248 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN, 



(Ballylin). The hunting days are Tuesday, Thurs- 

 day, and Saturday. The pack was originally formed, 

 owing to the scarcity of hares in 1874, for the en- 

 couragement of sport in the district of Ballyhaise 

 and Cavan, as no hounds hunt in the immediate 

 neighbourhood, the Cavan Harriers usually hunting 

 near Killeshandra, ten miles distant. Mr. Humphrys' 

 hounds hunt deer and hares on alternate days. He 

 carries the horn himself; J. M'Mahon is kennel hunts- 

 man and first whip. That Mr. Humphrys is a good 

 sportsman is proved by the fact that he has spent a 

 large sum of money in connection with the hunt, and 

 has adopted a system worthy of commendation : thirty- 

 two farmers have been appointed gamekeepers, at 

 ;^i each per annum, to preserve the " fur;" and the 

 country was well stocked last season, as the master 

 turned down sixty-eight hares ; but the poachers 

 killed a great number of them during the summer. 

 A handsome presentation was made last year 

 by the hunting gentlemen of Westmeath to him, in 

 recognition of the sport shown with his hounds in that 

 county, when, in acceptance of an invitation given by 

 some gentlemen and farmers, he brought them to 

 Mullingar, with six fallow and two red-deer, and gave 

 six very good days' sport. The presentation consisted 

 of a silver hunting horn with a gold mouth-piece ; it 

 bore the following inscription : — 



" Presented to A. E. Humphrys, by his sporting friends in 

 Westmeath, as a memento of his visit to that county, with liis stag- 

 hounds, in 1876." 



A very handsome gold-mounted hunting-whip, and 

 patent safety stirrup was presented to Mrs. Humphrys, 

 who always rides well, and is very fond of hunting. 



