THE FOX. IS 



much stronger than others ; and hares likewise. 

 The quicker you can keep the animal moving, 

 the better the scent ; this is partly why, I fancy, 

 with a sinking fox the scent so often fails, as he 

 jogs slowly along he leaves little scent behind, 

 but if he races so will the hounds. 



It frequently happens when hounds strike the 

 line of a fox that they hunt back to his kennel 

 in preference to going on with the forward 

 scent. This is caused by the fact that the fox 

 had started quickly from his lair, leaving a 

 steaming track behind him, but had slackened 

 his pace later on when he found no immediate 

 cause for hurry ; the scent in consequence de- 

 creasing with the slow^er pace. Again, one sees 

 a fox stealing quietly away from covert, with 

 hounds, perhaps, close behind, only just able to 

 acknowledge the line ; presently a halloa, or 

 some other cause, makes him increase his pace, 

 and when hounds arrive at this spot they race 

 away as if tied to his brush. 



I remember when hunting our regimental 

 pack of beagles many years ago at Aldershot, 

 hounds coursing a beaten hare in view along 

 the towpath of the canal, and the poor brute 

 as a dying effort turned sharply into the burnt 



