94 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



men are equal to. When hounds are no longer capable of feeling the scent, 

 it all rests with the huntsman : either the game is entirely given up, or is 

 only 'to be recovered by him, and is the effect of real genius, spirit, and 

 observation. 



When hounds are at cold hunting with a bad scent, it may then be a 

 proper time to send a whipper-in forward : if he can see the fox, a little 

 mobbing, at such a time as this, may reasonably be allowed. 



When hounds are put to a check on a high road, by the fox being headed 

 back, if, in that particular instance, you suffer them to try back, it gives 

 them the best chance of hitting off the scent again, as they may try on both 

 sides at once. 



When hounds are running in cover, you cannot be too quiet. If the 

 fox be running short, and the hounds are catching him, not a word should 

 then be said : it is a difficult time for hounds to hunt him, as he is con- 

 tinually turning, and will sometimes lie down and let them pass him. 



I have remarked, that the greatest danger of losing a fox is at the first 

 finding of him, and when he is sinking ; at both of which times he frequently 

 will run short ; and the eagerness of the hounds is too apt to carry them 

 beyond the scent. When a fox is first found I wish every one would keep 

 behind the hounds till they are weU settled to the scent ; and when the 

 hounds are catching him, I wish them to be as silent as they can. 



When he is caught, I like to see hounds eat him eagerly. In some 

 countries, I am told, they have a method of treeing him : 1 it is of use to 

 make the hounds eager ; it lets them all in ; they recover their wind, and 

 eat him more readily. I should advise you, at the same time, not to keep 

 him too long, as I do not imagine the hounds have any appetite to eat him, 

 longer than whilst they are angry with him. 



When two packs of fox-hounds run together, and they kill the fox, the 

 pack that found him is entitled to the head. Should both have found, how 

 is it to be determined then ? The huntsman who gets in first, seems, in 

 my opinion, to have the best right to it ; yet, to prevent a dispute (which, 

 of course, might be thought a wrong-headed one), would he not do well to 

 cut off the head, and present it to the other huntsman ? 



The same author, whom I quoted in my tenth Letter, and who tells 

 us how we should not eat a hare, is also kind enough to tell us when we should 

 eat a fox ; I wish he had also added the best manner of dressing him. We 

 are obliged to him, however, for the following information : " La chair du 

 renard est moins mauvaise que celle du loup ; les chiens et meme les Hommes 

 en mangent en automne, surtout lorsqu'il s'est nourri et engraisse de raisins.' ' 



1 The intention of it is, to make the hounds more eager, and to let in the tail hounds. 

 The fox is thrown across the branch of a tree, and the hounds are suffered to bay at him for 

 fiome minutes before he is thrown amongst them. 



* 2 The flesh of a fox is not so bad as that of a wolf : dogs and even human beings eat 

 it in autumn, particularly when it has been fed and fattened on grapes. 



