126 Hunting Countries of England. 



Master undertakes to liunt the country three days a 

 week ; but after Christmas it has for some time been 

 the custom to give an extra day in the vicinity of 

 Birmingham — the sportsmen of that town on their 

 part providing horses for the hunt servants^ and 

 sending them to meet the hounds at whatever railway 

 station may be fixed upon by the huntsman. This day 

 is Monday; and their regular hunting days are 

 Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (in alternate weeks), 

 and Friday. Few rigid rules being observed as to the 

 area told off for each especial day, it is difficult to 

 write specifically beyond that Tuesday is generally 

 passed in the country immediately round home, i.e., 

 between Coventry on the north and Leamington on the 

 south — that Thursday is for the Rugby district (usually 

 by train to Rugby Station) — and that Wednesday and 

 Friday are more often passed in the west-centre of 

 their territory. 



The after- Christmas Mondays near Birmingham are, 

 as we have said before, by no means on their worst 

 ground. There is a good deal of grass, and the foxes 

 (what there are) are stout and straight. That they 

 exist in even their present numbers is mainly due to 

 the exertions of a very well-known character, Mr. W. 

 Williams (who wrote and composed the most popular 

 of the hunting songs of to-day — The Hunting Day). 

 But, besides bringing his talents to the shrine of Diana 

 in votive offering of poesy and music, he labours in her 

 cause in a more practical and no less earnest form. As 

 Hon. Secretary for the Birmingham district, he works 

 day, and night, to induce the preservation of foxes; 

 and on many a moonlight night he will order his dog- 



