18 
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BLOOD-HOUND. 
very noble appearance; his tail is moderately long, and tapers to the extremity ; 
it is very slightly villous beneath; colour generally tan shaded with black above—- 
sometimes liver-colour—and occasionally Mouse-coloured or silvery grey; the 
muzzle and tips of his ears are generally darker than the rest of his body—often 
black. This Dog, be it observed—and I state this on the authority of a native of 
South-America—is never seen mottled or of two colours: that is to say, speckled 
or streaked, or black and white, &c. When such is the case, rest assured that 
the Dog is not by any means well-bred, but has probably had for one of his 
parents a Boar-hound or Danish Dog. The eyes of this Dog are placed very much 
towards the front of the head, and very close together, which I conceive must 
tend in some measure to confine his vision to objects more immediately in front. 
This is the well-known Dog rendered so famous, or rather infamous, from his 
having been employed by the Spaniards in their cruel and exterminating conflicts 
with the Americans. The same, also, since frequently used in the capture of runa¬ 
way slaves in the West-Indies. I have been informed that on such occasions a 
small Dog of the spaniel breed should be used, called a finder, as the blood-hound is 
slow at hitting off the trail unless so aided, not possessing the same nicety of 
smell that is displayed by the two other varieties. 
He is a Dog of extreme courage; is capable of much affection; seldom exhibits 
treachery unless to entrap a declared foe or a strange beggarman, on which 
occasions he has been known to simulate sleep, and thus induce the unsuspecting 
man to pass within reach, on whom he would certainly spring were he so unwary. 
Their manner of seizing and biting closely resembles the practice of the bull-Dog 
(C. molossus). They never let go their hold when they have once fastened, but 
increase their mouthful continually, making every effort to tear away the bit, 
which they not unfrequently do. Let them once fasten on the throat of their 
foe, and, whether uppermost or undermost, the battle is their own. One of these 
Dogs killed a good-sized bull-Dog in about ten minutes, never having changed the 
hold he got at first. I saw one of these Dogs opposed to a Bear, on which 
occasion he did very well, but Bruin having ripped the skin off his shoulder, he 
declined further combat, and resigned the field of battle in favour of a young 
Boar-hound, son of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch’s Dog, “ Hector,” which, 
though barely eighteen months old, pinned the shaggy monster by the nose, hurled 
him to the ground, and punished the poor Bear so severely, that in a few minutes 
the brute howled for quarter, and was glad to yield, “ rescue or no rescue.” I 
feel it my duty to remark, “ en parenthese ,” before going any farther, that 
although I may thus mention w combats des animaux” or even minutely describe 
them, yet I condemn them in toto —as cruel and degrading to human nature. I 
saw many such scenes when a much younger man than I am now. Do not ask 
me, dear reader, “ how long ago V* My blood was warmer then than it is at 
