86 UNASKED ADVICE. 



could name — after Christmas^ at all events. Of course, 

 the more numerous foxes are, tlie harder it is to kill 

 them fairly, as hounds seem often to take a pleasure in 

 changing, the scent of the fresh fox being usually- 

 better than that of the run one, besides the hounds being 

 at first closer to the former. The hare-hunter has an 

 advantage here, as his wise little dogs prefer the hunted 

 hare to a fresh one, unless they view the last named, and for 

 reasons the opposite to those which causes the foxhound's 

 mistake. The scent of the timid one generally improves 

 on acquaintance, until she gets quite beat, and then I 

 fancy the scent of all hunted animals decreases. That of 

 a fox certainly does in many instances. 



I once saw a curious and interesting instance of the 

 fidelity of the harrier to his first love. After running 

 one hare for some fifteen minutes, the hounds proceeded 

 through a turnip field, and chopped a fresh hare, whose 

 form the hunted one must have run exactly over. The 

 little hounds hardly stopped ; they evidently knew the 

 state of the case, and in less than half a minute were 

 towling along after the original " Sarah," whom they 

 eventually caught triumphantly ! 



The better the hounds and the other accessories of 

 sport which have been considered above, the harder will 

 it be to see that sport in a satisfactory raanner ; and this 

 consideration brings us to the stable — an edifice of no 

 small importance at this " season of the year," both to 

 officials and amateurs. 



