HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



one hundred and fifty, varying as it does between 

 one and three hundred." 



The pack at this period must be regarded as the 

 creation of Mr Wm La Touche, who, as I have said, 

 throughout Lord Naas's mastership continued his 

 beneficent supervision of the kennels, and never 

 once missed spending one day a week at Palmers- 

 town for that purpose. The remarks of the writer 

 I have quoted as to the lack of voice in the pack, 

 which I have heard elsewhere, is the only criticism 

 ever put forward of the results achieved by that 

 incomparable judge and breeder of hounds. If 

 justified, it was probably a consequence of Mr La 

 Touche 's absence from the field and lack of oppor- 

 tunity of seeing the hounds at work. 



The pack when Baron de Robeck took it over 

 consisted of fifty and a half couple of hounds. A 

 contemporary list gives a very clear indication of 

 the blood Mr La Touche relied upon. This was 

 chiefly from the famous Belvoir pack of the Duke 

 of Rutland, that of Mr Foljambe's, of Lord Yar- 

 borough's and Lord Henry Bentinck's. 



The chief Belvoir sires whose progeny appeared 

 in the Kildares were '' Singer," " Selim," " Lexi- 

 con," " Grappler " and " Fairplay." From Mr 

 Foljambe came puppies by " Duster," " Ruler," 

 " Bellman," " Bluecap," and " Dashwood." Lord 



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