1876] IMPROVEMENT OF THE PACK. 5 



December 12th, Wolford. — Rode Maiiiiikiu. Found iniuicdiately iu the 

 wood, and ran nicely, perfectly straiglit, to ground iu a drain where the 

 Cheriugton Road joins the Shipston and Oxford Road. Went Ijack to the 

 wood, where I missed them on going away, and could not find them. 



December 2iliid, Shuckbtiryli. — Rode Middleton. Found in the hill, and 

 ran nicely towards Napton, to the canal, which we skirted to the far eiul of 

 Napton Village, then tiirned short, and crossed the canal a second time, ran 

 back to the hill, and killed. Found in Calcut, hunted very slowly to the 

 hill, and lost. Found at the end of the hill, went away towards Catesby, 

 bending round towards the hill, but, being headed, he went straight to 

 Staverton, and we killed in a hovel. The first fifteen minutes very good. 



It will be seen by the entry of 1876 that Lord 

 Willoughby bought a valuable draft of hounds at Mr. 

 Muster's sale, and thus commenced the great improvement 

 of the pack, into which, year by year from this time, the 

 best blood in England was introduced. Within eleven 

 years time the standard of the height of the dog pack was 

 reduced so that they stood only one inch or two higher than 

 the bitches, and in 18S7 and 1888 both packs were so well 

 sorted in colour that they were entirely bhick and white and 

 tan, and a beautiful sight indeed to see at the meet. The 

 following were the kennels from which the l)est strain of 

 blood was brought into the pack : the Blankney, the 

 Brocklesby, the Belvoir, the (.Irafton, and the Quorn. 

 The best judges, who had witnessed their performance in 

 the fiekl, and saw them afterwards take the Ijest prizes for 

 many years in succession at the anniud hound show at 

 Peterborough, considered that they had been brought to 

 absolute perfection, so completely had the pack been 

 reformed by Lord Willoughby de Broke. There is no 

 doubt that a great deal of the success which Lord 

 Willoughby has met with arose, not only from his judgment 

 in the selection of sires, and his intimate knowledge of the 

 points and working qualities in a hound, but from the 

 great popularity which attended the institution of the 

 Annual Puppy Show, with the luncheon in the grounds of 

 Kineton House, which enabled him to send such a large 

 number of puppies out to quarters. Hope springs eternal 

 in the human heart, and every puppy-walker hoped, year 



