Naturalist.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 401, 14 January 1904, Page 7

Naturalist.

BLOODHOUNDS. - ? • K interest has, bees cauasd in |x| England by the inaugural trials j 'JjIKk of the Bloodhound Hast Club, these were held, on Plain. Different 'runners/,were engaged? on each day, and-none of them was "known' toa»y of the hounds. 'Neither was,apy ; man allowed 5 to nse any preparation* on" hie booltß with, the object of accentuating the scant. Farther, except for aticking into the ground a email-flag to desota his starting point, no runner was allowed to leave any mark to iadieate to thoße"following the bounds the direction taken. Oa' the first day, whenj;theiifeat was at Sfcoaehenge Inn, ran on a three-mSel linb,*the sclnthf' each case being an hour cold. Throughout the day the scent was catchy, and no yaiy fast performances were accomplished till late in the afternoon, when i heavy rain vastly improved scenting conditions. S a much better did scent lay that, after Mr H. P, "East's Counsellor had to be aided by his kennel mate Euclid to pick up a lost line, the latter, laid on to another, ran through without a check, coming up to his runner in a little "over a quarter of aa hour. Hr Chapman's Scarthro' Hebe, a daughter of Mr E. Brough's kennel club, champion Bono; "and Mr Odiphant's K ChatleyEooklt.* Blayer and Bihglet also 'showed fine hunting aptitude. : , ' '-. On the following dayi much better work' wap done, when all ran in couples. The first pair of dogs were Btsxted at 9 o'clock ia the morning on the scent of a man who had gone, out ,a good hour ahead. They lßirucfc;thßlh^an;t|a!llimm«!uiately, and raced along at fine 'spaed with head down and, tail,: erect, - The \ huntsmen ' were! astonished at the pace' they led the field. 500n,.-however, the mystery waß tp Joe explained. Larks Hill, a patch of tents; where a number of khakee-clad men were busily employed manoeuvring field guns and saddling horses, came in view. The train ran straight towards ithe;'tents, and in a few moments dogs and huntsmen were in the midst {of f what proved 'to be a field artillery camp. ■ After the next pair hounds had; found their, quarry, secreted in a kitchen garden, the' most ■ interesting trial of the day was witnessed. Placing a small white flag in the ground near a lonely copse to show, his storting point, the hunted man was given an hour in which to attempt to make good his escape. He walked briskly through wood and field, along toads and moorland tracks, making here a sharp turn to f tillow a hedgerow, and there a dash across a «piece of ploughed ,;land.. Knaityi/Bome four milss from the paint at which he set out, he walked into a farmyard, and hid himself in an outhouse, At the white flag a fine pair of btodafcosadrwere bow ready to be stated ©a

""■ in m!■■■■! ■! tin i lUnrfii Hum 9 tha swat, (a spifca of tha flerceaes; , which" their bloodshot fully proportioned limba indicate, Ihe hoandß are as dooilo And friendly smallest fox terrier. B|veryVnpw v ahd then they -would show their inimaaae atreagth by almost draggisg oyer the keeper who held them ia leash, ' \ •', The moment thoy were reieaeed chey picked up the aoent by sniffing at the white flag, and followed it at a run ■ aatil isl||K wo*d was reached. There 'they were chicked, hut, showing' great purse ver«aee,. Iscob discovered the . trail .'again,:, IBairiß|in"g their satisfaction of tails,v'they made ofl at a great paoe. Though hot on thb etsant o£:

J their maa, there 'was |wt a - suspicion ; :o£ [the baying notes whicn the; bloedhounds {ot storyAbooks invariably Ogivesi V Silently and relenthlßaly fshey tracked I down: tliair.prey. •,--pa/wgy weat byer*n«K * moorland with only a moment's diversion. from the trail to Bniffi, two innocent ■'(. shepherdap until, \witb; foataiflaoked jpw.l, wad ; sweating I 'flanks, they had marked down their man. The houada showed ao.dssire to tear A asunder* their prey,. Thoy v oaly pranoei around-. him, giving .expression to their pleasure by a more than usually vigoioaa wagging tjf tails. ;'• \. ' .•>'■•- v '..'- - Many of the dogs trained by the Bloodhound Club are exported to Amecica,; where they are ussd- to discover fugitive criminals. In ' EnVopb,' particularly in trained dosu are usfjd to assist the policfi, I'be authorities at »arioh haye recently bought dojja for the same purpose.. ' Tha; are to undergo six months' training, ae the end of which thm fehei? 'edtioatioa' will be; At first the rdop : 'learn to Spring upon and bring down a man without biting him. This art is taught th'a'm by the aid of dummies. Then the dogs leara to Bpriag over walls, The instructors are always, in uniform, which the dogs soon learn to distinguish, and they will Hot take orde/s from-a parsaa in civilian clothes. The animals are also' |taught to save drowning popple.