SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 437 



that animals of the carnivorous kind never attain a 

 good old age — in other words, live the natural and 

 allotted years — upon farinaceous food only ; and we 

 know full well that oatmeal porridge, with the best 

 of broth, is not the diet to support man or hound 

 under severe labour. Bread has been called " the 

 staff of life ; '' yet to a very limited extent is it so. 

 The poor man, without his bit of bacon or fresh 

 meat occasionally — a sup of milk or buttermilk with 

 his potatoes, and a taste of dripping with his other 

 vegetables — would find bread alone unequal to sus- 

 tain him. We are too prone to put our faith of 

 sustenance upon bread alone. 



In warmer climates farinaceous aliment may suf- 

 fice to keep body and soul together, where great 

 exertions under a tropical sun cannot be maintained 

 but in colder climates stronger fuel is necessary to 

 keep the furnace going. A visit to the Zoological 

 Gardens at feeding time will satisfy any sceptic that 

 lions, tigers, and animals of that class are not pre- 

 sented with a bowlful of porridge or soup for their 

 supper ; but, instead of this, a large bone of cow or. 

 horse, with little meat upon it, is thrown into their 

 dens, this being their only meal during the twenty- 

 four hours. Such was the course of feeding in the 

 days when we were in the habit of paying them fre- 

 quent visits. If, therefore, animal food in the most 

 indigested form is considered necessary to maintain 

 these animals in health without any exercise, save 

 that of pacing up and down their narrow dens, is it 

 not obvious that those of a like nature require the 

 greatest possible amount of nutritive food to support 



