92 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



about eleven o'clock during the regular hunting season, 

 with most of our great fox hunting establishments. In 

 that case, when a van is kept, hounds may be fed about 

 twelve o'clock the previous day, but when they have to 

 travel on foot, I should feed them at two o'clock in pre- 

 ference to twelve. Dogs being carnivorous animals, and 

 possessing strong powers of digestion, require animal 

 food to sustain them in full strength and vigour to the 

 period allotted to the life of the canine race. We have 

 only to compare the duration of life in the spaniel, 

 pointer, or any other species of dog which is accustomed 

 to his liberty, and fed indiscriminately with flesh, bones, 

 and ofFal from the butcher's shop or the kitchen, with 

 the life of a foxhound, and what is the result ? One is 

 worn out and drafted generally before he attains the age 

 of seven years, whilst the other is still almost in his 

 prime. The age of a dog I compute from twelve to 

 fourteen years. The difference between them I attribute 

 to the difference of food and treatment. I shall be pro- 

 bably met, however, with the observation, that foxhounds 

 work much harder than any other species of dog, and, 

 therefore, are sooner worn out. This I cannot quite 

 admit ; but, were the case so, it would be an additional 

 reason for different treatment. 



All huntsmen know that hounds which are kennel sick, 

 or lose condition without any ostensible reason, if let run 

 about for a few weeks, recover their usual strength. 

 Look also at the brood bitches ; although suckling per- 

 haps a full complement of whelps, they soon become full 

 of flesh, and even very fat. Now, what is the reason of 

 this alteration ? Simply this — the dog at liberty picks 

 up bones, scraps, &c., and the bitches are generally fed 



