NOSE AND TONGUE
CHAPTER XIII
NOSE, or scenting-power, is undoubtedly the foxhound’s most valuable quality, for no matter how good he may be in other respects, he cannot hunt a fox unless his olfactory powers are of the best. Closely connected with nose is tongue. The hound uses his voice when he hits off the line of his fox, thus proclaiming the glad tidings to other members of the pack who immediately fly to him, and make the welkin ring with their melody. To the fox-hunter there is no music on earth like the cry of hounds. It appeals to his ear and sporting instincts, and warns him what hounds are doing and in which direction they are running when they are in the big woodlands, or racing over the open moor.
The power of smell being one of the senses, any impression made on the olfactory organs is conveyed by the nerves to the brain. The undue employment of any individual sense is apt to cause deterioration in one or other of the remaining organs. In the greyhound for instance, we find the power to run by sight highly developed, whereas scenting power has deteriorated, owing to the fact that the greyhound has not been allowed to use his nose. With hounds on the other hand, sight is subservient to nose, because they have been bred for generations to hunt solely by scent. As all the senses are intimately connected with the brain, which is contained within the skull, it may be of interest to discuss the various points of the foxhound’s head.
Although scenting power is the hound’s most valuable quality, a tender nose is of little use unless the brain is there to guide its employment in the right direction. The development of the brain is controlled by the shape of the head, and this will be found to vary somewhat in different types of hounds. In the fell and other northern packs, the head is longer and more pointed, with a higher occipital than in the fashionable packs, where the muzzle is deeper and broader. What our American cousins describe as “fox-sense” in a hound, is the capacity to use the brain in the control of the senses in the right direction.
The hound which puts the pack right on a bad scenting day, draws the most likely spot in covert, and turns short with a beaten fox, uses his brain, and thus he is a valuable addition to the pack, and has a warm corner in his huntsman’s heart. The head of a hound should therefore exhibit plenty of room for brains. The development of the occipital bone varies considerably in different types. It is highest and most prominent in the blood-hound, whilst fell and other northern packs, as well as the Kerry beagle exhibit the occipital strongly developed. Descendants of the old southern hound also show it, but in their case, as well as with the blood-hound, there is an accompanying wrinkling of the skin on the forehead, and great depth of flew, which is absent in the Border types and the Kerry beagle. Determination in man is usually exhibited by a square jaw, and the same applies to the hound. Some lines of blood appear predisposed to overshot or undershot jaws, this state of affairs often appearing in hounds whose heads have little “dish” in the forehead, or in other words where the point of the occipital bone is nearly in a straight line with the tip of the nose.
The hound’s nasal cavity is more or less elliptical in shape, and varies in size according to the type of animal. The nasal cavities lead into the throat, and are lined with sensitive mucous membrane, through the upper portion of which spread the olfactory nerves. As the cavities lead into the throat near the vocal chords, and also in close proximity to the Eustachian tube which goes from the throat to the middle ear cavity, any irritation or inflammation to one of these parts must necessarily affect the others. For instance, in human beings a sore throat often produces temporary deafness.
A shortened head means that the nostrils are near the nasal cavity, and therefore the olfactory nerves are more exposed, and thus liable to damage by the entrance of irritating matter. On the other hand, a narrow nose without contraction of head, means freedom from nasal disease, and acute scenting power. In a hound with an overdished or pug-like nose, the free passage of air is retarded, and there is consequent loss of scenting power, as well as liability to nasal complaints. The flews or lips are longest in the blood-hound and blood-hound crosses, whereas the northern hounds, descendants of the old Talbot tans, are shallow flewed.
The hound’s ears, like those of a human being, are extremely sensitive, and any irritating matter finding its way into them is liable to set up inflammation, the result being partial or total deafness. The lobe of the ear differs in thickness in individual hounds, but it is safe to say that the happy medium should be aimed at, as a thick lobe is susceptible to disease such as canker, while a very thin lobe is often a sign of close in-breeding. In most kennels hounds’ ears are rounded, and while this may save the outer edges from being torn to some extent in thick covert, the operation deprives the ear of much of its natural covering, and thus exposes the inner portion to the ingress of irritating matter. It is generally understood that throatiness in a hound denotes plenty of music as well as a sensitive nose. A hound breathes to a considerable extent through his mouth, but unless the nasal cavity allows the free passage of air, the hound cannot breathe through his mouth alone and throw his tongue at the same time. If air does not properly reach the nasal cavity, the hound soon becomes exhausted, and in order to save himself, he either runs slower or ceases to give tongue. If music and pace are desired therefore, the hound to select is the one whose nasal organs are properly developed. Now and then we find instances where the tone of a hound’s voice changes. This is generally the result of some ear affection. Tone varies with the amount of air passing through the vocal chords. Deep-toned hounds like otter hounds have plenty of heart and lung room, with a full throat. Light built hounds of the racing type have less well-developed throats, and their tone is high. The deep-toned hounds are heavier and slower. Tone and other characteristics, such as the high occipital, help to indicate the origin of individual lines of blood.
