122 NOTITIA VENATICA. 



packs. As to the bounds running this wolf, is one thing ; and as to 

 whether the novelty of the chase would injure them in point of steadiness, 

 is another ; at any rate, I do not suppose the Squire would have at- 

 tempted it with either of his other packs. 



Tliis anecdote recalls to my recollection another, related of a hound- 

 bitch of the late John Mitton, of Halston. A litter of cubs having been 

 brought to the kennels, and the said bitch having lost her whelps, she 

 was introduced to them in the capacity of foster-mother, which office 

 she performed with wonderful care and affection, so long as their infancy 

 lasted. In course of time, however, when the young foxes Avere turned 

 out into the neighbouring covers, and, of course, all recollection of her 

 darlings had vanished, she, without remorse, assisted in tearing and 

 eating those very bantlings which, but a few weeks before, she would 

 have defended from injury to the last drop of her blood. 



As sumrner wears away, and the cub -hunting is drawing nearer to a 

 close, the time of meeting may be at a later hour. But as that period 

 of the year.oiight undoubtedly to be given up to the master of the pack 

 for the purpose of educating his young hounds, and getting them into 

 such order and condition that they may acquit themselves with credit 

 when the regular season arrives, I would never meet at such a time as 

 that the lateness of the hour would be an inducement to cause a num- 

 ber of persons to come out. Men who make a practice of going regu- 

 larly cub-hunting are generally good sportsmen, and instead of doing 

 harm frequently do a great deal of good, by assisting to keep foxes back 

 in large woodlands ; but a numerous field in October is never to be de- 

 sired, and the only Avay to prevent it is never to meet later than about 

 seven o'clock. When beset by the entreaties of gentlemen who may be 

 subscribers oT good preservers of foxes, a huntsman may be over- 

 persuaded to draw covers which it may at that time not be convenient to 

 disturb, and to endeavour to show sport in the open, which at so early 

 a day is never to be desired. One of the best runs I ever knew in my 

 whole life was on the 5th of September, with the Warwickshire hounds, 

 when Mr. Shirley was master of them. It was an accident, as the 

 hounds broke away, and the men were not mounted to go with them, 

 and consequently could not stop them. They found at five o'clock in 

 the morning at the Bull and Butcher Wood, which is situated on the 

 edge of the largest woodlands in the county, six miles from Coventry, 

 on the Oxford road, and killed their fox close to Crick, in Northampton- 

 shire, fifteen miles from point to point ; but, as the line taken was 

 circuitous, it was at least twenty miles. The pace was tremendous; and 

 no one who started with the hounds was up at the finish, except William 

 Boxal, who was then the first whipper-in. There Avere nearly fifty 

 couples of hounds out, seventeen and a half couples of Avhich Avere of 

 that year's entry, and had only been out four times before that day. It 

 proved an old barren bitch fox. The country traversed for the last 

 eight miles, till Avithin two of the death, Avas Avliat is known as the Dun- 

 church country. In those days there Avere no covers in that neighbour- 

 hood as at the present time ; Cooke's gorso. Hill ^lorton gorse, and 

 Bunker's Hill Averc then not even planted, or a fox Avould hardly have 

 held on so straight without touching some of them. 



