THE DOG—INTRODUCTION,. 325 
Spaniels are extensively bred in several diffetent varieties, the chief be- 
ing the Clumber, bred at the seat of the Duke of Newcastle in Nottingham- 
shire, the Sussex, Cocker, and the English and Irish water spaniel; the 
water spaniels being used as retrievers, and the others for cover work on cock 
and pheasants, where beaters are not employed. 
The chase is a more general pursuit, being open to those who do not 
own or rent land but can afford horses and the other expenses incident to 
the sport. The fox, hare and stag are hunted on horseback, while beagles 
and otter hounds are followed on foot. In speaking of hounds, sporting 
law limits the name to bloodhounds, staghounds, foxhounds, harriers, bea- 
gles’ and otter hounds. Greyhounds are not included in the class because 
they run their game only hy sight and are used for coursing. The deer- 
hound is not included because he is only used to find or retrieve wounded 
deer. Bloodhounds and staghounds are used for the stag, foxhounds for the 
fox, and harriers for the hare. Beagles are also used for hunting the hare, 
rabbits, or a drag, and otter hounds for the otter by the sides of the water- 
courses. Fox hunting is the national sport of England, and the number 
of packs kept is very large. A pack properly consists of twenty-five 
couples, but few are as large as this. They are kept up by subscription 
among the “ members of the hunt,”’ that is, those who habitually hunt with 
each pack. The pack is kept by one member, known as the “ M. F. H.,” 
or master of foxhounds, who appoints the “meets,” and hunts the pack 
with the assistance of a huntsman and helpers known as whips. The 
huntsman has charge of the hounds in kennel, and when going to and 
returning from a hunt. 
Packs of staghounds are comparatively rare, as the stags are park- 
raised, and consequently less plentiful than foxes. One is known as Her 
Majesty’s Pack, and a few others are kept up in different portions of 
England. Stonehenge says, “except in Devonshire and Somerset, the 
steghound is not allowed to kill his quarry, being whipped off as soon as 
the deer stands at bay.”’ 
The harrier now differs from the foxhound but little in size and 
appearance, being, in fact, largely inbred to the latter dog. Of the harrier 
Stonehenge says, “ breeders still take special care to have a combination of 
intelligence and high scenting power, sufficient to meet the wiles of the 
hare, which are much more varied than those of the fox.’ He also men- 
tions the pack of Sir Vincent Corbett as being the most beautiful he has 
ever seen, and claimed to be purely bred. 
Beagles afford great sport to those who like strong exercise on foot. 
The taste for this style of hunting is on the increase, and the packs conse- 
quently increasing in numbers. Stonehenge says, “foot beagles should not 
Digitized by Microsoft® 
