Suggestion for Beginners—A Rabbit Hunt 
51 
no beagle measuring more than fifteen inches at the 
shoulder is recognized. A quarter of an inch over 
this size will throw them out of competition, 
whether it he at field trials or bench shows. 
That brings to mind another little experience that 
came to me at first hand. In this instance, the prin¬ 
cipal in the case was a beagler; that is, he had 
hunted beagles for a number of years and he knew 
rabbit dogs, but it was a matter of indifference to 
him whether his dogs measured fifteen inches or an 
inch or two over the limit. One fine autumn day, 
however, he attended a field trial. He became inter¬ 
ested in the sport and followed every heat closely. 
Before the end of the week he decided that he would 
have a beagle or two to run in field trials, for as 
matters stand at the present time, one need not go 
far to participate in one or more trials every season, 
no matter where one might live, for broadly speak¬ 
ing, we have them at our very doors since the 
oeagle has come into such popularity of late years. 
This man went home and began corresponding with 
beaglers in various parts of the country. Before 
another fortnight elapsed, he had two beagles “fit 
to run in any field trials,” as the seller described 
them, and as the kennel from which he purchased 
was supposedly a reputable one, the deal had been 
quickly closed. 1 saw these two dogs a week or 
ten days after the new purchaser acquired them. 
They were indeed good hunting dogs, but without 
measuring they looked rather large. The new 
owner when asked, said he did not pin the seller 
down to exact measurements, but was told that they 
would run in the stake for “the large dogs.” Lo 
