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CHAPTER XXX. 



THE WOODLAND PYTCHLEY. 



The Woodland, or North, Pytchley, is a peculiar 

 country, being in the Shires, yet not of the Shires. 

 Few countries, too, lend themselves less readily to 

 general description, as there is an immense difference 

 between one part of it and another. As regards much 

 of it, it is justly described as ''Woodland," but there 

 are parts of it which really suffer from a lack of coverts. 

 Taking it all round, it may be described as a poor- 

 scenting country, and one which requires great qual- 

 ities in huntsman and hounds if sport is to be had. 

 It is well, in parts almost over, foxed ; and, generally 

 speaking, badly stopped. It was my fate to see a 

 good deal of the sport of three seasons there (though, 

 to be sure, I began late in one, and finished another 

 two months before its end). Altogether, however, 

 I saw some hundred and twenty days, of which a 

 score have the word "good" appended to them in 

 my diary. 



The Market Harborough country is " Shires " pure 

 and simple, big grass fields with much ridge and 

 ■furrow, divided by large, often enormous, fences, and 

 containing, except at Dingley, only one covert. Un- 

 fortunately it is heavily wired, and also suffers by 



