IN SEARCH OF A HORSE. 397 



authority ! At a late dinner party, of sporting men, 

 I was challenged to make good this assertion. I se- 

 lected three of the most ordinary terms in common 

 use in the field; a " bullfinch," a "rasper," and a 

 " yawner :" and though there was not one of the 

 party, except myself, that does not hunt regularly, 

 there were scarcely two who agreed in the same ex- 

 planation of these words ; or even on their applica- 

 bility, excepting the last, to jumps with which we 

 were all locally familiar ! So much for sporting 

 authorities ! 



34' 