The eyes of a hound, like those of a human being, indicate by their colour and expression both character and stamina. The blood-hound’s eyes are dark coloured, and deep-set, with heavily developed haw, while the eyes of many of the northern hounds are yellowish-brown. Deep-set eyes are often liable to trouble from ingrowing eye-lashes.
It will thus be seen what great importance must be placed on the proper development of the fox-hound’s head, for, besides containing that wonderful substance known as the brain, it is also the seat of the olfactory organs, which mean so much to an animal that pursues his quarry by scent.
In the hound, which depends on brain power, stamina, and sense of smell, the brain cavity is large, whereas in the case of the greyhound, dependent on sight and pace, the cavity is considerably less. Speaking of the hound’s quarry reminds us that in the fox both brain and nose are highly developed, as an examination of the skull of a fox will testify.
Remembering what has been said regarding the nostrils and nasal cavity of the hound, it can easily be understood that injudicious feeding may have a very serious effect upon those extremely sensitive organs. When hounds are given sloppy food, they shove their muzzles into it in search of the more solid portions of meat, and when at last they turn away from the trough with stomachs distended like drums, they begin to sneeze. This sneezing is caused by particles of food getting into the nostrils where it at once arouses irritation. If therefore hounds are continually fed in this manner, the irritation is liable to be increased, and it stands to reason that the scenting power is consequently weakened. It is pretty safe to say that many so-called bad scenting days would be turned into good ones, if hounds, instead of being fed on slop, were provided with food as thick as it could be made. The quality of the food too is of far greater importance than the quantity if hounds are to be kept really fit. The diet of individual hounds of course requires regulating, and in the case of hounds which have passed say their fifth year, they should be fed lighter, and with non-fat-producing material, because at that age they put on fat internally rather than externally. This internal fat chokes their pipes and prevents them running up in a fast burst, although it may not affect their endurance to a like degree. By feeding an old hound lightly, his years of usefulness may generally be prolonged, and this of course means that his intelligence and experience are an enormous asset to the pack in the field. Whilst on the subject of tongue and nose, we are reminded of a yarn concerning the old Hurworth huntsman who had very bowed legs. On one occasion he was photographed, and when the shutter had clicked, the operator remarked, “Well, we’ve got you inside the camera, Tom, but we can’t make you straight.” To which that worthy replied, “The year I was whelped, they thought more about tongue and nose.” It is safe to say that the modern fox-hound of fashionable type, compares none too well as regards nose with his ancestors or with other present day hounds of different type.
Whilst modern breeders have concentrated all their efforts upon producing a hound perfect in conformation, they have apparently in many instances overlooked those very necessary qualities tongue and nose. Stamina too has suffered, else why are so many hounds required to keep the fashionable packs up to strength? It is doubtful if hounds now do more—or even as much—work in a day as they did in years gone by when the country was unenclosed, and much rougher than it is now. Countries then were far more extensive, and there were no trains or hound-vans to lighten the labour of going to the meet and returning after hunting. Foxes too were far fewer, and there were more blank days. A blank day or a bad scenting day is harder on hounds than any number of short, fast bursts now so common in the Shires. Nothing tires hounds more than a long day spent in fruitless search for a fox.
The modern quick system of hunting in the fashionable countries does not of course give hounds a chance to use their noses properly, for they are over-ridden at nearly every check. The majority of the field are out to gallop and jump, or show off themselves and their horses, and they do not care a jot about hound work. Foxes too are thick on the ground, and if one is lost another is quickly forthcoming. Opinions naturally differ concerning the scenting power of the fashionable type of hound, as compared with other types, such as the fell and Welsh hounds. Adherents to the fashionable sort say that hounds of that type have too much dash ever to settle to a cold line or quest for the drag of a fox. Any excuse is of course better than none, but we are afraid this one will not hold water. We have seen hounds of the heavy-boned Peterborough type hunting with the Ullswater, and other fell packs, but we have yet to meet one of that sort that is worth his keep for work on the fells. Setting aside such a hound’s unsuitability as regards feet and weight, his nose cannot compare with the scenting power possessed by the local hounds. Time and again have we seen the latter absolutely outclass the fashionable sort in this respect. As for dash being incompatible with nose, here again we expose a fallacy. To hunt and kill the stout foxes on the fells, hounds must possess nose, drive, pace, and courage to a remarkable degree. That the fell hounds possess such qualities is amply attested to by the number of foxes they account for each season, yet these same hounds are equally good at questing for a drag, or hunting a cold line.
