1 8 Modem Dogs. 



1891, who incorporated them with the Hawkstone 

 already alluded to. This was, perhaps, the cheapest 

 pack of hounds ever sold ; there were about twelve 

 couples, with some terriers, and I am pretty certain 

 that, placed publicly in the market, ^"1000 would 

 have been obtained for the lot. 



Another old master of otter hounds was Mr. John 

 Benson, of Cockermouth; but two years ago his 

 hounds were discontinued, and in their place came a 

 subscription pack, of which Mr. Harry Clift, who 

 has served a very long apprenticeship to the sport, 

 is at the head. Mr. Collier, down Devonshire way, 

 has hunted the otter for over fifty years, and Mr. 

 Cheriton and Mr. Calmady are in the west likewise, 

 but they appear to prefer the dash and go of the fox- 

 hound to the sedateness and care of the pure variety. 

 Mr. W. C. Yates has had some good hounds in his 

 time. I once saw the latter Mr. T. Wilkinson, of 

 Neasham Abbey, hunting the pack during an off 

 season, when he had not one of his own kill three 

 otters in one day, in Lancashire. Mr Yates now 

 mostly hunts in Ireland. But the Squire of Neasham 

 was soon again surrounded by his favourite hounds, 

 and still hunts in the neighbourhood of Durham, and 

 goes into Northumberland occasionally. In Scot- 

 land Captain Clarke Kennedy, some years ago, kept 

 otter hounds, and so did the Duke of Athol and others. 



