88 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



Sinking the Wind— When men go down wind to 

 hear the cry, it is called sinking the wind of 

 the hounds. 



Spayed — Bitch hounds which are not thought good 

 enough to breed from are spayed, probably 

 owing to their being lathy and thin ; if so, 

 it improves them. 



Stained — When the ground has been passed over 

 by cattle, or previously by the hounds. 



Stooping — When hounds will not hunt, it is said 

 they will not stoop to the scent ; that is, will 

 not put their noses to the ground. 



Slack — When the scent is bad, hounds are apt to 

 be indifferent, and will scarcely try to hunt 

 their fox, and are said to be slack. 



Streaming — ^Vhen hounds go over or across an 

 open country, like a flock of pigeons, it is called 

 streaming away. 



Speaks — When a hound owns the scent, it is some- 

 times said such a hound speaks to it ; if 

 it is a safe hound it is enough to say he 

 " speaks." 



Tight in his Tongue — ^When a hound seldom 

 throws his tongue, though not quite mute, it 

 is said he is tight in his tongue. 



Tally-ho — ^The halloo when any one sees a fox, 

 and only then. If desirable to halloo it 

 loudly, it should be pronounced ta-a-le-o. 



