228 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



have observed there has been scarcely any scent at all. Wet 

 days are unfavourable to a scent in covert, but it will often hold 

 good over the open. A fine looking day, with a hot sun and 

 keen wind is, on tlie contrary, seldom productive of sport. 



As variable as our climate, so variable is scent. There is 

 no certain criterion to judge by, but I have observed, almost 

 invariably, a good scenting day to follow the rising quicksilver. 

 On the contrary, when the barometer is falling, scent is gene- 

 rally bad. It is not my intention here to enter into a learned 

 or lengthened dissertation on a subject which has puzzled much 

 cleverer heads than mine ; but a few practical observations may 

 not be out of place. The skin of all animals being porous, scent 

 is the exhalation thrown off from the body of the animal through 

 these pores, or, as the learned call them, the reticul<^ of the 

 skin. When the animal is in a quiet or quiescent state, the 

 scent thrown off is moderate, but v/lien the body is put into 

 active motion, the exlialations from it escape so rapidly that 

 they form a kind of misty halo around it : and as the animal 

 runs, these particles of scent float upon the air, and, according 

 to its temperature, become slowly or quickly dissipated. 



The state of the ground lias also a good deal to do with scent, 

 but not so much, I am inclined to think, as is generally sup- 

 posed. T have known a capital scent often when the earth has 

 been as hard as a brick ; and what old sportsman has not seen 

 hounds running fast during the month of March in a cloud of 

 dust ? In the cub-hunting season, also, during a hot September, 

 hounds will run breast high in coverts of high ivood, Avhere there 

 is nothing to hold the scent, and the ground underneath is as 

 dry and liard as a parched pea. Again, I must admit that when 

 the earth has been over-saturated with rain, the finest pasture 

 land sometimes will not hold a good scent, but it will often im- 

 prove when hounds come upon lighter soil, and sometimes even 

 over fallows. To constitute a perfect scenting day, both the 

 ground and the air should be in a temperate state ; but, as a 

 general rule, I would pin my faith chiefly on the state of the 

 atmosphere. 



Look again at a pack of hounds crossing a river on a good 

 scenting day ; they throw their tongues cheerfully as they breast 

 the torrent, but it is idle to suppose that the quickly flowing 

 waters can hold a scent ; the water in which the fox has laved 

 himself has long since passed away, and is hastening perhaps a 

 mile in advance to -add its tributary volume to the mighty 

 ocean. But, gently wafted over the stream, the scent of the 

 flying fox is borne on the soft breeze to greet the olfactory 

 nervus of the struggling pack, and guide them to the wished-for 



