SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 297 



she was first found — through the swedes and over 

 the open for a short distance, and then circhng 

 round to the little coppice, another ring is described 

 interiore gyro, as her strength fails, and she is pulled 

 down within a field of her starting-point. This is 

 the usual style of running with hares in an enclosed 

 country. Those bred on open downs generally 

 go ahead, and afford chases more resembling 

 those of the fox ; but although possessing superior 

 speed to the wily animal, they lack his power of 

 endurance. 



Wild deer hunting stands nearly if not quite on 

 an equal footing with foxhunting — a noble sport, the 

 sport of royalty from time immemorial in these 

 realms. But where is it to be enjoyed now ? On 

 one spot only of once merry England, that wild 

 tract of land and wood called Exmoor Forest, where, 

 by the generosity of its liberal owner, Mr. Knight, 

 wild deer have been strictly preserved for many 

 years, not for stalking, but for hunting ; and thereby 

 affording sport of a superior nature to the gentle- 

 men of Somerset and Devon who have the good 

 fortune to reside in the vicinity of this favoured 

 spot. From the reign of Elizabeth down to the 

 year 1760, staghunting was supported here at the 

 expense of the Crown, Hugh Pollard, Esq., ranger 

 of the forest in her time, having first established a 

 pack of staghounds at Limmouth Water. To show 

 the length of time a wild stag will run before 

 hounds, and the extent of country he will traverse, 

 we give a description of a run from Major 

 Hall's sporting work, entitled " Exmoor, or the 



