HUNT SERVANTS— THEIR DUTIES 207 



in this respect that he fell into the unfortunate habit 

 of butchering, rather than of hunting down fairly, many 

 of his hares. He had a very keen eye for a hare in 

 her form and a very acute knowledge of likely resting- 

 places. By this means he was enabled, while appa- 

 rently drawing innocently enough, to chop many a 

 hare that might otherwise have given a real good run. 

 It is a miserable practice and ought to be put down, 

 either by the Master, or by the representations of sub- 

 scribers to the Hunt, with a firm hand. Discrimina- 

 tion must, of course, be exercised in such cases. A 

 hint that too many hares are chopped may have the 

 desired effect. 



As to the number of hares killed in a season, this 

 must depend greatly upon the nature of the country 

 as weU as upon the qualities of huntsman and pack. 



The Rochdale harriers, as I have said, kill about 

 a hundred hares in a season. That is a big total. 

 During a period of thirty-two seasons — from i860 to 

 1892 — the High Peak harriers, under Mr. Nesfield's 

 mastership, hunting two days a week, killed exactly 

 a thousand hares in one thousand two hundred and 

 thirty-five days. This give them an average of a 

 trifle over thirty-one hares per season. In their best 

 season they killed fifty-seven hares ; in their two 

 worst eight and eleven respectively. Of course frost 

 and hard winters have to be reckoned for in such 

 estimates. In fair, average winters these hounds 

 killed from thirty-five to fifty hares in a season. Con- 

 sidering that the pack was composed practically of 

 dwarf foxhounds, very fast and very good hunters, 

 the number of hares killed seems small. On the other 

 hand, it is to be remembered that in north Derbyshire 

 there are more interruptions from hard weather than 

 in southern counties. The foot-pack with which I see 



