LETTER xxviir. 307 



hare-hunting, however, are in their essential properties 

 about as wide asunder as the two poles. Turning a hare 

 up in view before a lot of high bred foxhounds of about 

 22 inches in height, is not hare-hunting, although I have 

 known some who considered it a high merit to ride a hare 

 to death in this fashion. A real pack of harriers must 

 set about their business in a very different manner to 

 this. Avoid giving them a view of the hare when found 

 if possible ; it only makes them wild. Harriers must 

 depend entirely on their noses to be worth anything as 

 harriers. It has been said that a well bred foxhound has 

 a nose superior to every other hound ; perhaps he has, 

 but I am not quite clear that I should select thorough 

 bred foxhounds to hunt hares with, were I to commence 

 a pack of harriers. 



In the pack to which I have just alluded, we had three 

 different kinds of hounds. The old southern, the true 

 foxhound, and a cross between these two. The latter, in 

 my opinion, were the best harriers. We had one bitch 

 in particular, called Artful, of this cross, which was the 

 best harrier I ever saw in my life, quick with a scent, and 

 always running hard at the head of the pack. The fox- 

 hounds had too much dash for the short turnings of their 

 game, although when any straight running took place 

 they were foremost in the fray. Speed is not so much 

 a requisite in hare-hunting as in fox-hunting ; and for 

 this diversion hounds, in my opinion, may run too fast. 



Hares are to be found in some localities, such as a wild 

 open country, on down and moors, which will run 

 tolerably straight ; but, generally speaking, they describe 

 a circle, returning to the place where they were found. 

 In the spring months jack hares, which are out visiting, 



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