BEAGLE

Beagle. small hound-dog breed popular as both a pet and a hunter. It looks like a small foxhound and has large brown eyes, hanging ears, and a short coat, usually a combination of black, tan, and white. The beagle is a solidly built dog, heavy for its height. It generally excels as a rabbit hunter and is typically an alert, affectionate dog. There are two sizes recognized in the breed: beagles standing less than 13 inches (33 centimetres) and weighing about 18 pounds (8 kilograms) and those standing about 15 inches (38 centimetres) and weighing about 30 pounds (13.5 kilograms). See the Table of Selected Breeds of Hounds for further information. Additional reading Keith Stewart Thomson, HMS Beagle: The Story of Darwin's Ship (1995), is a complete "biography" of the ship, its three voyages, and later fate, with chapters on the role of gun brigs in Royal Navy history and on the historical context of the voyages. Karl Heinz Marquardt, HMS Beagle (1997), offers a reconstruction of the ship and its history. Keith S. Thomson