d to have had its origin; but the home
of the better type of Basset is now chiefly in La Vendee, in which
department some remarkably fine strains have been produced.

There are three main strains of the French Basset--the Lane, the
Couteulx, and the Griffon. The Griffon Basset is a hound with a hard
bristly coat, and short, crooked legs. It has never found great favour
here. The Lane hounds are derived from the kennels of M. Lane, of
Franqueville, Baos, Seine-Inferieure, and are also very little
appreciated in this country. They are a lemon and white variety, with
_torse_ or bent legs. The Couteulx hounds were a type bred up into
a strain by Comte le Couteulx de Canteleu. They were tricolour, with
straight, short legs, of sounder constitution than other strains,
with the make generally of a more agile hound, and in the pedigree
of the best Bassets owned in this country fifteen years ago, when
the breed was in considerable demand, Comte de Couteulx's strain was
prominent and always sought for.

With careful selection and judicious breeding we have now produced
a beautiful hound of fine smooth coat, and a rich admixture of
markings, with a head of noble character and the best of legs and
feet. Their short, twinkling legs make our Bassets more suitable for
covert hunting than for hunting hares in the open, to which latter
purpose they have frequently been adapted with some success. Their
note is resonant, with wonderful power for so small a dog, and in
tone it resembles the voice of the Bloodhound.

The Basset-hound is usually very good tempered and not inclined to
be quarrelsome with his kennel mates; but he is wilful, and loves
to roam apart in search of game, and is not very amenable to
discipline when alone. On the other hand, he works admirably with
his companions in the pack, when he is most painstaking and
indefatigable. Endowed with remarkable powers of scent, he will hunt
a drag with keen intelligence.

There are now several packs of Bassets kept in England, and they show
very fair sport after the hares; but it is not their natural vocation,
and their massive build is against the possibility of their becoming
popular as harriers. The general custom is to follow them on foot,
although occasionally some sportsmen use ponies. Their pace, however,
hardly warrants the latter expedient. On the Continent, where big
game is more common than with us, the employment of the Basset is
varied. He is a valuable help in the