BEASTS OF THE CHASE. THE HARE. 83 



and encouragement to the hounds. The corpse should be 

 given to the farmer on whose land the raw material was found, 

 and the ears are the best trophy to retain, and nail up in the 

 kennel. 



To sum up Enthusiasm for hare hunting will be felt only 

 by those who are thoroughly interested in the patient working 

 of hounds seldom encumbered with a large field of horsemen, 

 they can be watched without riding in the huntsman's pocket, 

 or otherwise interfering with his proceedings, while to the 

 ardent youth who is fond of jumping the facilities for breaking 

 his neck, or his horse's back, over a cramped country after a 

 pack of harriers are simply unequalled ; and the more cautious 

 rider who prefers cantering from gate to gap, will in eight days 

 out of ten, receive ocular demonstration of the truth of the 

 French proverb, ' Tout vient a temps a qui sait attendre.' 



We will conclude by quoting a remark of an eminent sports- 

 manMr. George Lane Fox, whom we once heard asked his 

 opinion of hare hunting. He replied with his most courtly sneer : 

 ' I have always understood it to be a most scientific amusement' 

 There is many a true word spoke sarcastic ! 





BEAGLES HUNTED ON FOOT. 



The subject of hare hunting would be incomplete without 

 some few remarks upon hunting the hare with beagles followed 

 ^on foot. It is a pretty sight to see a merry * cry ' of these little 

 fellows at work, and those who are not familiar with beagles 

 would be surprised at the amount of sport which a pack, 

 followed on foot, can show, when the chase is properly con- 

 ducted. It may be useful to enumerate some of the most 

 essential points to be observed by anyone desirous of starting 

 a pack of these diminutive hounds. 



First of all comes the question of what stamp of hound is 

 best suited to the diversion. This will necessarily vary some- 

 what with the country over which it is proposed to hunt, but 

 the two chief points to look to are steadiness and endurance, 



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