A bloodhound, of course, is a breed of dog. But how did it develop? Where did it come from?

The history of the dog itself goes back many hundreds of thousands of years. Some scientists believe that dogs are the result of the mating of their cousins, the wolves and the jackals. It is generally believed however that our modern dogs and the wolves are descended from a very remote common ancestor.

During the many years that dogs have been tamed, men have developed more than 200 breeds of dogs. Sometimes they have bred dogs for

strength, like that of the mastiff; for speed, like the greyhound; or for keenness of scent, like that of the bloodhound.

The bloodhound is typical of the breed of dog known as the hound. It is probably a descendant of the dog which at one time was called the “St.Hubert.” Hounds generally have smooth coats, are heavy, and have drooping ears and upper lips.

Like all hounds, the bloodhounds follow the quarry by scent — keener in them than in any other dog. They are slow put persistent, and if they lose the scent they cast back until they find the trail again. It is these two qualities, their keen scent and their ability to be persistent, that make bloodhounds ideal for tracking down escaped criminals and for other use by police.

There are many other interesting types of hounds. For example, otter hounds, harriers, beagles, and bassets are all smaller than bloodhounds and are used in hunting small game, such as rabbits.

The pointer is a hound that is one of the best bird dogs. It was given its name because it “points” at the game.