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Begins to flag, to her last shifts reduced.

From brake to brake she flies, and visits all

Her well-known haunts, where once she rang'd secure, With love and plenty blest. See! there she goes,

She reels along, and by her gait betrays

Her inward weakness. See! how black she looks!
The sweat, that clogs th' obstructed pores, scarce leaves
A languid scent. And now in open view
See, see, she flies! each eager hound exerts
His utmost speed, and stretches every nerve;
How quick she turns! their gaping jaws eludes,
And yet a moment lives; 'till, round enclosed
By all the greedy pack, with infant screams
She yields her breath, and there reluctant dies.

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THE Beagle is the foot hound of our country, indigenous to the
soil, and able to boast of an alliance with the sport-loving Britons
so far as we are able to trace back through the misty pages of
ancient history. It is at least probable that when the correct
hunting-costume of our forefathers was a coat of natural paint,
the Beagle even then was his favourite hound, for a translation
from the poet Appian, who wrote about the year 200, gives us
this version :-
:-

There is a kind of dog of mighty_fame
For hunting, worthier of a fairer frame;
By painted Britons brave in war they're bred,
Are Beagles called, and to the chase are led;
Their bodies small and of so mean a shape,
You'd think them curs that under tables gape.

The Agassœi are also thus described in the "Venatiæ Novantiqua": "They are very slender and small, and being much like the hare, hunt them out in the burrows where they dwell. . . . They are bred so that one hand may encompass the whole of their body. . . . They are great pets at the table, and it is a great pleasure to them when they are led to the chase."

Then we find the Forest Laws of King Canute prohibit dogs within the Royal Forests, "except the Velterer, which the English call Langehren [long eared], for manifestly they be too small to do harm to the King's deer." Evidently there was a well-known, popular breed in existence used in the forests, long of ear and too small to injure the deer. We may believe it to be the Beagle-at all events, such evidence as there is points to the Britons being assisted in the chase by a small breed of hounds admired and coveted by the Romans.

It is quite possible that the "Talbot" is the progenitor of all our modern scent-hunting hounds. He may have been the "Langehren"; and as forest lands were cleared, he was bred faster and larger, becoming the "Talbot," and eventually the "Foxhound,"

On the other hand, to suit a thick and uncleared country, where he had to be followed on foot, small strains were doubtless carefully preserved to track and push out the game from the dense coverts. Care was naturally taken to develop their scenting powers to the highest pitch of perfection, and as it must always have been important to know where they were, great attention was naturally paid to voice. So we may get the delightful and ready music of a pack of Beagles.

But this very ancient history, interesting as it may be to some minds, is not of much practical importance to the modern beagler : certain it is that the Beagle existed and flourished hundreds of years ago, and was under its present name the favourite hound of the great Queen Elizabeth, and not the Beagle only, but the Pocket variety of the breed, then called the "Glove," or "Singing," Beagle.

Coming to modern times, George IV., when Prince of Wales, kept a pack of Dwarf Beagles which he used to hunt on the Brighton Downs, and Colonel Thornton, who some fifty years ago had a celebrated pack of Pocket Beagles, thus wrote of them: "Naturally I inspected the Prince of Wales's kennels, and particularly his Dwarf Beagles, which were originally of the same breed as my own. The Prince's Beagles were of much larger growth than mine and more mixed; but it is a rule with me to get the most stuff in the least room. The Beagle, in point of height, should be regulated by the country he is to hunt in; but he ought, at any rate, to be very slow. In a dry country free from walls he cannot be too slow: in the country where my pack hunt the turf is like velvet-a circumstance much in their favour; but the Prince's Beagles, in point of speed, are all too fast."

Prince Albert also maintained a pack of Beagles, as recorded by Mr. Mills in the "Sportsman's Library." That interesting writer on all sporting matters some fifty years ago thus expressed himself about the Beagle: "Beagles, to be very choice, can scarcely be bred too small. The standard of perfection is considered to be from ten to eleven inches, and the latter should be the maximum height. Although far inferior in speed to the Harrier, the sense of smelling is equally if not more exquisite in the Beagle. In pursuing the hare he exercises indefatigable vigilance, energy, and perseverance. Every winding and double is traced with a degree of exactness which must be seen to be enjoyed and justly estimated, and his cry loads the trembling air with unequalled music. Nothing can be more melodious and beautiful than to hear the pigmy pack open at a hare, and if slow, comparatively speaking, in running her, should the scent be good, she stands but little chance of escape from them in the end."

