290 



The Country Gcntlcniaiis JMagazinc 



%\u peimel 



GREYHOUND COURSING. 



THIS sport, we are told, is of very antient 

 date, having been practised by the 

 Greeks, but with what particular breed of dog 

 is not stated. In our day it is followed by 

 greyhounds — corruption of the word gaze- 

 hounds, from their pursuing their game, the 

 hare, by sight, not by scent. Coursing meet- 

 ings, since the opening of railways, have in- 

 creased largely, and are now very general 

 throughout the United Kingdom. The 

 method in which they are conducted is as 

 follows : — A few gentlemen having agreed to 

 hold a meeting, they resolve that it shall take 

 place on a certain date, and, as a rule, they 

 meet the previous day and enter their dogs — 

 i.e., give in the names, with their colours and 

 pedigrees, to the secretary, and at the same 

 time they pay in the entry-moneys they agree 

 to run for — say ^i, or it maybe £2, ;£^, or 

 £to, more generally from £2 to ;£$. The 

 secretary then draius the dogs, as it is techni- 

 cally termed — i.e.., writes their names down on 

 small pieces of paper of a uniform size, folds 

 them up all in the same shape, and putting 

 them into a jug or hat, requests some unin- 

 terested person to take the papers out one 

 by one. The name of the dog drawn first is 

 written down as under, we meanwhile using 

 numbers in lieu of names : — 



Red. White. 



No. I against No. 2. 



3 — 4- 



5 - 6. 



7 - 8. 



Then suppose No. i beats No. 2, he is de- 

 clared the Avinner ; No. 4 beats No. 3, No. 6 

 beats No. 5, No. 7 beats No. 8, they have 

 again to run, and 



No. I meets 4. 

 6 - 7. 



Again, suppose No. i beats 4, and No. 6 

 beats No. 7, No. i and No. 6 have to run 

 for the third time and decide which is to be 

 the ultimate winner of the prize. We have 

 only exemplified an 8-dog stake, but the 

 same rule applies to any number of dogs. 



A staff of some four to ten beaters, ac- 

 cording to the number of dogs entered, are 

 employed to beat the ground — that is, walk 

 a-breast, but some 20 yards apart, in search 

 of hares — the slipper in the middle of them, 

 but a little in advance, with the first brace 

 of dogs, Nos. I and 2, in the slips — a pair 

 of couples with a cord attached, which is 

 strapped to the wrist of the slipper, and so 

 constructed that it opens with a spring, aud 

 lets both dogs loose at the same time, when 

 he wills it. A judge has been appointed, 

 who in the majority of cases is a paid ofiicial 

 of great experience and of undoubted in- 

 tegrity, and who is mounted on a good hun- 

 ter. His duties are, when a hare rises, to 

 order the slipper to let go the dogs when he 

 thinks the game has had law enough — that 

 is, when it has had a sufiicient start of the 

 dogs, say 50 to 80 yards, according to the 

 nature of the ground, so as not to be snapped 

 up at once, but to afford it a chance for life, 

 and allow a trial of speed betwixt the two 

 competitors — the speed to the hare being 

 one of the best points of a greyhound. The 

 judge then rides after them, and mentally 

 takes a note of what each dog doe's, which 

 turns it oftenest, and, if killed, which one is 

 the killer- — the kill being, like the speed to the 

 hare, a meritorious point, but not necessarily a 

 win. After making up his mind which has 

 made the most points — in other words, has 

 shewn most speed, turned it oftenest, and most 

 distressed it, he awards the victory to such 



