AND STIRLINGSHIEE HUNT 



Of these ten couples, the lines of eight run through 

 Darling (1895) and the Duke of Buccleuch's Trident 

 (1892) ; those of one and a half through the Duke's 

 Gossip (1905), and that of one hound, Astor (1904), 

 through his sire, the Duke's Agent (1896). 



Turning to the sport shown — although each 

 of the four seasons over which this mastership 

 extended provided its share, the third was un- 

 doubtedly the best, as, indeed, it was the best 

 for some years. The country was then well 

 stocked with foxes, and the holding scent which 

 it carried on many occasions enabled hounds to 

 place a number of good runs to their credit. 



The cub -hunting of 1906 was a satisfactory 

 one, and while, during the winter and spring 

 months, there were no runs of outstanding merit, 

 there were many good days, the best probably 

 being the 9th of March (1907), when hounds met 

 at Belsyde. Finding in the coverts above the 

 house, they raced by Kipps Castle, Haddie's 

 Walls, the Witch craig. Upper Craigmailling 

 and Wairdlaw to Longmuir, hunting from that to 

 Binny craig, and afterwards puzzling out the line 

 over the Oatridge steeple-chase course to Ochiltree 

 Castle.i 



In 1907, in consequence of an unusually wet 

 autumn and late harvest — there was barley stand- 

 ing out in the field in the last month of the 

 year — regular hunting was not begun until the 

 16th of November; but many fair hunts, the 



1 ' The Scotsman,' 11th March 1907. 



321 X 



