134 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



but from the touch, is that when hounds are 

 running across an open country, downs, and such 

 Hke, in very windy weather, it cannot be supposed 

 even that the scent can remain stationary, but that 

 it would be scattered by the wind ; and that it 

 arises from the touch, that is, the pad of the fox 

 touching the ground. A person, to be more 

 thoroughly convinced of this, has only to take 

 hold of a fox's pad, or any other part when fresh 

 killed, and the scent will be retained for many 

 hours. 



It is thought by some that the reason why 

 foxes are not oftener killed late in the day, after 

 a hard and long run when it is nearly dark, that 

 it is owing to their strength recovering as their 

 natural time for exercise comes on ; but the more 

 probable cause for hounds not killing their fox 

 oftener than they do at this time is that, as night 

 comes on in the winter, the wind gets much colder, 

 and the damp air, or rather the dew (which falls 

 and does not rise, as some suppose, on any flat 

 surface — for instance, the top of a gate will be 

 covered with water by the dew, when the under- 

 side is perfectly dry), depresses the scent, and 

 prevents its expansion ; consequently it becomes 

 more difficult for hounds to feel it sufficiently to 

 press a fox so much as they had done previously, 

 although so much closer to him. And unless they 



