240 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT. 



Hounds were drawing a thick covert, and one bitch 

 persistently spoke. The huntsman rated her, and the 

 whipper-in, in attempting to put her over to him, hit her, 

 and accidentally cut out her eye. But she stuck to her fox, 

 worked him out of the covert, and finally killed him single- 

 handed. I wonder was this Modish ? She is varmint-lookino- 

 enough for such a performance. 



Hound-breeding has always been a study with masters 

 and huntsmen ot the York and Ainsty, and within a very 

 few years of the formation of the pack they met with the 

 approval of distinguished judges. Writing of them in 1826, 

 just about ten years after the establishment of the country, 

 Nimrod says, ' I think the York and Ainsty, as a pack, 

 particularly clever, and possessing, individually, as great a 

 share of beauty as is to be found in most kennels. They 

 have size and power ; and size and power without lumber or 

 incumbrance, which, as far as the eye carries us in a kennel, 

 is all we can desire to see.' This is high praise indeed, 

 coming from such a judge, and when it is taken into con- 

 sideration that they had only had a very few years to work 

 in, the greatest credit was due to Mr. Lloyd and Naylor for 

 the enterprise and judgment displayed by them. 



For, as has been the general policy of York and Ainsty 

 masters and huntsmen ab initio, the best kennels were 

 resorted to, though it was for a later generation to import 

 the 'bright Belvoir tan.' Early in the century there was 

 no pack of hounds which had a higher reputation than the 

 Raby, and we find the Raby, the Pytchley, Lord Lonsdale, 

 and the Badsworth continually resorted to, whilst Bramham 

 Moor hounds were also largely used. Nimrod refers to 

 Boisterous by Lord Darlington's Brusher, a famous sire — 

 their Countess, who was one of the old Pytchley sort ; and 

 to Tuneful by Lord Lonsdale's Roman — Badsworth Tempest, 

 as being especially taking. 



