CHAPTER IV. 



The Seasons for Hunting the Stag — Those for Hunting the Hind- 

 Exercise and Discipline to prevent Riot — The Harbourer : his 

 Ouahfications and Duties — ' Tufting ' described ; the object of it — 

 Notice of several of the Huntsmen and Whippers-in of the Stag- 

 hounds up to the time of the Sale of the Pack in 1825. 



From what I have already said in die preceding 

 chapters, it will be inferred that the seasons for 

 hunting the stag and the hind differ materially. 

 The period for stag-hunting commences on the 

 1 2th of August, and ends the 8th of October; that 

 is, from the time when the stag's ' head ' has 

 become almost perfect to that when the rutting- 

 season begins. After the 8th of October, as I 

 have said in a former chapter, the hounds should 

 be kenneled for a fortnight or three weeks while 

 the hinds are engaged with the stag, and then 

 hind-hunting commences, and may be continued, 

 if the weather be mild, up to Christmas. When 

 the cold weather sets in, the health of the hounds 

 would be endangered by pursuing the sport, as it 

 is extremely rare that a chase occurs without a 



