THE MODERN BASSET-HOUND. 71 
as highly prized and eagerly sought for in England as in France. 
They are very aptly described by the French writer De la Blanchére 
as “large hounds on short legs.” It is the massiveness of these 
miniature hounds that first strikes a stranger’s fancy. 
The curious formation of their body and limbs, the grand head, and 
brilliant colouring combine to make a whole that is quaint and pic- 
The Basset-Hound. 
turesque, and in harmony with medieval character. They are the 
dogs one expects to see on tapestries or roaming about castle-keeps. 
There are few more useful all-round dogs to the sportsman than 
the basset-hound. In France this is well known and appreciated, 
and in a very short time people in this country will learn to value 
their marvellous powers of scent and peculiar manner of hunting. 
Deer and roebuck driving is their particular work, and no one can 
fail to see that a little low hound on crooked legs, with a nose never 
