164 NOTITIA VENATICA. 



sided at Long Compton and the village of Mlckleton, which is situated 

 at the foot of the •\vcll-known Cotswold Hills. 



The tAvo most celebrated families of these marauders Avere the 

 Hugheses of Long Compton, who are well known to this day for their 

 excellent breed of earth terriers : the genuine strain to which I noAV 

 allude are black and tan, curiously ticked upon their ears ; in fact, one 

 of the best dogs I ever possessed I obtained from one of these persons. 

 The other family were the Sharps, of Mickleton, who were also quite as 

 celebrated for their " little dogs," and were looked upon with horror for 

 many years by the fox-hunters of Warwickshire and the Gloucestersliire 

 country, till at length a handsome pecuniary present to the last of the 

 race, and the appointment as earth-stopper to the district, added to an 

 inveterate attack of rheumatism, acquii-ed by his long system of noc- 

 turnal adventure, made him " an honest man ;" and he continued in 

 the service of the Warwickshire hunt for many years, until the time of 

 his death, wliich took place about the year 1830, leaving as a legacy to 

 the late Mr. Russell — who at that time hunted the country — a large 

 collection of traps, with which he used to take the cubs, having first 

 wrapped the teeth with cloth, to prevent their legs being injured : with 

 these traps he begged he might have his hunters shod, as far as the 

 iron Avoidd go, as he Avas wiUing to make amends as well as he was able, 

 for the great injury ho had done to fox-hunting in his early hfe. 



In a former chapter, in speaking of the exercise of hounds, I recom- 

 mended their being taken out, during the summer, as early as daybreak, 

 but this only referred to the extreme heat of the dog-days. During the 

 ordinary summer weather, hounds ought to be taken out to horse exer- 

 cise for several hours during the middle of the day, which is far better 

 than giving them an hour or two's gentle exercise early in the morning, 

 and then allowing them to lie roasting themselves upon the kennel floors 

 in the scorching sun during the heat of the day, which practice is one of 

 the greatest inducers of rheiunatism that can be imagined, to say nothing 

 of their blood becoming heated and thickened to the highest degree. 

 Besides, hoAv much their handiuess is increased by always having them 

 about Avith you, whenever it is possible. 1 am noAv more especially ad- 

 dressing myself to those gentlemen who are in the habit of hunting their 

 OAvn hounds ; for the mere mechanical routine of going to exercise Avith 

 the property of another, for Avhich Avork the servants arc paid, cannot 

 have, I fear, half the charms that the delightful country rides Avill aflbrd, 

 Avhich the OAvner of the animals himself may be induced to take during 

 that beautiful season of the year, attended by hounds of his OAvn breeding, 

 puppies of his oavu rearing, as he Avatches their daily improvement both in 

 behaviour and condition, breatlung the pure uncontaminated atmosj>hcre 

 of nature, far, far aAvay from the noisy pestilence of cities, charmed by 

 the odour of Avild floAvers, and the never-ceasing song of the Avild 

 denizens of the woodlands, or soothed by the mighty roaring of the 

 ocean, as he passes along, inhaling at every breath, health, vigom*, and 

 contentment, Avhile the very horses seem to share in the cxhilirating 

 pleasure, as they 2)res3 Avith their nervous limbs the maiden fresliuess of 

 the sca-Avashed ground. I declare that, Avith the exception of the more 



