124 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



by non-usage or abandonment, the death of the master, 

 or his ceasing to keep hounds, without the appointment 

 of a successor. In these cases, the coverts, by fox-hunt- 

 ing law, are placed at the disposal of their proprietors, 

 and they can dispose of them as they think proper. Co- 

 verts may become lapsed by any master discontinuing 

 to draw them for seven years, or by his allowing another 

 pack to hunt them, without remonstrance or interference, 

 for that period. In these cases, the master of an adjoin- 

 ing pack, with the consent of the proprietors, may take 

 possession of these coverts, and they will become an 

 integral part of his country. It has been held that twenty 

 years' possession of a country, without interruption, or 

 interference, or stipulations of any kind, constitutes a 

 legal title to that country. There can be no question of 

 this ; but I maintain that seven years' possession, under 

 the same circumstances, is a sufficient bar to their being 

 reclaimed. How, otherwise, would nearly all the hunt- 

 ing establishments of the present day stand? What 

 alterations and divisions of countries have taken place 

 since the days of those Nimrods of old — Noel, Corbet, 

 and Meynel ? Where one hunting establishment was 

 formerly kept, there are now four or five, I might sa}^ 

 more than this. It was but fair and reasonable, when 

 one master of foxhounds possessed more country than 

 he could by possibility efifectually hunt, a part of it 

 should be given over to a neighbouring hunt, and this 

 course has been pursued generally with mutual good- 

 will and mutual benefit ; but it is presumed that masters 

 of foxhounds, being always considered gentlemen and 

 men of honour, are incapable of acting either unfairly or 

 aggressively towards their neighbours, and upon these 



