270 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



A distinction may be drawn between a taste for the 

 science of fox-hunting and that of a taste merely for 

 hunting. The former may be understood as combining 

 a knowledge of all the minutiae connected with the 

 chase, such as breeding hounds, the most celebrated 

 blood, the peculiar propensities of certain hounds, con- 

 dition, style of drawing coverts, finding, pace, hunting, 

 steadiness, stoutness, and all the good or bad pro- 

 perties for which hounds are distinguished. To be con- 

 versant with these a man must be a true lover of 

 hunting, and enjoy opportunities of cultivating his 

 observations to an extent not on all occasions avail- 

 able, or compatible with other engagements. Yet I 

 must make the remark that the more intimately a man 

 is acquainted with the details which may be classed 

 with the science of fox-hunting, the more he will be 

 gratified with that popular amusement. A man may 

 not be in a position to study the means which are 

 adapted to bring a pack of hounds to the covert side in 

 that state of perfection which is essential for the pur- 

 pose of showing sport. These are matters, it must be 

 admitted, in which the public do not necessarily bear 

 a part hi the accomplishment, but there are many little 

 items connected with field management and discipline 

 which are not only essential to the enjoyment of a 

 day's sport but an acquaintance with which is neces- 

 sary in order to avoid interruption to the sport of 

 those who are assembled. Unless a man devotes his 

 attention to the hounds when they are drawing for 

 their fox he loses in all probability the .first act in the 

 most interesting scene of the day the find and when 

 the fox is on his legs, without paying attention to the 

 proceedings of the pack a man can form no idea in 

 what direction the fox will most probably break 

 covert. Neglecting this, he may probably be in a 

 situation to head the varmint back again, for which he 

 is severely remonstrated with by the master of the 

 hounds ; or being on the opposite side of the covert 

 loses the start; either of which events produce feelings 