Now let us consider what a Beagle should be. He is not

a small Foxhound, or a small Bloodhound, or a long-eared Terrier, but a breed as distinct as any breed can be, and those who would make him a small copy of any other breed are either ignorant, thoughtless, or possess the same class of mind as the gentleman who recently proposed to alter our cathedrals into "buildings more suited to the [supposed] wants of the present day." Still, our Beagle is a hound, and in consequence has many points in common with all hounds: the short back, compact body, straight legs, round feet, powerful loin, and nicely placed shoulders, must all be possessed by the perfect Beagle, and are of more or less importance according to the work he has to do. The really good, true Beagle head is a study: long, thin ears, a skull free from coarseness but with plenty of room, an eye full, soft, almost pleading in expression, a nostril wide and large, a lip pendulous and very full-such is the Beagle head. The, great difficulty is to get it or. to a perfect body and legs, and this has given rise to much loose talk and writing about "modern" and "old-time" Beagles, apparently those with good bodies and legs but unbeagle-like heads being classed as “modern." Of course, if they have not Beagle heads, they are not Beagles modern or ancient; but perfection all round has yet to be attained, and many a Master of a hard-working pack, as a choice of evils, reluctantly sacrifices perfection in head in order to maintain perfection in body and legs. His hounds are none the less Beagles, but good hounds failing a bit in head points, and, if not carefully watched, are likely to throw out pronounced unbeagle-like characteristics, such as the bold, determined stare of the Foxhound, his drive and pace and quick wide casts when at fault, impetuosity, and music faulty alike in quality and quantity. Most of us have met with these departures from Beagle style, and know that in some packs they are very marked. On the other hand, many will cheerfully sacrifice body or legs to maintain the Beagle head in perfection: such are beautiful typical headed Beagles, failing in body or legs or both. So long as we recognise such failings are faults, and serious faults, breeders will in time work a cure. The danger commences when owners pretend to take a pride in faults they find it difficult to eradicate-urge, for instance, that a Beagle need not have straight legs, or that a Foxhound type of head is correct "for a modern Beagle." Lovers of the Beagle appreciate the absurdity of the contention, realise the true reason for it, smile, and pass on; but the novice is apt to fall a victim. To counteract this danger, which a few years ago was considerable, a club was formed for the protection of the true Beagle, and has brought together many skilled breeders bent upon producing and maintaining the Beagle in perfection; consequently we now have a centre from which reliable information is disseminated concerning the breed, and where novices are always

sure of obtaining assistance and receiving a welcome into the ranks of Beaglers.

Speaking generally, 16in. is accepted as the maximum height allowable in the Beagle, and those that run to this limit seldom display the type to perfection; they are usually desired by those who have long distances to go, or are afflicted with a superabundance of hares. It is urged that smaller hounds, being for a long time far behind the hare, would be for ever changing. Harriers with a mounted "field" to follow are sometimes objected to; consequently the largest-sized Beagles are sought after, and a powerful, big-boned hound with some pace is cultivated. For hunting "jack" and bush kangaroos in India and our colonies,

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Beagles of the larger size are becoming very popular, and a few years of skilled breeding might produce 16in. packs just as typical of the breed as are the smaller hounds.

Probably the most interesting Beagle work is seen in a suitable country with a 12in. pack; these, when they match nicely and work well together, not only show hunting in its perfection, but do a wonderful amount of execution even against strong hares. Ablebodied men can run with them (not only to them) and see every bit of the work, which to many greatly enhances the pleasure of a run. Even one ignorant of all sporting matters cannot but be attracted by a pack of highly bred, well-marked Beagles puzzling out a stale line on a nice piece of green turf, acknowledging the scent here and there by a few solo notes, and finally, having made quite sure, going

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