THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 217 



fection of the air ; but because many hounds require 

 to be Ufted over ground that carries, does it prove 

 that there is no scent, "from the body or breath of 

 the animal, but from the touch?" On the contrary, 

 unless it is pretended that every particle of scent is lost 

 on such occasions, it goes to prove, that the only scent 

 with which many other hounds can, and do, persevere 

 (hounds, I mean, which are not constantly lifted), not- 

 withstanding the clogs which prevent the feet of the fox 

 from touching the ground, must be in the air. 



Mr. Smith proceeds to say, that " another ]yvoof, that 

 the scent by which the fox is hunted, does not come 

 from the body but from the touch, is, that when hounds 

 are running across an open country, downs, and such 

 like, in very windy weather, it cannot be supposed that 

 the scent would remain stationary, but that it would be 

 scattered by the wind, and that it arises from the touch, 

 that is, the i^ad of the fox touching the ground." This, 

 again, to my erring judgment, seems to prove the 

 reverse of his own proposition. If the scent de23ended 

 onli/ upon those parts of the soil, or herbage, which had 

 been touched, is it likely that it would be carried so far 

 from these particular substances, as to serve twenty 

 yards wide of the line, which is frequently the case ? 

 Who has not seen, if he be an observer, hounds runnintr 

 harder upon the other side of a hedge-row, not the 

 side on which the fox passed, than those which are actu- 

 ally on the line ? Does not this prove, that the particles 

 of scent which have emanated from the body of the ani- 



