12 Horse and Hound. 



brought about, doubtless, by the lawless slaughter 

 of the boar, wolf, and stag. 



Though the Rev. Wm. Chafin, in his "An- 

 ecdotes Respecting Cranborn Chase," states that 

 Thomas Hownes, of Steepleton, Dorsetshire, had 

 a complete and celebrated pack of fox-hounds in 

 1730, the earliest recognized pack of hounds 

 maintained exclusively for fox-hunting that I 

 can find any authentic record of, is the Belvoir, 

 wdiich can be traced back to 1750; the Pytchley 

 Hunt being organized about twenty-five years 

 later. 



As to the extent of fox-hunting in Great 

 Britain as a national sport, the following figures, 

 while certainly startling in their magnitude, are 

 vouched for by a most reliable English authority, 

 and if they err at all, it is upon the side of mod- 

 eration rather than exaggeration. 



There are in Great Britain and Ireland, ac- 

 cording to the kennel lists, 360 packs of hounds 

 V exclusive of Beagles). The total is made up 

 as follows: vStaghounds — England, 17; Ireland, 

 9 — 24. Foxhounds — England and Scotland, 

 166; Ireland, 23 — 189. Harriers — England and 

 Scotland, 119; Ireland, 28 — 147. Total, 362. 



Now, assuming that these 360 packs have an 

 average of 100 supporters, owning three horses 

 each, we have a national hunting stud of 108,000. 

 The value of these horses, of course, varies 

 hugely; the wealthy man of 18 stone considers 



