loi THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



their consideration; or else, why does a fox invariably 

 leave ploughed land, and take to grass, which, if he be 

 anything of a philosopher, he must know will betray his 

 steps in a tenfold degree ? I shall, hereafter, presume 

 to offer an opinion upon the nature of scent. We must, 

 for the present, return to the covert side, where I left 

 you— not as, I hope, " coffee-housing" amidst a group of 

 idlers, who are, probably, conspicuous ornaments of an- 

 other certain spot, known by the name of Fool's Corner, 

 — but on the tip-toe of expectation, intent upon observing 

 the working of eighteen or twenty couples of effective 

 foxhounds, and big with hope as to the success of their 

 operations. Here the mention of the number of hounds 

 requisite to constitute an effective pack, betrays me into 

 what may seem like another brief digression, but which 

 will not, I trust, appear out of place, as connected with 

 the science in the field. The number kept in kennel 

 must, of course, depend upon the country, and the 

 number of hunting days per week. From fifty to sixty 

 couples are, I believe, found sufficient for four days a 

 week, in most countries ; although the kennel establish- 

 ments in Leicestershire far exceed this number. Taking 

 one of the most complete, if not the most perfect in the 

 w^hole w^orld, for an example of what is right, you wdll 

 find that it is oftener with less, than with more than 

 eighteen couples that Lord Forester and Mr. Goosey 

 thread the vale of Belvoir. When the Father of the 



