Arctic regions,
the life or death of every animal will often depend on its success in
hunting over the snow when softened; and this will in part depend on the
feet being broad; yet they must not be so broad as to interfere with the
activity of the animal when the ground is sticky, or with its power of
burrowing holes, or with other habits of life.

As changes in domestic breeds which take place so slowly as not to be
noticed at any one period, whether due to the selection of individual
variations or of differences resulting from crosses, are most important in
understanding the origin of our domestic productions, and likewise in
throwing indirect light on the changes effected under nature, I will give
in detail such cases as I have been able to collect. Lawrence,[82] who paid
particular attention to the history of the foxhound, writing in 1829, says
that between eighty and ninety years before "an entirely new foxhound was
raised through the breeder's art," the ears of the old southern hound being
reduced, the bone and bulk lightened, the waist increased in length, and
the stature {41} somewhat added to. It is believed that this was effected
by a cross with the greyhound. With respect to this latter dog, Youatt,[83]
who is generally cautious in his statements, says that the greyhound within
the last fifty years, that is before the commencement of the present
century, "assumed a somewhat different character from that which he once
possessed. He is now distinguished by a beautiful symmetry of form, of
which he could not once boast, and he has even superior speed to that which
he formerly exhibited. He is no longer used to struggle with deer, but
contends with his fellows over a shorter and speedier course." An able
writer[84] believes that our English greyhounds are the descendants,
_progressively improved_, of the large rough greyhounds which existed in
Scotland so early as the third century. A cross at some former period with
the Italian greyhound has been suspected; but this seems hardly probable,
considering the feebleness of this latter breed. Lord Orford, as is well
known, crossed his famous greyhounds, which failed in courage, with a
bulldog--this breed being-chosen from being deficient in the power of
scent; "after the sixth or seventh generation," says Youatt, "there was not
a vestige left of the form of the bulldog, but his courage and indomitable
perseverance remained."

Youatt infers, from a comparison of an old