242 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



Dry sandy heaths, and stony barren hills, 



O'er beaten paths, with men and beasts distain'd, 



Unerring he pursues; till at the cot 



Arrived, and seizing by his guilty throat 



The caitiff vile, redeems the captive prey : 



So exquisitely delicate his sense!" 



There are also circumstances connected with finding 

 which will have some influence over the scent. If a fox 

 steals away from covert and has time to jog leisurely 

 along, the scent is generally weak ; but if he waits to be 

 found and takes two or three turns round the covert 

 just to circulate his blood before ' he breaks away,' it 

 is much more in favour of a run. There are many 

 herbs and shrubs which are inimical to scent, especially 

 the wild garlic, spearmint, and other strong-smelling 

 plants. Laurel, I am confident, produces the same 

 effect; for I never saw hounds run into pleasure- 

 grounds about gentlemen's houses where the ordinary 

 evergreens are cultivated, that the scent did not fail. 

 The foil of foot-people is more injurious than is gener- 

 ally supposed, and much more so than that of horses, 

 cattle, or sheep. 



The line of country which a fox selects with reference 

 to the point from whence the wind blows, has a decided 

 effect on the scent. If he runs up-wind, as every sports- 

 man is aware, the hounds are generally enabled to 

 follow him at a killing pace ; the same favourable result 

 usually attends a side-wind ; but if the fox runs down- 

 wind, unless the state of the atmosphere is propitious, 

 the ability of the hounds to follow will be diminished. 

 It is quite clear, however, that a fox emits just the 

 same amount of scent in either case, but the power to 

 catch that scent is materially influenced by the wind. 

 Beckford says, " If a fox should run up the wind when 

 first found, and afterwards turn, he will seldom, if ever, 

 turn again." But this is not the fact, or perhaps, foxes 

 have changed their propensities since that gentleman 

 came to this conclusion. Some foxes will endeavour to 



