The Sportsman | Page 7

and stop gaps in the woods when necessary.[21]
[20] Reading, with Lenz, {ekaterois}, or if, as C. Gesner conj., {e
ekatera}, transl. "or either separately."
[21] Or, "for the purpose of felling wood and stopping up gaps where
necessary."

III

There are two breeds of sporting dogs: the Castorian and the fox-
like.[1] The former get their name from Castor, in memory of the
delight he took in the business of the chase, for which he kept this
breed by preference.[2] The other breed is literally foxy, being the
progeny originally of the dog and the fox, whose natures have in the
course of ages become blent.[3]
[1] {Kastoriai}, or Laconian, approaching possibly the harrier type;
{alopekides}, i.e. vulpocanine, hybrid between fox and dog.
[2] Or, "get their appellation from the fact that Castor took delight in
the business of the chase, and kept this breed specially for the purpose."
Al. {diephulaxen}, "propagated and preserved the breed which we now
have." See Darwin, "Animals and Plants under Domestication," ii. 202,
209.
[3] Or, "and through lapse of time the twofold characteristics of their
progenitors have become blent." See Timoth. Gaz. ap. Schneid. ad loc.
for an ancient superstition as to breeds.
Both species present a large proportion of defective animals[4] which
fall short of the type, as being under-sized, or crook-nosed,[5] or
gray-eyed,[6] or near-sighted, or ungainly, or stiff-jointed, or deficient
in strength, thin-haired, lanky, disproportioned, devoid of pluck or of
nose, or unsound of foot. To particularise: an under-sized dog will, ten
to one, break off from the chase[7] faint and flagging in the
performance of his duty owing to mere diminutiveness. An aquiline
nose means no mouth, and consequently an inability to hold the hare
fast.[8] A blinking bluish eye implies defect of vision;[9] just as want
of shape means ugliness.[10] The stiff-limbed dog will come home
limping from the hunting-field;[11] just as want of strength and
thinness of coat go hand in hand with incapacity for toil.[12] The
lanky-legged, unsymmetrical dog, with his shambling gait and ill-
compacted frame, ranges heavily; while the spiritless animal will leave
his work to skulk off out of the sun into shade and lie down. Want of
nose means scenting the hare with difficulty, or only once in a way; and
however courageous he may be, a hound with unsound feet cannot
stand the work, but through foot-soreness will eventually give in.[13]
[4] Or, "defective specimens (that is to say, the majority) are to be
noted, as follows."
[5] {grupai}.

[6] {kharopoi}. Al. Arrian, iv. 4, 5.
[7] Or, "will probably retire from the chase and throw up the business
through mere diminutiveness."
[8] Or, "a hook-nosed (? pig-jawed, see Stonehenge, "The Dog," p. 19,
4th ed.) dog has a bad mouth and cannot hold."
[9] Or, "a short-sighted, wall-eyed dog has defective vision."
[10] Or, "they are weedy, ugly brutes as a rule."
[11] Or, "stiffness of limbs means he will come off." Cf. "Mem." III.
xiii. 6.
[12] Lit. "a weak, thinly-haired animal is incapable of severe toil."
[13] Or, "Nor will courage compensate for unsound feet. The toil and
moil will be too great to endure, and owing to the pains in his feet he
will in the end give in."
Similarly many different modes of hunting a line of scent are to be seen
in the same species of hound.[14] One dog as soon as he has found the
trail will go along without sign or symptom to show that he is on the
scent; another will vibrate his ears only and keep his tail[15] perfectly
still; while a third has just the opposite propensity: he will keep his ears
still and wag with the tip of his tail. Others draw their ears together, and
assuming a solemn air,[16] drop their tails, tuck them between their
legs, and scour along the line. Many do nothing of the sort.[17] They
tear madly about, babbling round the line when they light upon it, and
senselessly trampling out the scent. Others again will make wide
circuits and excursions; either forecasting the line,[18] they overshoot it
and leave the hare itself behind, or every time they run against the line
they fall to conjecture, and when they catch sight of the quarry are all in
a tremor,[19] and will not advance a step till they see the creature begin
to stir.
[14] Or, "Also the same dogs will exhibit many styles of coursing: one
set as soon as they have got the trail pursue it without a sign, so there is
no means of finding out that the animal is on the track."
[15] "Stern."
[16] Or "with their noses solemnly fixed on the ground and sterns
lowered."
[17] Or, "have quite a different action"; "exhibit quite another manner."
[18] i.e. "they