hound, while others care nothing for a Dog unless he have a large and roomy 

 head. Each, however, in Ms opinion, is equally useful in its own way ; for " speed and beauty 

 are the chief excellences of the one, while stoutness and tenderness of nose in hunting are char- 

 acteristic of the other." To these qualifications the modern huntsmen have added another, 

 consisting of depth of the back ribs, in order to secure a stout build, and the capability of 

 enduring daily work for a lengthened period. 



Uniformity of size and color is even more requisite in a pack of Harriers than of foxhounds. 



