12 
Beagles and Beagling 
accepted as the correct measurements at the present 
time and they are so classified at field trials and 
bench shows. Anything larger than fifteen inches 
is disqualified. 
Reverting again to those early days. The claim 
is made that the beagle is the result of experiments 
in crossing the old south of England or Southern 
hound with the harrier. By a concerted system of 
breeding to the smallest specimens so produced the 
beagle was eventually brought down to the minia¬ 
ture size which was in style during the times of 
Oueen Elizabeth. The vogue for this small type 
of dog did not last, however. These dwarfed 
specimens, while possessing keen noses, very musical 
voices and a peculiar adeptness for hunting in packs, 
were very slow; so slow indeed that they were 
scarcely able to run down their quarry, although it 
is said they would worry over a trail for hours and 
by this very persistence accomplish in the end what 
they set out to do. Namely, take up the scent and 
drive to a kill or to the place where the hare holed 
or disappeared. 
According to Youatt, who wrote during the first 
half of the past century, the miniature beagle, did 
not remain popular long, but practically dropped 
out of voge for a long time, although, after a lapse 
of many years the breed was resuscitated. In the 
edition, published in this country in 1846 , and 
edited by E. J. Lewis, M. D., Youatt says the 
following: 
“There are many pleasurable recollections of the 
priod when the ‘good old English gentleman’ used 
to keep his pack of beagles or little harriers, slow 
