Fox-httnting Past and Preseiit 



over five hundred. The hunt committee of the 

 Devon and Somerset has fixed the minimum sub- 

 scription for a day's hunting with one horse at 

 half a guinea. This begins in August, and the 

 same crowd, augmented on occasions, flock thither 

 annually. There are, in all, sixteen packs of stag- 

 hounds in England, and four in Ireland. It is with 

 the Devon and Somerset of sixty couples that I am 

 chiefly dealing with here. Mr. E. A. Stanley is 

 the master ; Porlock, Dulverton, and Minehead are 

 the most convenient centres, and the kennels are 

 at Exford near Taunton. Monday, Wednesday, 

 Friday, and Saturday are the hunting days. The 

 Surrey (master, Captain W. B. M'Taggart) hunt three 

 days a week. The Enfield Chase, a Herts pack, some- 

 times three days. Sir ]. Amory is at the head of 

 his pack, and hunts twice a week round Dulverton 

 and Tiverton in the west countree. The kennels 

 are in Devonshire — to be precise, at Hensleigh, 

 Tiverton. In fact, staghounds are located chiefly 

 in the south of England, though Lord Ribblesdale 

 and Mr. P. Ormrod jointly started the Ribblesdale 

 last year. They hunt round Clitheroe and Gisburn. 

 The most northerly pack is, however, the Oxen- 

 holme — twenty couple. Mr. C. H. Wilson hunts 

 them two days weekly near Milnthorpe and 

 Kendal. 



For full particulars of the Berkhampstead, the 



Berks and Bucks, Mr. Burton's, the Essex, Mr. 



82 



