AUTHOR'S FOREWORD 



THERE are many men, and women too, who can say with 

 Why te Melville ' ' the best of our fun we owe it to horse 

 and tc hound." For my own part I cheerfully plead guilty to a 

 keen love of the chase, and have seized every opportimity to 

 indulge in it both at home and abroad. 



It was that famous character John Jorrocks who said, 

 ' ' 'Unting is all that's worth living for. All time is lost wot is 

 not spent in 'imting. It's like the hair we breathe, if we 'ave 

 it not we die." Alas, the day is gone when hunting was the 

 first thought of " the governing classes," and English country 

 life was in its most picturesque stage. We can look back with 

 a certain amoimt of envy to the times when men like Mr. Sawyer 

 in " Market Harborough " lived entirely for the chase, but 

 modem political and economic upheavals altogether prevent such 

 a pleasant existence being led to-day. 



Whether it be for better or worse we cannot tell, for hunting 

 goes on despite the advent of the motor car, the rush of traflSc, 

 and the glass-like surface of the roads. It takes a lot to prevent 

 a keen hunting man from following his favourite pursuit, and 

 so despite the wire, the petrol fumes, and all the rest of it, big 

 fields stiU forgather at every meet of hounds. 



The sporting spirit is still alive, but the motor-cycle and the 

 car vie with the horse and hound for the patronage of present- 

 day youth. The primeval instinct for the chase is someu'here 

 embedded in most Englishmen, and only requires fanning to 

 enable it to bvust into flame. In some cases the spirit is w illin g, 

 but outside influences unavoidably turn it into other channek, 

 and so many a man with a love of sport has to content himself 

 with reading about it, with little opportunity for actual practice. 

 It has been my aim in putting together the following chapters 

 to interest both the naturalist, sportsman, and general reader. 

 My views regarding certain anatomical points of the modem 

 fox hound may be antagonistic to the teaching of modem 

 breeders, but I put them forward becaase it seems to me that 

 certain points are being unduly intensified, which if carried 

 further will assuredly lead to permanent evil results. 



The hunting countries of Great Britain differ very consider- 

 ably in character, and the type of hoimd suited to one, may be 

 entirely tmsuited to another. I have for instance seen south- 

 country hounds absolutely lost when put to work on the Lake- 

 land fdls, and numerous other examples could be given. 



