The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
OF the Bloodhound Type, These
Dogs Are at Home on
Land and Water.
SPORT A STRENUOUS ONE
Cross With American Hounds
Is Suggested to Aid in
Fox Hunting.

posing about the otter hound. and that
nobility is enhanced when one has been
brought up among them and hunted with
them. The very sight Of such II hound
recalls memories OF beautiful rivers deep.
green slades and the foliage OF the trees
in the haymlklnS time. or before otter
hunting IL a strenuous sport. but while
you perhaps half walk and half run many
miles along the riverside following the
hounds as they try here and there for
an otter or lis drag YOU are confronted
with an ever changing scenery and
cheered ever and anon by note from a
hound-a false note. IT may be---that bids
YOU on.
otter hunting IL one OF the oldest sports
and consequently otter hounds belong to
very old breed. They are nothing more
or less than rough coated bloodhounds
and there is considerable similarity be-
tween the rough Nendeau hound of France
and the otter hound. Otter hunting was
introduced INFO Britain by ,he Normans
and the Flemings. The Normans were
mighty hunters and the people Of Elan
ders were fond of the pas.ime OF otter
hunting. as may be observed from the
huge tapestries loaned by the Duke and
Duchess OF Devonshire and on view at
the Victoria and Albert Museum. Ken
sington. London. Strangely enough in one
OF these beautiful works. and in the cen-
tire OF all the hunting scenes. will be dis
covered a long backed. short legged.
rough white terrier. which was the Sealy-
ham terrier of those days. The Sealy
River, 80 far as can he made out.
was named because OF the number OF
seals CRACKS of the offers there TO
be found after the Normans and F1cm-
ings had wiped out the Welsh of those
parts OF Pembrokeshire. II stu remains
one OF the grandest OF otter hunting
countries and here. during the coming
late spripv and
discriminating at Fishguard may enjoy the
sport with Mr. .Protheroes otter hounds.
King John considered otter hunting a
royal sport. although only OF the third
class. The deer came first and probably
hawking next. Otter hunting ranked with
digging out and batting the badger and
hunting the wildcat. Edward IL. In or
about the year 1907. kept up an otter
hunting establishment. the master of the
hounds receiving yearly Il robe in cloth
and q mark tabout $3.50. There was an
extra allowance OF $l.16 for shoes and
4 cents n day wages. The under strap
pers who looked after the kennels and
probably acted as whips received the re-
muneratlon OF cents a day and the run
Of their teeth. And they got on well.
1t is not generally known that the
hesh OF the otter (which is extremely
rank and tishy) is not considered flesh by
q certain Christian order. whose breth-
the whole OF their lives The otter hound
has been kept pure and 1t stands TO rea-
son he must he a very hardy hound To
withstand the wear and tear to which he
10 put. There Is nothing that takes more
out or a man or a quadruped of the ord
nary kind than the water-the continual
striving against a more or less unnatural
ito mem element. The otter hound is in the
water half his time during the hunting
day. When the otter has been found or
put down then they are in the stream
or pool all the time and their work is of
tine heaviest kind. They vii. pick up the
scent off the water just as the foxhound
takes 1t from the grass. Their seeming
powers are wonderful and their voices
above the ordinary.
The otter hound has been crossed with
the bloodhound and with much success.
and some of the best known SHOW blood
hounds on the other side have a dash OF
the otter hound In them. Boodhounds
have been so interbred that they are al
most of one family and the outcross of
otter hound blood has brought in that
foreign hardihood so desirable in an adj
mlttedly weak race. There are some who
advocate crossing the otter hound with the
old fashioned American foxhound. Many
breeders are certain that no harm could
be done: on the other hand the cross
would bring about a singulary useful
any weather and face anything. For the
otter hound Is hard biting and lighting
dog. When he is pitted against a twenty
eight pound otter in the water he " at a
disadvantage and II he stuck to his quarry
the otter would drown him Even the
fangs of ten or more couples OF otter
hounds fail to make much impression on
the pelt OF an otter-one OF the toughest
propositions of all wild animals. He will
cut a terrier to ribbons and play the deuce
even with pack of hounds.
Otter hounds have been used for deer
hunting in Maine and n few years ago {,
very nice lot was imported by New
Yorker 1t is said these hounds were
hunted with great success In the Northern
States and it stands to reason they would
be just the dogs for such a heavy country
Of forest and OF stream. one of the most
peculiar quarries the otter hound has beoil
called upon to hunt and XIII is the
monitor, hunting which IL form Of
sport IN Natal. South Africa. There is a
pack of otter hounds and they generally
hunt on the Mooe River In that State.
Now and then a great African monitor
is found IN the swamps and he takes to
the river The monitor Is a huge lizard
and is perfectly harmless although I'M
canny to look upon. SO IN tho absence
OF an otter tho chase begins on the
monitor and when hounds kill him some
body whips out a knife cuts Off the tail
and carries il home so that he and his
shall partake of very delicious meal OF
the fish plus chicken order. There are
not many otter hounds in America at tht
present time. The Malvern Kennels. Bed
ford Hills, n. Y, have some and Mrs.
Gates, the owner, has been successful In
breeding some very nice puppies
Her best hound Is Bellman. by Bugle.
man out OF Tahlia. lie Is an en-
tered hound and had been regularly hunted
In pack In the east OF England before
he came to this country. There are
several who think that owners OF the
American foXhounds of the distinct type
could avail themselves Of Bellman, and
there are barriers here which could not
be harmed with an infusion of this blood
The best colors OF an otter hound ar.
blue and white. a sort OF pepper and sal,
shade. The harsher the coat the better
4, should he profuse. The dog hound
should stand 20 inches at the shoulder
the bitch would be two inches less at the
withers The male will weigh about
sixty-hve pounds and the female ter
pounds less. otter hunting commences
in April and finishes In September.
Robert Fyfe, Bulldog Owner, Dead