888 The Hunting Countries of England. 



years ; and it is safe to repeat that you may slip over 

 it at speed. It is a more difficult matter to lay down 

 a rule as to wliat day of tlie week by custom holds a 

 particular district of country. Agricultural dinners 

 and various other considerations materially affect Sir 

 Richard's programme. The Sparkford vale, however, 

 is more often taken every alternate Monday; and 

 its chief meets are Sparkford, Marston, Mudford, 

 Babcary, Pudimore, and Lydford. Annis Hill is a 

 fine wood ; and Babcary has a very good blackthorn 

 covert planted by the Master — and forming an 

 exception to the rule of the country, where thorn 

 coverts are little known, though gorses are frequent. 

 Other Monday meets are likely to be The Kennels 

 (Charlton Hawthorn), Compton Castle, Creech Hill, 

 Redlinch (Lord Ilchester's), and Stourton Woods 

 — leading us into a worse country as we go on. The 

 largest fields come out on the Yeovil side — though, 

 after all, what is a field of 100 to 150 as compared 

 with the attendance with many a Hunt elsewhere. 

 Were it only better stocked with foxes the whole of 

 the district north of Yeovil would be charming. The 

 enclosures expand while the fences dwindle. But the 

 farther north we proceed the less is Mr. Reynard 

 a favourite — till at length fox hunting lapses for want 

 of him and of coverts to draw : and Sir Richard's 

 almost outside meet of late has been Lydford. By 

 the way, it is worthy of mention, that in Mr. 

 Farquharson's time the whole country now occupied 

 by five packs was hunted as one, to wit — the present 

 Blackmoor vale, the Cattistock, the South Dorset, the 

 East Dorset, and the greater part of the South-and- 



