HUNTING TOURS. 27 



it ; his lordship had therefore but a brief 

 period to form the pack, which has been 

 very successfully accomplished. Whatever 

 it may be necessary to put together, whether 

 it be a house or a pack of foxhounds, it is 

 of the highest importance that the material 

 selected be of the best quality. If a house 

 be built with bad bricks the walls will be 

 imperfect, and if the interior be fitted up 

 with defective embellishments they speedily 

 lose their effects. So it is with hounds. If 

 they have bad constitutions they will disap- 

 point you ; if they have bad habits they will 

 perplex you. It may be suggested, how are 

 these conditions to be anticipated? To a 

 great extent they may be very extensively 

 ascertained by studying the peculiar qualities 

 of certain packs, and then again minutely 

 examining the properties of particular fami- 

 lies. Great judgment has been exercised 

 at the Atherstone kennels in resorting to 

 good sources for the materials. They are 

 now composed of hounds purchased from 

 Mr. Selby Lowndes, on his resignation of the 

 country ; several lots from the South Wilts, 

 the property of, and bred by, Mr. Wyndham, 

 an old and very experienced sportsman ; 



C 2 



