158 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



hounds) ; the Belvoir ; the Brocklesby ; and Lord 

 Galway's. During the summer, dumb madness was 

 brought into the Icennel by one of the young hounds, 

 fresh from a neighbouring walk. As soon as the 

 symptoms manifested themselves, each hound was taken 

 from the kennels and destroyed, no bite being discover- 

 able in any of the others. In spite of this, the disease broke 

 out again in August, and it was thought best to destroy 

 the remainder of the bitch pack. In all, some twenty- 

 seven couples out of fifty were sacrificed. Other masters 

 of hounds readily came forward to aid in the re-establish- 

 ment of the pack, and the season afforded good sport. 

 The weather was open ; and the number of foxes 

 brought to hand was greater than in any of the eight 

 preceding seasons. A good day's sport was that of 

 November 22nd, when a Thoby Wood fox was killed 

 in the open, near Poplars, after a brilliant run. The 

 run from Hempstead Wood, on December 29th, though 

 first-class, was eclipsed, on February loth, by "the run 

 of the season," from Row's Wood, near Skreens, forty- 

 five minutes' racing all the way to the kill on Stevens' 

 Farm at Chignall. 



The ground was very hard in March and April of the 

 season 1877-8, while foxes were decidedly short in the 



