114 NOTITIA VENATICA. 



tlu-ough fields of beans and oats iu which the farmers wore employed in 

 leading or carrying them. 



Even supposing the corn to be cut, few packs could begin so early as 

 that, as the necessary destruction of young foxes would be far greater 

 than most countries could afford. But when the number of the litters 

 in the Belvoir country which were returned averaged about sixty-five or 

 seventy, and during some seasons the number of foxes which were killed 

 amounted to nearly seventy brace, two or three brace having been mur- 

 dered in a morning in the early part of the season, we cannot wonder at 

 there being some impatience to commence operations. In the Earl of 

 Yarborough's country — which is far too extensive for any one pack of 

 hounds to hunt regularly and impartially — the foxes are so numerous 

 that the whippers-in and earth-stoppers are frecpiently employed dui'ing 

 the frost and snow in digging and destroying them in places which are 

 iU calculated for sport. How different is the system in other hunts, 

 which it is needless to mention, whei'e there is scarcely a litter of cubs 

 which is not put down iu the summer, and which have not found their 

 way either from Mr. Herring's menagerie in the New-road or from Mr. 

 Baker's celebrated shop in LeadenhaU-market, to the cost and detri- 

 ment of other hunting countries. Fox-dealers may He and himibug as 

 much as they like about only seUing foreign and Welsh foxes, but it is 

 a well-known fact that all are fish which come to their nets. 



The Pytcldey — always the first to commence the campaign, at least 

 in their palmy days — were, during two seasons, hunted a few years 

 since by a Mr. Smith, who was well-known, previous to his taking 

 Northamptonshire, in the Hambleton and Craven countries. This gen- 

 tleman, during the early part of his second season, attempted to intro- 

 duce the system of evening cub-hunting instead of going out in the 

 morning, and some persons put down Mr. Smith as the founder of the 

 system ; but that supposition was erroneous, as it was occasionally 

 practised, or rather attempted, years before Mr. Smith had ever seen 

 or heard of foxhounds. How any sportsman could advocate a system 

 so universally condemned, after trial, by all good judges and practical 

 men, is perfectly astounding. To say the best of it, it is a lazy, un- 

 workmanlike system, and only fit for some poor old invaUd, whose con- 

 stitution may have been so much impaired that the labour of rising 

 three days in the week at fom* o'clock in the morning is too great a 

 fatigue to be long pursued with impunity. That the season of cub- 

 hunting is a punishing period to a man who works hard and does his 

 duty to his pack all huntsmen know too well ; and that is the reason 

 why so few ^' fjentlemen huntsmen" are in the habit of cub-hunting 

 their own hounds. If a gentleman rises three or four mornings in the 

 week two hours before day-break, and inidergoes the fatigue consequent 

 to hunting a pack of hounds in heavy and deep woodlands, he cuts but a 

 very moderate figure at the head of his table at seven o'clock in the 

 evening ; and as one or the other nmst be given up, why, of course, fox- 

 hunting "goes to the wall." Our forefathers dined at one or two 

 o'clock, and as they had the choice of luniting early or late, and as it 

 is Avell-known that both systems were tried by them, it is natural to con- 



