FEI.Iv HOUNDS 



hunting the fell country, have been bred to a type 

 which long experience has proved to be the best, 

 and though hounds of what we may term the 

 Peterborough type have over and over again foimd 

 their way to the kennels in Lakeland, when tested 

 in the field with the local hounds they have never 

 yet proved themselves worth their keep as fox 

 catchers. There are five packs of hounds 

 kennelled in the Lake District proper, and any- 

 one who doubts the above statement can easily 

 verify the truth of it by questioning any of the 

 professional huntsmen who carry the horn with 

 the fell hounds. 



In comparing the Leicestershire country with 

 the Lakeland fells, we are of course dealing with 

 two extremes, the former being the cream of the 

 going to be found in Great Britain, while the 

 latter is the wildest and roughest district over 

 which hounds are used in the pursuit of the fox. 

 In between these two extremes, there lies a very 

 varied area of country, in some parts of which 

 the standard type of hound is almost as much 

 at sea as he is when he finds himself attempting 

 to cross the Lakeland fells. That a well-bred 

 hound of the standard type will do his best in 

 any country in which he may find himself placed, 

 we do not for a moment wish to deny, but in a 

 rough district like the fells, his best has never yet 

 proved good enough when compared with the 

 working ability of the local hounds. It is a case 

 of " The spirit is willmg, but the flesh is weak," 

 because certain points in connection with the 

 make and shape of the hound of standard type 

 seriously handicap him in his efforts to do his 

 best in the field. 



As comparatively few hunting people are 

 familiar with hounds of the fell type, it may be of 



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