124 NOTITIA VENATICA. 



Pytchley woodlands — The marten cat — Extraordinary number of foxes killed 

 in one day by the Duke of Rutland's hounds— Cubs, and the preservation of 

 foxes — Anecdote of Lord Middleton and a bag fox — Fox-mobbing in the War- 

 wickshire woodlands — Fox-stealers and " black mail" — Old Sharp the earth- 

 stopper at Mickleton — Description of a good run in Warwickshire — Ditto in 

 Leicestershire— End of the Hunting season — Conclusion. 



Among the numerous collateral branches appertaining to the science of 

 hunting, we may, without any apology, introduce the subject of covers, 

 the various descriptions of them, and the best mode of making the most 

 of a country, which may by nature have been but moderately gifted 

 with these indispensable requisites for the preservation of the " crafty 

 animal," and consequently the ensurance of sport. Various are the 

 kinds of covers and the names by Avhich each variety is distinguished 

 according to their locality. For instance, what is termed in the mid- 

 land counties " a gorse," or " gorse cover," is called in the north a 

 "whin," and in some places a " furze-brake ;" "gullies," "dingles," 

 " dumbles," and "bottoms," are also synonymous terms. Woods also 

 are defined by " holts," "roughs," "coppices," " spineys," "brakes," 

 " stubbs," and " scrubs," according to the counties in which they may 

 be situated ; and no less varied are the tastes of sportsmen which may 

 lead them to pronounce in favour of either the " woodland wild," or 

 what in these " haste-making" days may be denominated " a nice httle 

 handy gorse to get away from ;" giving one the very idea of some- 

 thing pre-eminently dreadful in the mere presence of a wood or any 

 other temporary shelter, which may either entice reynard from his line, 

 or retard but for one instant the steam-like velocity of a modern "burst." 

 Large woods and cliffs, clothed with briars and brushwood, were no 

 doubt the only places where our forefathers first bid the echoing horn 

 to speak at early dawn; but as "hunting the fox," Avhich in those 

 days might be compared to the refined amusement of badger-baiting, 

 gave way to the " noble science," and as this princely diversion, which 

 owes much of its patronage to the graceful' and manly aecomnaniment 

 of. horsemanship, gradually progressed to its climacteric, means were 

 resorted to, to enable the sport to be enjoyed entirely in the open, and 

 leave the "dirty woodlands," as they are called, for cub-hunting, or 

 for bye-days, when some neighbouring pack may be reached at a more 

 genial fixture. Desirable as a fine open country is for fox-hunting, how 

 often do wo see the thing well done, and good sport shown, in many of 

 the provincials, Avhere the nature of the covers and enclosures is just 

 the reverse, and where the natives from a truly English and laudable 

 desire to spend their incomes at homo, and promote the general good of 

 their neighbours, and Avishing to enjoy, in the best manner they can, 

 " the goods the gods have provided them," set a far better example to 

 the risuig generation than those debilitated scions of debaae'iery who 

 are daily wasting not only their health, but their exchequers, in the 

 support of foreign allurements and frivolities. Although a large wood- 

 land cannot very conveniently be dis-aftbrested, and convortcd into a 

 flying country, at a year's notice, nor the shades of Whittlebury be 

 lui-tainorphosod by a magic touch into the far-famed grass groimds of 



