NOTITIA VENATICA. 113 



and if it flies Lack to its place like India-rubber, with a nervous shiver, he 

 is all right ; hut if it remain in an unsightly ridge, clammy and sluggish, 

 as it returns to its natural position, depend upon it that his condition is 

 far from heing what it ought to he — in fact, he is not fit to be put to 

 hard Avork without further preparation. 



Dressing the hounds will afi'ect many of them equally as if they had 

 had a strong dose of jihysic ; some of them Avill be more or less swelled 

 in their Mmbs and testicles, particularly if the turpentine or spirit of tar 

 is rather stronger than usual. During the time they are confined to the 

 kennel from the eftects of the above discipline, which will be about foui 

 days, the whole of the court-yards and the floors of the lodging- 

 rooms should be carefully covered with straw, particularly in the door- 

 Vfays, to prevent them from slipping and breaking their thighs, which I 

 have known to occur, the grease from their coats rendering the ground 

 as slippery as ice. Sometimes I have seen a portion of mercury added 

 to the dressing, but unless the mange has shown itself, it had better be 

 omitted, as, from the heat and fever occasioned by the ointment, the 

 hounds will be continually lying on the open floors, and when under the 

 influence of that powerful mineral, animals are more likely to take cold 

 than at any other time. By the first of August the whole of their phy- 

 sic requisite to prepare them for their approaching labours should have 

 been administered, consisting of two more doses of salts and sulphur, as 

 before directed ; and after the old ones have been walked two or three 

 times into a deer park and amongst hares, particularly the two and 

 thr§e-year-olds having had a few extra bouts by themselves, the new 

 entry may be taken out with them, and regularly exercised until cub- 

 hunting commences, going every day, if possible, into that coimtry 

 where the covers are situated in which they are about to hunt. The exer- 

 cise of hounds during the summer should be slow and protracted rather 

 than quick, particularly in the early part of that season. The keeping 

 them out with slow walking exercise does their constitutions as well as 

 their legs infinitely more good than "long trots" or " brushing gal- 

 lojis." The period for the commencement of cub-hunting varies ex- 

 ceedingly ; in some countries where the limits of the hunt are not ex- 

 tensive, and the foxes rather scarce, the covers cannot be broken until 

 the middle of September ; but in many others it is the usual custom to 

 begin the first week in August, or at any rate as soon as the corn is 

 sufliciently cut to allow of it. By a book published some years since, 

 entitled " The Operations of the Belvoir Hounds," it appears that, in 

 the year 1808, his Grace the Duke of Rutland commenced as early as 

 the 4th of July ; and Mr. Meynel began during some seasons on or about 

 the 4th of June. 



In the north the harvest is always, of course, much later than in the 

 midland and more southern districts, even when the season may be 

 genial ; but the close of the year 1830 and the commencement of 1840 

 presented scenes which few of the oldest of our contemporaries can, I 

 suppose, remember. In December, and also in the Jaiuiary ensuing, it 

 constantly occurred in the llolderncss country while hunting to pass 



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