10 HUNTING AND SPOBTING NOTES. 



is not preventative, but a leading spirit is wanting, and 

 tlie Shrewsbury of to-day is certainly not keen upon 

 racing. It is not, however, without a pang, that we bid 

 adieu to a meeting that has enjoyed more than a century 

 of prosperity, and where many a proud Salopian sportsman 

 has rejoiced to see his colours successful. Two good 

 sportsmen carried off the chief honours of the two days, 

 in the Duke of Beaufort and Mr. Jardine — the former 

 deserved success, for he has been provokingly often in the 

 second and third place with his useful little team, and I 

 was not unprepared for Mr. Jardine' s success with Spring- 

 bok, of whose opponents Edward would have been most 

 dangerous had he not blundered round the top turn, much 

 in the same way that Tonans did last year at the same 

 place. 



And now to hunting. 



It has not been a great week's sport, although pleasant 

 in weather, and up to the average of our early November 

 chronicle. Monday, at Ellerton, lay too wide for many 

 habitues of the Shrewsbury side to reach. A catchy 

 scent in cover hindered sport, and it was with difficulty 

 that Thatcher managed to own his fox as far as Cole- 

 hurst Wood. In the afternoon, they ran Market Drayton 

 way, to Mr. Tayleur's at Buntingsdale, and killed him at 

 Fell Wall. Tuesday at Wrenbury, Mr. Corbet provided 

 plenty of sport. The first fox, from Court's Grorse, went to 

 Combermere, where the usual changes were rung among 

 the denizens of Lord Combermere's foxy preserves. One 

 from Cocked Hat Wood gave them a very fast gallop of 

 about fifteen minutes, when he yielded his brash. In the 

 afternoon from Hewitt's Gorse they had a very enjoyable — 

 an almost brilliant — forty-five minutes, and killed him 

 close to Court's G-orse, the opening scene of the morning, 

 making a very fair day's sport. 



Thursday, at Pitchford, was a nice hunting day, but 

 extremely foxless, until half-past three in the afternoon. 

 It should be mentioned, however, that Colonel Cotes had 

 shot his coverts only a few days before, and, cf course, 

 thoroughly disturbed them, before he knew of the meet, and 

 had written to Mr. Lonsdale to inform him of it, but too late 

 to prevent the fixture. A very sharp burst from Preston 

 Gorse to Netherwood was the only result of the day's pro- 

 ceedings, and here only two were lucky enough to get 

 away with the hounds, and see the fun, the rest being 



