BREEDING. 217 



improvement of a tribe upon the neighbouring 

 Berwyn range. The picture of his Apricot I have 

 beside me as I write, 12 J hands in height — a bright 

 chesnut, with a beautiful small head, full eye, ele- 

 gantly-turned quarters, muscular thigh, arched neck, 

 and a Blink Bonny shoulder, the victor of a hundred 

 races at Ruthin, Mold, and on the historic flats of 

 Harlech, against much taller horses than himself 

 more than once. I am glad to know that there is a 

 good sprinkling of his stock left yet in Merioneth- 

 shire. How those whipper-in lads attached to the 

 Rug fox-hounds would on their ponies overtop the 

 highest wattled fence, creep in and out of the ugliest 

 thicket, stream down the steepest hill-side without 

 halt or blunder, then rein them at the bottom as cool 

 as any travelled hunter, so calmly to trot off with a 

 message for the master. 



In school-time, on the occasion of the traditional 

 holiday at the annual race hunt, to see those little 

 fellows on their gallant galloways head back the pack 

 upon the open so easily when needful, was, must I 

 confess it ? almost one's envy. Nay, to recall it 

 even now, makes one all but exclaim with the 

 Childe— 



11 Ah ! happy days, once more who would not be a boy ?" 



But I have diverged widely from the subject. A 

 few brief hints, in relation the more especially to 

 horse-breeding, let me give in conclusion. Drinking 

 snow-water, it is said, will make a mare slink her 

 foal : as also will any nauseous smell, or feeding 

 upon savin or willow-leaves. Of the period of par- 



