THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 29 



the sort of hound fit for our country, I need not say 

 that good shoulders are indispensable to one fit for any ; 

 but, beyond all other points in shape or make, I would 

 especially direct the attention of any one hunting Herts, 

 to feet. Though, perhaps, few, very few, if any, of the 

 provincial countries (and by provincial I mean all which 

 are not principally devoted to grazing and pasture lands), 

 can boast of greater variety than our country, consider- 

 ing that, on the hedge greens of Gaddesden and Flam- 

 sted, indeed in the whole country to the west of Red- 

 bourn, a fox seldom quits grass ; and that further 

 below, beyond the stiff clay of Bramingham and Sun- 

 don, we have the fine grass vale of Toddington, equal- 

 ling the best part of the best of countries, and formerly 

 characterized by Mr. Meynell himself as the " Elysian 

 fields ;" still, I have said that a great variety exists ; 

 and as, in all give-and-take, with the good will come 

 the bad, so around Kimpton, and a great part of the 

 country between the Welwyn and Harpenden roads, 

 and occasionally in other parts, fields are to be found 

 bestrewed with flints, as thick as leaves in Vallombrosa 

 — very nearly equalling those in Hampshire. To en- 

 counter these, a hound must have a foot like that of a 

 cat in closeness, not exacthj like that of a cat, as I have 

 found that a cat-foot, however beautiful to look at, is 

 liable to get what is termed a toe down sooner than 

 any other. The toes of the foot must be close as pos- 

 sible, the whole foot round, yet flat enough for elasticity 

 and expansion in action. With as little of kennel lame- 



