SEASON 1876-77 93 



that to Rally wood, Belvoir owes greatly the staunch 

 and staying qualities of its hounds. " The Druid " 

 tells us that, " when he died, in 1853, twelve years 

 old, he was buried in the centre of a flower-bed in 

 Will Goodall's garden, and a red currant tree now 

 blooms over his remains." His blood is diffused 

 through every fashionable foxhound pack in 

 England, and portraits of him by the elder Ferneley 

 hang in the smoke-room at Belvoir Castle, and 

 the Rev. Cecil Legard's home at Cottesbrooke, 

 Northamptonshire. 



The wonderful evenness of appearance is quite 

 unapproached in any other kennel, for a Belvoir 

 hound is a marvel of beauty and putting together. 

 It was always a matter of comment and admiration 

 when strangers viewed the pack at covert side, to 

 see their sheen of coat and polished appearance, 

 groomed as they were like thoro-breds. Gillard's 

 kennel management has never been surpassed, and 

 gives colour to the story that any hound seen 

 making his own toilet by scratching himself in 

 public, was instantly drafted to the provinces. 



Amongst the days of note this season was the 

 run from Burbidge's Covert on November 8th, and 

 amongst those to see it drawn was its faithful 

 custodian Mr. Burbidge of Thorpe. This good 

 sportsman rode out his title as " father of the hunt " 

 on less than half-a-dozen mounts, he was tall and thin 

 with white hair, never rode more than nine stone, 

 and was the beau-ideal of a light weight. He will 

 always be remembered as the owner of a famous 

 gray whose doings in the field have been com- 



