1859] Eim FEOM TALTON HOUSE. 245 



Fchrnarij V2th, 1859. 

 To tlie Editor of the Courier. 



Not a word can I see iu yoixr valuable paper about the capital sport we are 

 having with these houuds. The fixture ou February 4th was Church Tysoe, 

 where a good nuister of the right sort met. We found a fanioiis fox in a 

 small spimiey. Out lie came down by the brookside, over as fine a country 

 as can bo found. This stout hearted fox made his first point for Kirby Farm, 

 where lie tui'ued for Oxhill Village, then straight for Pillerton, through 

 Briekhill Gorse, and turned to the right. Here a check occurred, but Mawe 

 soon hit the line off again. Time up to tliis, 32 minutes at racing pace. 

 On we went again through "Walton Coverts, out at the other end, and across 

 the road to Hell Brake, where he ran to ground after one of the fastest and 

 best runs that has been seen iu Warwickshire for some time, occupying 

 1 hour and 45 minutes. Not many had the pleasure of seeing the ci'eam of 

 it. Mawe rode ill throughout ; also Mr. Lucy, Mr. Over, and Mr. Miller. 



An Old Sportsman 

 SEASON 1859-60. 

 From the Leamingion Spa Courier, Nov. .CCth, I'^.jO : 



The Warwickshire have begun the season well with a good sprinkling of 

 foxes. There was an unusually large meet at Ladljroke on Thursday. Found 

 at Watergall. and broke covert facing for Harbury Station at a racing pace, 

 bore to the right for Duppers Bridge, leaving Southam to the left, in the 

 direction of Shuckburgh. After about two miles he bore down to Stockton, 

 through the village to Ufton Wood, where he was lost after about one and 

 a half hour's hunting. 



From Sir Cliarles Mordaunt's diary : 



On Monday, December 12th, 1859, tlie meet was at Talton House, and the 

 hounds found in a field close by, and ran l)y Criniscote Downs and Bruton 

 Toll Gate to Admiugton, thence to Stoke Wood and Foxcote, and by 

 Conipton Scorpion and the Porto Bello Gate to Ditchford, and by the 

 Golden Cross nearly to Todenham ; and thence by Mitford Bridge across the 

 high road to Burmington Spinneys, and through Stourton Village to Wliich- 

 ford Wood, where the fox was lost after a very fine run of ten miles straight, 

 and not less than fifteen as hounds ran, in two hours. Rode Dervish. 



In Mr. Henley Greaves' first two lists very little foreign 

 blood appears to have been nsed. The hounds mostly used 

 were Admiral, entered in IS 5.2, by Lord H. Bentinck's 

 Admiral — his Eoundelay ; Denmark, entered in lS'y2, by 

 Mr. Drake's Rufus — his Diligent; and Climcrack, entered in 

 1854, by the Belvoir Gruider — the Warwickshire Telltale. 

 In his last list of 1860, he made use of other kennels, and the 

 names of the Duke of Beaufort's, Lord Fitzharding's, Sir W. 

 Wynn's, and Lord Macclesfield's appear among the sires. 



Three Warwickshire sires were used, and of these Ajax, 



