46 DOMESTICATED DOGS. 
quite pure, shows this same peculiarity. In Wales several packs 
are still kept approaching the Southern hound in shape and other 
peculiarities, but I believe they are all more or less crossed with 
the foxhound, even though their masters deny the fact. Markman, 
who lived three hundred years ago, describes the Northern hound 
as follows :—‘“ He has a head more slender, with a longer nose, 
ears and flews more shallow, back broad, belly gaunt, joints long, 
tail small, and his general form more slender and greyhound like; 
but the virtues of these Northern hounds I can praise no further 
than for scent and swiftness, for with respect to mouth, they have 
only a little shrill sweetness, but no depth of tone or music.” In 
the present day, with the solitary exception of the Devon and 
Somerset Staghounds, no hound is used but the foxhound, harrier, 
beagle, and otter-hound. The bloodhound is kept almost entirely 
for ornamental purposes, and the Southern hound, as I have already 
mentioned, is altogether extinct in a pure shape. As the Southern 
hound may be considered extinct, I cannot pretend to give his 
points, as is done with all existing breeds. : 
Il—THE BLOODHOUND. 
This breed is so named because it is supposed to possess peculiar 
powers of scenting the blood flowing from the wounds made in its 
quarry. Before the invention of the rifle, the arrow was used to 
give the first wound, and this was sufficient to enable the forester 
to make his pick from the herd, because though the arrow would 
seldom cause immediate death, yet it would lead to a flow of blood 
sufficient to induce the bloodhound to hunt that one deer in pre- .. 
ference to the rest of the herd. He was also employed to track — 
the sheep-stealer, in which occupation his tendency to follow blood 
was developed in a similar manner. At present the deadly rifle 
has taken one occupation from him,.and the law, by preventing 
sheep-stealing, has deprived him of the other. Hence it has come 
to pass that the bloodhound is now kept for ornamental purposes 
only. Many breeders of this dog, however, still contend that he 
might be made useful in tracking criminals if laid on the trail of 
one shortly after a crime is committed. In Cuba, no doubt, a dog 
of more or less pure breed was used to hunt slaves, and as the 
