MR. RUSSELL.— 1830. 513 



BY G. R. 



MEET IDLICOTE. 



We met one morning at Idlicote, and after drawing a 

 short time, we were cheered by the glad sound ' Tallyho — 

 Hark-forward! — Yonder he goes !' and in a twinkUng the 

 whole pack were at his brush ; and so hard did they press 

 him, that he doubled all of a sudden and reached the cover, 

 but was soon routed, and again returned to the open ; he 

 was obliged to turn at the same place, and go to his den, 

 but that was refused him, and getting a little a head of the 

 hounds, he made so much way that we saw no more of him 

 for an hour and a quarter, when some one viewed him going 

 at his best pace across that fine grass country at the back 

 of Edge Hill. 



Here we came to an unlucky check, or we must have 

 finished one of the finest runs ever heard of, the scent lying 

 breast high. 1 Not more than W now appeared out of 180 

 at least. We were not long at fault, as the fox had been 

 lately viewed, and by lifting our hounds over a field or two 

 we hit off again ; and after a long and good slow hunting 

 run, killed him in a large turnip field, to the great joy of 

 the few who came up, and who were glad to join in the 

 deafening death-halloo. 



1 Scent, it has also been said, depends, ciiiefly, on the condition 

 the ground is in, and the temperature of the air, both which should be 

 moist without being wet. On the contraiy, when the ground is hard 

 and the air dry, it is seldom known to be good. It rarely lies well 

 with an east or northerly wind ; a southerly wind without rain, and a 

 westerly wind that is not rough, are the most favourable. Storms in 

 the air are great enemies to scent. It has also frequently been 

 remarked, that scent lies best on the richest soils. Whether scent is 

 formed of identical parts of the animal's body, emitted in exhalations 

 of respiration from the lungs, or of perspirative matter through the 

 skin, has not j'et been ascertained by any writers upon the subject. 



o 3 



