SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. Ill 



periods, involves the penalty of paying so much 

 money to the exchequer for kiUing it out of 

 season, and to appear at the covert side in regular 

 trim before the accredited time, involves generally 

 the penalty of being miscalled a muff. Fox- 

 hunting is the fashion — but it is not in fashion 

 till the 1st of November, until which time, 

 masters, huntsmen, and whips do everything in 

 their own way. There are no regular fixtures — 

 no regular hours of meeting or leaving off — no 

 regular course of drawing. They are amenable to 

 no criticisms. It is the cub-hunting season, they 

 must be let alone. 



We award them all this, and more ; but then we 

 don't see any reason for accrediting them with 

 cubs, slain as so many foxes, to be added to the 

 list, of which we know nothing. Cub-hunting 

 ought to pass for what it is in reality — the 

 blooding of the young hounds to their legitimate 

 game, and instructing them in their preliminary 

 lessons : all we beg is, not to be disgusted with 

 the sight in print of some twenty or thirty brace 

 of foxes being killed before the 29 th of October. 



