Babbit Coursing. 139 



ground, but you would have to go a long day's journey to 

 find her equal in the earth. I have at present two great- 

 granddaughters of Mustard which I value greatly. Boaster 

 and Willie were both excellent dogs, the former especially 

 being admirably adapted for work. The latter was by Sam 

 out of Cottingham Nettle. Old Flora was another extra 

 good bitch for work, and her daughter Fancy did not dis- 

 grace her, for I remember her on one occasion sticking to a 

 fox for four hours underground, during which time she 

 never for one moment attempted to quit the earth. She 

 was finally dug out. Much to my regret she died when in 

 whelp to Gulliver. Artful Joe, too, was a fine dog. He was 

 a little too big, but a regular hard one for work. I am very 

 pleased to say that his strain is still carefully preserved. 

 All the Belgravians I have are excellent workers. Limbo, 

 by Victor Chief out of Venus (a granddaughter of Flora), 

 came to a very sad end. Whilst in the kennel he was 

 severely bitten by the hounds, his leg being so terribly 

 broken and smashed that I was obliged to have him 

 immediately killed. I missed him greatly, as he was about 

 as good a dog as ever I had for work/' 



So' much for a huntsman's opinions, but in taking them 

 to heart and inwardly digesting them the reader must not 

 forget that a good dog can be spoiled by a bad trainer, and, 

 in the opposite direction, a good trainer can make a dog, 

 which may be faint-hearted in the beginning, fairly hard- 

 hearted and game in the end. 



With regard to the attempt at popularisation of that 

 undesirable modern addition to the ordinary duties of a 

 fox terrier, viz., rabbit coursing, something must be 

 said. Not content with him as a companion, either in 

 town or country, some of his ill-advised admirers have 



