270 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



A distinction may be drawn between a taste for the 

 science of fox-hunting and that of a taste merely for 

 hunting. The former may be understood as combining 

 a knowledge of all the minutiae connected with the 

 chase, such as breeding hounds, the most celebrated 

 blood, the peculiar propensities of certain hounds, con- 

 dition, style of drawing coverts, finding, pace, hunting, 

 steadiness, stoutness, and all the good or bad pro- 

 perties for which hounds are distinguished. To be con- 

 versant with these a man must be a true lover of 

 hunting, and enjoy opportunities of cultivating his 

 observations to an extent not on all occasions avail- 

 able, or compatible with other engagements. Yet I 

 must make the remark that the more intimately a man 

 is acquainted with the details which may be classed 

 with the science of fox-hunting, the more he will be 

 gratified with that popular amusement. A man may 

 not be in a position to study the means which are 

 adapted to bring a pack of hounds to the covert side in 

 that state of perfection which is essential for the pur- 

 pose of showing sport. These are matters, it must be 

 admitted, in which the public do not necessarily bear 

 a part in the accomplishment, but there are many little 

 items connected with field management and discipline 

 which are not only essential to the enjoyment of a 

 day's sport but an acquaintance with which is neces- 

 sary in order to avoid interruption to the sport of 

 those who are assembled. Unless a man devotes his 

 attention to the hounds when they are drawing for 

 their fox he loses in all probability the first act in the 

 most interesting scene of the day — the find — and when 

 the fox is on his legs, without paying attention to the 

 proceedings of the pack a man can form no idea in 

 what direction the fox will most probably break 

 covert. Neglecting this, he may probably be in a 

 situation to head the varmint back again, for which he 

 is severely remonstrated with by the master of the 

 hounds ; or being on the opposite side of the covert 

 loses the start ; either of which events produce feelings 



