45 6 SPORTS AND GAMES 



own; and this also applies to those who have charge of the public coaches, in. which direction 

 there has been some revival both in Great Britain and the United States. All over the 

 world the best harness horses are better and more valuable than they have ever been before, 

 though it is certain that in most countries their numbers are decreasing. 



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Coursing. 



Competition between greyhounds of different countries is attended with almost 

 insuperable difficulties. Australians from time to time have sent dogs to the Waterloo 

 Cup, meeting with but little success perhaps through the effect of the long sea voyage. 

 Coursing has become popular in France. The French Greyhound Club has leased a 

 fine ground at Tremblay near Paris, where many meetings are held every year. Having 

 purchased some of the best English blood for breeding purposes, French coursers are 

 naturally anxious to send dogs to Altcar, and have more than once approached the 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries in England with a view to the relaxation of the 

 quarantine regulations. On the other hand English greyhounds are frequently sent 

 abroad, even to countries as distant as Argentina, where many meetings have been held; 

 and it is very rarely that they do not prove their superiority. In France for instance 

 the majority of the stakes have been won by English bred dogs. Nevertheless some 

 British breeders believe that the dogs now produced, while possessing speed, are defi- 

 cient in stamina; and one breeder at least has decided to make the experiment of cross- 

 ing with the Afghan hound, a slow animal remarkable for staying powers. One of this 

 breed was imported by Lieut. M. H. Lucas, of the Indian Army (37th Lancers), who 

 bought him from a caravan of Afghans passing through Zhob, Baluchistan. The dog is 

 now at the stud in Northumberland, and the career of his produce will be watched with 

 much interest. The pre-eminence of the English greyhound has been proved in Hun- 

 gary, where coursing, or at least the pursuit of the hare with greyhounds, has been prac- 

 tised from time immemorial. The typical Hungarian dog was undoubtedly slow, but 

 he was endowed with wonderful courage; and before the National Coursing Clubs 

 (England) rules were adopted, the most sought after greyhound was the one that could 

 bring his hare down, no matter what obstacles he might be called upon to negotiate. 

 Since those days the Hungarian coursers have imported many English dogs; and the 

 result has been highly interesting for the reason that few stakes are won but by an 

 English bred dog, or one possessing English blood. Coursing has also been taken up 

 in Russia with the support of the Grand Duke Nicholas, on whose estate at Perchino, 

 about 200 miles south of Moscow, meetings are regularly held. 



No other coursing event of importance in the world is held under such conditions as the 

 Russian Waterloo Cup. After the snows have disappeared the sun exerts such power that 

 coursing during the day is out of the question. It is therefore necessary that a start should 

 be made at about two o'clock in the morning, or as soon as there is sufficient light; and as a 

 rule eighty courses are decided before nine o'clock. In 1911 Dendromys, the winner of the 

 Barbican Cup in England, was purchased by the Grand Duke Nicholas, and he was beaten 

 in the final by Flower Glen, also English bred. In 1912 Bachelor's Ball II, a prominent 

 performer in England, and runner up for the Barbican Cup, was. secured by Count Chere- 

 meteff, and won the Russian Waterloo Cup, defeating Thekan in the last round. Thekan 

 was bred in Russia, but is by Prince Plausible who ran second for the Waterloo Cup at Altcar 

 in 1905. The borzois are frequently tested in Russia with hares. It has been held by many 

 authorities that the English greyhound would beat the borzois if entered to wolves, being 

 certainly much the quicker, while possessing quite as much courage; but the Russian dog has 

 a great advantage in weight. In addition to the stakes for greyhounds, at the last meeting 

 held in Russia by the Grand Duke Nicholas there were several events for borzois. 



Considerable interest was attached to the English Waterloo Cup both in 1911 and 1912 

 owing to the fact that puppies played so important a part. In 1911 the winner and runner 

 up were in their first season, Sir R. W. B. Jardine's Jabberwock, by Bachelor's Acre from 

 Forrester's Favour, beating Mr. P. Storey's Silk and Scarlet, by Earl's Court from Gay 

 Feather, in the final; and in 1912 Mr. E. L. Townshend's Tide Time, by Friendly Foe from 

 Fast Waves, beat another puppy in Mr. F. Alexander's Adversary, by Glenfield from Alter- 

 native. 



Cricket. 



For more than two years past public attention has been .concentrated on inter- 

 national cricket. The visit of a South African team to Australia in IQIO-II served as 



