FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 145 



life by those who later on belong to the fox- 

 hunting community. 



I derived immense enjoyment from the pursuit 

 of the hare, though in my first season I found her 

 a difficult animal to catch, and that as far as her 

 own safety is concerned she has almost more 

 cunning than the fox ; but I soon became ac- 

 customed to their ways and to the proper system 

 of hunting them. My own experience was not 

 gained entirely from the habits of the Yorkshire 

 hares, for that genial sportsman Lord Howth 

 sent me over two or three dozen Irish hares, 

 captured on his estate at Howth Castle. They 

 were small in size, and in colour dark 

 brown, some of them almost purple. I turned 

 them down, and occasionally we found them 

 again for the next year or two ; they were 

 a tough sort, and inclined to run more 

 straight than the English hares, now and 

 then giving quite a good point for hare- 

 hunting. 



My belief is that dwarf foxhounds can be 



taught to hunt a cunning hare as closely and as 



carefully as any old-fashioned southern harriers, 



and although my little pack went a good pace 



and were full of drive, they could also put their 



noses down with a moderate scent. As far as 



looks went they were quite up to Peterborough 

 10 



