THE KILDARE HOUNDS. 39 



though nags who have "joined the band," no matter 

 how slightly endowed with musical propensities, find 

 it often impossible to live with them in these hilly 

 hunting grounds. Over the hills in the neighbour- 

 hood of Tinode, Coolemine, and Goucher's Gorse, all 

 favourite resorts of the fox family, hounds generally 

 carry a good head. If your horse is clear in the 

 pipes, and clever enough to negociate safely the high, 

 rotten banks frequently met with in these parts, there 

 is no reason why one shouldn't be with the hounds, as 

 the going is good. The *'cream" of these truly 

 happy hunting grounds is the neighbourhood of 

 Punchestown, Kilteel, Dunlavin, Ballytore, May- 

 nooth and Kilcock. There is nothing to stop a good 

 man, well mounted, in this fine grass country, where 

 the fences are safe and sound, albeit " stiffish." There 

 is just enough woodland to be pleasant in Kildare, the 

 many coverts are nicely situated, and foxes sufficiently 

 numerous. Feathered game preservers are almost 

 unknown. A few years ago rabbit trapping was 

 carried on to such an extent that fears were entertained 

 that foxes would be entirely exterminated out of cer- 

 tain districts. But the then master, Sir Edward 

 Kennedy, drew attention to the fact, that the foxes 

 were so often destroyed by the trappers, that some- 

 thing should be done to prevent the obnoxious custom. 

 A meeting of supporters of fox-hunting was held, and 

 several gentlemen who were in the habit of having 

 traps set for the destruction of poor *' bunny," when they 

 were assured of the amount of injury done towards 

 the fox-hunting portion of the community, in the most 

 sportsmanlike way promised not to allow trapping to be 

 carried on ; and, I think that but little injury is inflicted 



