398 HUNTING TOURS. 



the order, the consignment of the mountain 

 sheep to the luxuriant pasture fields of the 

 valleys, where their offspring would in a few 

 years increase in bulk, and totally change 

 in character. Naturalists have instructed us 

 that we are indebted to the effects of climate, 

 to a vast extent, for the production of the 

 numerous varieties of the canine species, and 

 I am quite contented to be one of their 

 disciples. It is well known that the fox- 

 hound very rapidly degenerates if removed 

 to the enervating atmosphere of eastern or 

 southern climes, and I think I shall be able 

 to show that Lincolnshire has produced a 

 vast proportion of the most valuable speci- 

 mens of the foxhound. Here, however, let 

 me observe, I do not endeavour to establish 

 an argument that foxhounds of the highest 

 character are not reared in many other 

 countries ; but then to keep them up to that 

 standard recourse is constantly had to sires 

 from some of the celebrated resources of this 

 district, and the more those sires are identi- 

 fied with the original stock, in other words, 

 with those whose genealogy is traceable in 

 direct lines to the great celebrities of olden 

 times, the more valuable will they prove for 



