FOX-HOUNDS 101 



light and weedy, answers beyond the behef of 

 those who have not tried it ; so much so, that 

 although when spayed they were too light to 

 breed from, in the course of a year or two they 

 furnish so much as to make it often a cause of 

 regret that they cannot be bred from ; but it ought 

 not to cause regret, as there is little doubt that 

 the improvement is owing to the operation. It is 

 well known that it also improves the nose, and they 

 often become the best cold-hunters in the pack, 

 although very different before, and far better 

 than the sisters which were not spayed ; besides 

 which, they hunt generally several years longer 

 than open bitches. It is no uncommon thing to 

 see a spayed bitch leading the pack after hunting 

 seven or eight seasons. The cheapest pack of fox- 

 hounds to keep is a pack of spayed bitches ; they 

 do more work with less food than any others, and 

 always look in good condition ; but unluckily this 

 cannot be adopted generally, on account of futurity. 

 One great objection to bitches hunting alone is 

 that there is not so much music ; and it will be 

 noticed that if a few dog hounds hunt with a pack 

 of bitches, even they will not throw their tongues 

 so freely after a short time : evil communications, 

 they say, corrupt good manners ; unless it is thought 

 that the bitches do not give them so much time 

 to talk about it. This may be the case, but unless 



