HUNTING TOURS. 231 



they went to Budden Wood, handy to the 

 kennels ; and from a manuscript list of Mr. 

 Meynell's hounds for the year 1794, the 

 number he had in kennel was fifty-four 

 couples. It was their custom to work large 

 bodies of hounds, consisting of some five- 

 and-thirty couples, till the beginning of 

 October, or after a frost, but the usual 

 complement was from twenty-two to twenty- 

 four couples. Every effort was adopted to 

 keep the foxes, as well as the pack, in 

 condition, as whenever there was a continu- 

 ance of snow on the ground, the hounds 

 were taken to the coverts to disturb the 

 foxes, which were evidently very plentiful, 

 as in ten years there were only eight blank 

 days. A fox found at Gotham, and killed 

 at Redhill, was singularly distinguished by 

 havins: a white rinti: round his neck and 

 three white pads. The lustre which Mr. 

 Meynell shed so resplendently has not been 

 allowed to fade by the masters of hounds 

 who have succeeded him, though customs 

 have happily changed with times. 



Lord Sefton, Mr. Meynell's successor, kept 

 two packs of hounds, and a huntsman for each 

 pack, and introduced the custom now preva- 



