This little hound is probably as old a breed as the northern hound, being, in fact, a miniature specimen of it. It was formerly very much in demand for hunting the hare on foot; but went out of fashion for some years, to be again revived as a form of modern athletics. The intention has always been to obtain a hound of delicate nose, united with so slow a pace as to allow of "the field" keeping up without the aid of horses. With the exception of the head and ears, the modern beagle has all the points of the foxhound. The former is much larger proportionally, both in width and height, while the latter are almost like those of the bloodhound in size and hanging. Foot beagles should not much exceed nine inches in height; but for "Young England" they are now often used up to eleven and even twelve inches, going a pace which requires a good runner, in prime condition, to keep up with them. A great many packs of " foot beagles " are now kept throughout the country, some for hunting rabbits, others for hare, and others again for "drag." Usually these little packs are of a " scratch " character, and would not show to advantage by the side of Mr. Crane's beauties, two of which served to illustrate the article in the last edition, and cannot well be improved on, and which I have therefore retained.

The following description of the pack is reproduced from the last edition: -

"A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of South-over House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best 'patterns' we have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment. Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black-tanned one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-white-and-tanned dog hound, always at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch, Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white, as her name implies. Damper, Dutchman, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful models.

We give the measurement of Damper: Height, 9in.; round the chest, 16in.; across the ears, 12in.; extreme length, 2ft. 4in.; eye to nose, 2 1/8in.

"The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and ' singing beagles' were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's (it is said) could be carried in a man's glove.

"Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the beagle to a minimum. Many of his mothers do. not rear their offspring, and distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds would perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced is. sufficient force to form a pack; but Mr. Crane's are all models of symmetry and power, and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's hounds.

"The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to breed them (in sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence, and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the requisites for rabbit hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience warrants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack of less height than 9in.

"We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty; and we express this wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we are bitter foes to the rabbit, which has been the bane for years of the English yeoman. A pack like Mr. Crane's, steady from hare and hunted on heath and common with ability and discretion, could in no way injure fox or hare hounds, and would provide recreation for many an embryo foxhunter. We believe we are correct in stating that ten or more of the most celebrated masters of the day learnt their first lessons with the merry beagles.

"The dwarf beagle should be formed on the model of the foxhound. He should be a 'Pocket Lexicon.' As in the case of the harrier, it is not customary to round his ears. He should be of a hound colour, and smooth-coated. The rough beagle is similar to the smooth in all but coat, which, like the Welsh harrier's, resembles that of the otterhound".

Since the above was written, Mr. J. Grimwood, of Stanton House, near Swindon, and Sir Thomas Davin Lloyd, of Bromwyd, Carmarthenshire, have been the chief prize winners in the beagle classes of our various shows, Mr. Crane, having, however, been 1st and 2nd in 1865, with Pilgrim, Crafty, Gossip, and Famous;. Mr. D. Everett, and Mr. E. Loftus Bevan, have also shown some very neat little hounds of this breed.

The points of the beagle are similar to those given for the foxhound, except as to head and ears mentioned above, and I must refer to the article on that animal for their numerical value.