All shall join in jolly sou^, 

 Nol)le sports to us belong : 

 Hail the moruing's ruddy face. 

 Now begius tlie sprightly chase. 



" Veiiutor. 



THE 



AXNALS OF THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT 



CHAPTER I. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE COl NTKY. 



0, ye sons of the chase ! while your spirits are gay, 



To the WAEWICKSHIRE COUNTRY let's hasten away ; 



Where foxes in plenty are sure to be found. 



And sportsmen, the best of all fellows, abound. 



Warwickshire was for a long time hunted by only one 

 pack of hounds, but on March 22nd, 1853, a large portion 

 of the woodlands, as well as the fine country between 

 the river Learn and Rugby, was constituted the North 

 Warwickshire Hunt. Since the commencement of the 

 agricultural depression a considerable portion of the 

 coimtry has been laid down in grass, and it is now about 

 two-thirds grass, and the remainder jjloughed land. The 

 boundaries of the country, as at present constituted, are as 

 follows : 



On the south-east we follow a line drawn between the 

 top of Long Compton Hill and Banbury, the actual limits 



VuL. I. B 



