NOTITIA VENATICA. 133 



Avaited upon on such occasions. Now, tlic young sportsman, to whom 

 I fi m move particularly addressing myself, and whose knowledge in draw- 

 ing his pack has not hecn matured hy much ohservation and exjjerienco, 

 would he saved from a great deal of anxiety and disappointment, if ho 

 would consider hefore he commences this most important part of the duty 

 of a huntsman, why he classes such and such hounds. The grand point 

 to be achieved is, to get them to run and work together : their heing all 

 of one height is quite a secondary consideration, although I grant that 

 perfection cannot he said to he ohtained until that is the case. The 

 fashion of the present day is very frequently to hunt the dogs and 

 hitches separate : hut unless the forces are very numerous, I fear that 

 tlie ranks Avill not he filled up with much credit and satisfaction ; a man 

 must he either a very successful breeder, or a very extensive purchaser, 

 who fancies he is to achieve so difficidt a task during his first two or 

 three seasons. Mr. King, who hunted the Hambleton country in Hamp- 

 shire many seasons, had a pack entirely composed of bitches, in fact, 

 about forty couj)les, only reserving two or three dogs as stud-hounds. 

 And Sir Bellingham Graham was repeatedly heard to say, that if his 

 kennel could aftbrd it, he would never take anything into the field but 

 ijitches. They are, no doubt, much quicker in their woi-k than the 

 dogs, but, at the same time, they are more inclined to fly a little too 

 much. The dog-hounds, I think, are generally closer to the line, and 

 do their work better and steadier in the long run. Another method is, 

 to divide them according to their size, so as to form a large and a small 

 pack, which is far more advisable than hunting the sexes separate ; by 

 so doing, the necessity of drafting the smaller dogs may be dispensed 

 with, and, consequently, the services of some of the handsomest and 

 best shaped of the puppies secured. But the best of all systems is, in 

 commencing a pack of hounds, Avliere it is a four-day country, to form 

 one good pack first, composed of the elite of the kennel ; none should 

 be older than four-season hunters, and no two-year-olds Avhich arc very 

 Avild, nor any of the last entry, should be admitted, but such as take a 

 share in tlie work, and such as are tolerably steady. The other may be 

 considered the awluvard squad, consisting of old line hunters, which can 

 always be depended upon, particularly as finders, and such as require 

 perpetual drilling in the woodlands to keep them in order. Be, if pos- 

 sible, strong in hounds at the beginning of the season ; it is vexy easy 

 to put away the incorrigible, and such as cannot run up •; and by strict 

 attention and perseverance a few years will produce a second pack equal 

 to the first, both in capabilities and appeai'ance. 



Nothing will be found to be of greater importance in the well conduct- 

 ing of the operations than steadiness and persevering exertions on the 

 part of the whippei's-in ; servants of that description ore quite as difti- 

 cult to meet with as a first-rate huntsman ; a master who " puts uj)" a 

 booby of a groom, merely because he can ride young horses and scream 

 like a fish-woman, must never expect to see his hounds anything else 

 than Avild and vicious in their drawing, and heedless and unhandy in 

 their attention to the hiuitsman when casting. It Avas the opinion of 

 Mr. Beckford that first-rate abilities in a whipper-in were of more conse- 

 quence to the promoting of good sport, than they were in a huntsman ; 



