SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 205 



sight of him as he jumped into the lane, and raced 

 him over three large enclosm'es, catching him just 

 before he reached the covert. Our elderly friend, 

 in coming up, when we handled the fox, expressed 

 his disapprobation at our summary proceedings, 

 muttering something about "its not being fox- 

 hunting,'' in reply to which we gave him a quota- 

 tion from his favourite Beckford : " a fair foxhunter 

 and a foolish one being synonymous terms." But 

 the only chance in unfavourable weather is to keep 

 as near as possible to our fox, since the faster he 

 flies the better will be the scent. It is generally 

 believed that rich pasture-land holds a far better 

 scent than a lighter and poorer soil. This, how- 

 ever, is not invariably the case, since it often hap- 

 pens in wet weather, that hounds can run harder 

 over down-land than across fields capable of grazing 

 a bullock. Neither has drainage — as might have 

 been supposed — effected any great improvement in 

 this respect, since we can remember fields, partly 

 covered with rushes and coarse grass, holding a 

 capital scent some years ago, which they have 

 failed to do now that they have been thoroughly 

 drained. 



