94 



youDg covert, but lost him near Lawfield. In the mean- 

 time a fox had been viewed away from the Kilraalcohii 

 Strips, and Squires, who was then drawing Auchenbothie 

 Gorse, quickly got his hounds on the line, and they ran him 

 down the hollow and over the side of Barscube Hill, but could 

 not make much of it, owing to roedeer. Went back to 

 Knockmountain, and found at once in the top end of the 

 gorse. He broke in view of the field, and running down as if 

 his point was Finlayston, turned up to the right, and, going 

 through Park Erskine Glen, went by Corslie Covert on to the 

 Wreas, where a thick mist coming on they were obliged to 

 give it up. Time, thirty-five minutes, and a good hunting run. 

 Col. Buchanan informs me a curious incident happened at the 

 Shelford Toll meet. Missing two couple of hounds, a labourer 

 told the Colonel he had seen them " howking" at a hole. 

 Squires went down, found they had actually dug their fox out 

 and killed him, as he found the " corpse " at the burrow. 



LANARKSHIRE AND RENFREWSHIRE FOX- 

 HOUNDS. 



" If e'er you are plagued with a termagant wife, 

 Who, instead of the joy, is the plague of your life. Tally-ho ! 

 When Madam her small talk begins to let go, 

 Then pull on your boots and away. Tally-ho !" 



Saturday, January 3, 1874. — Met at Broadfield. I am 

 happy to say the New Year has opened with a fair day's 

 sport, and the prospects for the rest of the season are 

 good. Foxes are plentiful in most parts of our country, 

 and the keepers, with one exception, are fulfilling the orders 

 of their masters — namely, to show both game and foxes. A 

 fox jumped up out of a patch of gorse near Craigmarlock, and 

 they ran him up to Auchenbothie, where another was on foot. 



