436 HUNTING. 



are three more packs kept in England for the pur- 

 pose of hunting the otter. 



Hare-Hunting. — Hare-hunting claims prece- 

 dence of fox-hunting in the sporting chronology of 

 Great Britain, and we believe of all other countries, 

 inasmuch as a hare has always been esteemed ex- 

 cellent eatino'. and a fox the rankest of carrion. 

 We gather from Xenophon that it was practised 

 before his day, and he wrote fully upon it above 

 three centuries before Christ, both hounds and nets 

 being then used in the pursuit. Neither can we 

 marvel at hare-huntino* beinoj the favourite diver- 

 sion in all nations given to sporting, where the use 

 of the horse in the field had not become common^ 

 But we will go a point farther than this, and as- 

 sert, that how inferior soever may be the estima- 

 tion in which hunting the hare is held in compari- 

 son with hunting the fox, no animal of the chase 

 affords so much true hunting as she does, which 

 was the opinion of the renowned Mr. Beckford. 



In our description of the modern harrier (see 

 page 858,) we have termed him the fox-hound in 

 miniature ; and we may apply the simile to hare- 

 hunting, which now, as long as the chase lasts, 

 o-reatly resembles fox-hunting, only on a minor 

 scale. In the modern system, there is no tracking 

 to the seat with the one, any more than dragging 

 up to the kennel with the other ; but both animals 

 are now chiefly stumbled upon by accident, and 

 instantly fly for their lives. With the system of 



