A few years ago both the name and appearance of this breed were strange to the untravelled Englishman. One or two basset-hounds may have been imported as curiosities by dog lovers who had come across them in their journeys abroad, or on account of their sporting merits by followers of the chase, who had seen them used by their continental friends. In either case, they did not come to public notice by the medium of the show-bench. Mr. Everett Millais was the first to exhibit a specimen of the breed, and its appearance caused no little excitement and amusement in canine circles. Many pronounced it a turnspit, others an abnormal dachshund, while a few "remembered to have seen such dogs in old French hunting pictures." Basset-hounds are one of the oldest and purest breeds in France. The earliest French authority, Du Fouilloux, gives two illustrations of them in his "La Venerie." In regard to these illustrations, I have noticed with some amusement that, although our ancient author describes them as " bassets d'Artois," yet a dachshund fancier has claimed them to be representatives of his hobby-breed, whereas I should imagine that dachshunds (a later off-shoot of the Flemish basset-hound) entered as little into the philosophy of Du Fouilloux as our own bull terrier.

Du Fouilloux explains the title " d'Artois " by telling us that the breed originally came from that province and the near-lying Flanders. He divided them into two varieties: - The Artesian, " with full-crooked forelegs, smooth coats, brave, and having double rows of teeth like wolves;" the Flemish, " straight-legged, rough-coated, black, and sterns curled like a horn." This division was confirmed by two later old authors, Selincourt and Leverrier de la Conterie. The last-named expressed his preference for the Flemish, as being "faster, but they gave tongue badly, and were babblers;" he found the Artesians "courageous in going to earth (as shown in Du Fouilloux's engraving), long in the body, and with noble heads." The descendants of the Flemish type still exist in the Foret Noire, in the Vosges, and, I believe, in the German dachshund, which, according to my theory, is descended from basset-hounds that found their way into South Germany (Wurtemberg, the home of the dachshund) via Alsace, and were there crossed with the terrier, to give them that individual courage that is lacking in the hound. The Artesian type is that with which English dog-show habitues are now familiar.

In the many political storms that have swept over France, carrying away her monarchical pageantry. and the imposing ceremonies of the chase, many of that country's ancient breeds became almost extinct. Amongst them the basset-hound fared a little better than its blood neighbours - the hounds of Artois, Normandy, Gascony, and Sainteonge. Thanks to the sporting and patriotic instincts of a descendant of the old noblesse, Count le Couteulx de Canteleu, who spared neither trouble nor expense in his purpose, the smooth, tricolour basset-hound of Artois has been preserved in all its purity. The breed was not revived; it had never died out, but it was necessary to search all over the "basset" districts to find, in sportsmen's kennels, the few true and typical specimens, and to breed from them alone. In these efforts on behalf of the old breeds, the Count was greatly benefited by the valuable assistance of Monsieur Pierre Pichot, Editor of the "Revue Britannique".

For our purpose it will be sufficient to divide the basset-hounds of to-day into two groups - the rough and smooth. The former are of Vendean extraction, a branch of one of the original breeds. They have rough hard coats, with a woolley undergrowth, and are generally white, with lemon markings, or else iron grey, like our otter-hounds', which they so closely resemble that, if one can imagine an otter-hound reduced in size, and put on short legs, they will have the Basset-Griffon before them.

Their legs are very short, usually straight or demi-torse, bodies low, strongly built, and not very long. They are very hardy, and equal to any rough work. Mr. Macdona's Romano, often exhibited in variety classes, is of this type.

It is, however, with the smooth and nobler race that I will now deal. These are inseparably connected with the famous kennel of Chateau St. Martin, and hounds of Count Couteulx's strain are now as highly prized and eagerly sought for in England as in France. They are very aptly described by the French writer De la Blanchere as " large hounds on short legs." It is the massiveness of these miniature hounds that first strikes a stranger's, fancy.

The curious formation of their body and limbs, the grand head, and brilliant colouring, combine to make a whole that is quaint and picturesque, and in harmony with mediaeval character. They are the dogs one expects to see on tapestries or roaming about castle-keeps.

The following lines from Shakspere are remarkable in their faithfulness to this breed: so sanded; and their heads are hung With ears that sweep away the morning dew, Crook-kneed and dew-lapped like Thessalian bulls, Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouths like bells Each unto each.

There are few more useful all-round dogs to the sportsman than the basset-hound. In France this is well known and appreciated, and in a very short time people in this country will learn to value their marvellous powers of scent and peculiar manner of hunting. Deer and roebuck driving is their particular work, and no one can fail to see that a little low hound on crooked legs, with a nose never at fault, and a throat full of deep melodious music, is better than a lame or broken-legged terrier for the purpose. If the full-crooked be found slow, the demi-torse will prove to have plenty of pace. They are capital to shoot any sort of fur to, hares, rabbits, deer, roebuck, Ac. Two or three are sent into a covert, and the guns take their positions according to the runs, or where the music directs them. They are very clever at "ringing" out the game, and in small woods they drive the quarry about so slowly that one has plenty of time to get ahead and shoot it in a crossing. Deer and hares will actually play before the little hounds, stopping to listen to them coming. Though ground game is their special occupation, yet they are also employed to put up birds, pheasants, etc.

They are chiefly used with the gun abroad, but there are several packs which hunt, like our beagles, rabbits, hares, etc. They usually kill a hare in two or three hours. They run any sort of drag, and many a pleasant go across country has been had with Mr. Millais's little pack on a herring drag. I remember in particular one beautiful morning, taking with me another denizen of Cockayne, I drove out to Pinner, the little village where the dogs are kennelled. An active young fellow, well up to the duty, was sent off with the drag; a goodly company assembled to see the laying on and start. The hunt was a little poem to those who love the unpretentious; over green meadows, up and down ditches, through the Harrow lanes; men in the fields stopped at their work and scratched their heads in wonder as the little pack went by giving tongue merrily. The pace was a good trot, quite fast enough for men not in training, and better acquainted with "the shady side of Pall Mall" than the towing path or running ring.

Anybody with a couple of basset-hounds can get up a drag hunt on his own account and for the enjoyment of his friends.