SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. ] 33 



unless absolutely starved for the purpose, thorough- 

 bred foxhounds, we know full well, having little 

 inclination to break up their game unless killed by 

 themselves. We have been dwelling perhaps too 

 long upon the faults and vices of the pack, and it 

 is now time we should say something about their 

 good qualities. 



We have before alluded to drawing covert as of 

 primary importance, and we like to see hounds 

 spreading wide, dashing quickly, though steadily 

 from riot, through the coppice. Their movement in 

 gorse will of course be much slower, and we know 

 no surer test of a hound's courage than working 

 through a three-year-old gorse-brake, backwards 

 and forwards, after a short-running fox. The two 

 next necessary qualifications or cardinal virtues 

 are, stoutness of constitution and fineness of nose, 

 without which no foxhound has any claim to per- 

 fection, perfect though he may be in symmetry of 

 mould. In the present day few opportunities 

 present themselves for testing the first sterling- 

 quality, and not many more for the second, our 

 hours of meeting during the regular hunting season 

 commencino^ about eleven o'clock, and terminatinof 

 about four in the afternoon, thus allowing five 

 hours for hounds being in work or chase, so that 

 their power of endurance cannot be fairly ascer- 

 tained. We are not, as must be apparent from 

 former observations, an advocate for ver}^ long or 

 hard days, and think when hounds have done their 

 work properly, and killed their fox handsomely, 

 after a run of say an hour and more, the next best 



