TRAP HARES 75 



other objections, in common with animals turned out before hounds : they 

 may give you a gallop ; they will, however, show but little hunting. The 

 hounds are to be hunted like a pack of fox-hounds, as a trap-hare runs very 

 much in the same manner, and will even top the hedges. What I should 

 prefer to catching the hares in traps, would be a warren in the midst 

 of an open country, which might be stopped close on hunting-days. This 

 would supply the whole country with hares, which, after one turn round 

 the warren, would most probably run straight at end. The number of 

 hares that a warren will supply, is hardly to be conceived : I seldom turned 

 out less, in one year, than thirty brace of trap-hares, besides many others 

 killed in the environs, of which no account was taken. My warren is a wood 

 of near thirty acres : one of half the size would answer the purpose per- 

 haps as well. Mine is cut out into many walks : a smaller warren should 

 have only one, and that round the outside of it. No dog should ever be 

 suffered to go into it ; and traps should be constantly set for stoats and 

 pole-cats. It is said, that parsley makes hares strong ; they certainly are 

 very fond of eating it ; it therefore cannot be amiss to sow some within 

 the warren, as it may be a means of keeping your hares more at 

 home. 



I had once some conversation with a gentleman about the running 

 of my trap-hares, who said he had been told that catching a hare, and 

 tying a piece of ribbon to her ear, was a sure way to make her run straight 

 I make no doubt of it ; and so would a canister tied to her tail. 



I am sorry that you should think I began my first Letter on the subject 

 of hare-hunting in a manner that might offend any of my brother-sports- 

 men. It was not hare-hunting that I meant to depreciate, but the country 

 I had hunted hare in. It is good diversion in a good country : you are 

 always certain of sport ; and if you really love to see your hounds hunt, 

 the hare, when properly hunted, will show you more of it than any other 

 animal. 



You ask me, What is the right time to leave off hare-hunting ? You 

 should be guided in that by the season : you should never hunt after 

 March ; and, if the season be forward, you should leave off sooner. 



Having now so considerably exceeded the plan that I first proposed, 

 you may wonder if I omit to say anything of stag-hunting. Believe me, if 

 I do, it will not be for want of respect ; but because I have seen very little 

 of it. It is true, I hunted two winters at Turin ; but their hunting, you 

 know, is no more like ours than is the hot meal we there stood up to eat, to 

 the English breakfast that we sit down to here. Were I to describe their 

 manner of hunting, their infinity of dogs, their number of huntsmen, their 

 relays of horses, their great saddles, great bits, and jack-boots it would 

 be no more to our present purpose than the description of a wild-boar 

 chase in Germany, or the hunting of jackals in Bengal Cfest une chase, 



