LETTER XXIX. 331 



ing proof. Our old fox-hunter coolly remarking, that 

 ** wild foxes did not make their kennels in corn bins" 

 rode off with his brush. This was a very neat way of 

 discovering a bagman, and a hint worth attending to ; 

 but as all bag foxes may not be put either into corn- 

 bins or corn-sacks, these proofs may sometimes be 

 wanting. 



There are, however, many other signs which are known 

 to old fox-hunters. They generally run down wind, but, 

 being ignorant of their country, have no point to make, 

 and appear to loiter before the hounds. The scent also 

 is too good — the hounds running wild at it. I am 

 alluding now to bag foxes when turned down before 

 harriers, for I am quite sure, that any good pack of fox- 

 hounds would not run a bag fox at all, unless halloaed on 

 and encouraged ; and then, even they would not enjoy 

 the scent, which is so different from that of a wild fox. 

 I heard once of an old fox which had been caught and 

 hunted three times in one season by a pack of harriers, 

 and found his way home each time, having been turned 

 loose thirty miles from the earth where he was taken. 

 This was in " days of auld lang syne," when the fine 

 greyhound fox was the prevailing one in this country. 

 We are very particular in these times, to have horses 

 and hounds both of the best blood, and in first-rate con- 

 dition, but not the slightest attention is paid to the breed 

 of foxes, which is of rather more importance than at 

 first sight may appear. To show sport the breed of 

 foxes should not be overlooked so much as is generally 

 the case, for without good foxes you cannot have good 

 runs. The large importations of French foxes have in 

 many hunting countries done a great deal of mischief. 



