178 FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



went on with him past General Dyotts, and to 

 Long Green, where he was much beat and hung 

 about the village. He, however, finally beat us 

 near Lichfield, after an hour and three-quarters. 

 The hounds behaved well all day. Rode Cottager 

 and Richmond ; Sir James Musgrave, Lupus ; Mr. 

 Hodgson, Soldier ; Jack, Derby ; Kit, Chicken/' 



The last day of the season was on 17th April, 

 and unfortunately, blank, owing, he says, '' and 

 hopes,'' to the earths having only been put to in 

 the morning ; this, and the fact that some hounds 

 got caught in traps, proved an unlucky finish. 



Including cub-hunting, hounds hunted ninety- 

 two days, of which three were blank, and killed 

 forty-one foxes. The Diary says : '' Capital scent- 

 ing all November, and till Christmas, generally 

 speaking, very good sport ; after that weather 

 was cold and stormy, with a good deal of frost, 

 but little snow to lay." 



Sir Bellingham had evidently greatly increased 

 his kennel before starting on his second Ather- 

 stone season, as there is frequent mention of over 

 forty couples being out, and one day the number 

 actually reached fifty-one couples. 



In the Diary there is a hound list giving names 

 of old hounds in the kennels at the end of the 

 last season ; total, thirty-nine couples. 



Not content with these and his young entry, he 



