642 The Dog Book 



dictionary as a method some employed. Beagles are referred to in this 

 dictionary so that we may assume that the word hound was used much as we 

 use setter, and that they had no distinctive title any more than we give one to 

 a setter used for pinnated grouse shooting, or for quail, or for snipe. All are 

 setters and at the time we refer to all were hounds. 



These were undoubtedly slow dogs and were followed in a leisurely 

 manner, but with the advent of Mr. Meynell a different style of fox hunting 

 was introduced. Emulation in the field and the danger of over-riding the 

 hounds led him to breed for faster dogs. He used large packs of hounds, 

 sometimes as many as a hundred couples at a time, and they must have been 

 under excellent command for even he followed the custom of drawing the 

 coverts with a small number of selected hounds, the others being held in 

 check by the whipper-in until cheered to the cry by Jack Raven as Colonel 

 Gore records in his "Observations on Hunting." 



Breeding to type had been in progress for some time at the beginning of 

 the nineteenth century and packs kept entirely for fox hunting became num- 

 erous throughout England, particularly in the districts where it could be and 

 still is followed to the best advantage. Packs became famous for their ap- 

 pearance and the sport they afforded and few of us but have at least heard 

 of the influence Squire Osbaldeston had on fox hunting and sports in general, 

 from the time he took the Quorn hunt in 181 7. He bred uncommonly fast 

 hounds and his desire was to get away fast after the fox and spread-eagle the 

 field. Very large sums were given for good packs when they were placed on 

 the market. Lord Suffield gave 3,000 guineas for Mr. Lambton's entire 

 kennel. Individual dogs suitable for stud, or stallions as they are called in 

 the case of hounds or beagles, were also eagerly sought for and the annual 

 draft was sorted so as to preserve uniformity of size, speed and, in many 

 cases, uniformity of markings was sought for as far as possible. 



In this way we have in the English hound that character and confor- 

 mation which stamps it as a breed, for all hunts aim to secure some char- 

 acteristics common to all. Type in head, perfection in legs and feet, good 

 shoulders and good bodies are all points where but one standard governs. 

 The differences between the packs so far as appearance goes is very little 

 more than that of height, some masters preferring a larger dog, others a 

 medium one and some being better suited with dogs an inch or so smaller. 

 It is thus we have the radical difference between foxhounds of English breed- 

 ing and what go by the name of American foxhounds. There is no type 



