THE HUNTING SEASON. 177 



delighted with Mr. Steyning Beard's lot of true-bred 

 harriers. 



The first meet of the West Kent Foxhounds takes 

 place this day at Birling Manor, the ancient family 

 seat of the Nevills. The master, the Hon. Ealph 

 Pelham Nevill, will entertain all comers at breakfast, 

 afterwards an opportunity will be afforded of seeing 

 that clever and persevering huntsman, George Bollen, 

 perform with his handsome lot of hounds. Earl 

 Ferrers' brilliant pack meet for the first time to-day 

 at Belton, when his lordship, who hunts the hounds 

 himself over the country in the vicinity of Ashby-de- 

 la-Zouch, will not fail to pull down a stout fox if he 

 has a chance. This, though a small pack twenty-five 

 couples in all hunting a limited tract of country, is, 

 in the opinion of some the best judges of fox-hunting 

 one of the best in England. 



The York and Ainsty, of which Captain Slingsby 

 is now the master, consists of fifty couples of good- 

 looking hounds, hunting the country around York 

 four days a-week, commencing to-day at Strensall. 

 Travelling farther northward, the celebrated and popular 

 sportsman, Colonel I. Anstruther Thomson, the Master 

 of the Fife Hounds, will be at Pitcarlie this morning. 

 In the lovely county of Devonshire those who enjoy 

 riding over hill, dale, and moorland will find the 

 Dartmoor Hounds at Ivy Bridge, the South Devon at 

 Ainbrook, and the noted Dulverton pack at Swineham 

 Hill this day; and I venture to say that those who ride 

 with Mr. Froude Bellew, the master of the latter, will 

 be charmed with the loveliness of the scenery and 

 delighted with the air on the heather- clad hills. In 

 the sporting eastern county four packs will be found 



