SCENT, &C. 143 



In the second place, the hard pressed hare makes her stretches 

 shorter, which brings her body naturally more upright and high 

 from the surface, and the scent is hereby more likely to suffer 

 from wind and weather ; but then as she breathes quick in pro- 

 portion, and shortens her pace in a sensible degree, the hounds 

 so much as she shortens, so much do they hasten, being urged 

 on by an increasing scent. The only natural -reason why a hare 

 towards the end of the chase is often difficult to be killed, is, 

 that she confines her works in a much shorter compass, doubles 

 here and there, over and over, shifts, redoubles, and tries all 

 places for rest and security, making very much joiling'm a little 

 space, which variety of equal scent puzzles the hounds exceed- 

 ingly ; and if the dogs are not thorough masters of their busi- 

 ness, or if the air be not in due balance, the difficulty will be 

 the greater. 



It is also to be remembered, that there is no small accidental 

 difference in the very particles of scent, which are more dis- 

 tinguishable at one time than at another : that there is a differ- 

 ent scent in other animals of the same species is evident, from 

 the hounds formerly used for tracing and pursuing thieves and 

 deer-stealers, and likewise from any common cur or spaniel, who 

 will hunt out his master, or his master's horse, distinctly from all 

 others ; and that it is the same with the hare, is no less visible 

 from the old beagles, which will not readily change for a fresh 

 one, unless she start in view, or unless a long fault happen, 

 which puts them in confusion, and inclines them in despair to 

 take up with the next scent that presents itself. 



Of the influence which frost has upon scent, this author ob- 

 serves, that he has been often disappointed in the hounds hunt- 

 ing the trail of a hare up to her seat, and frequently been able 

 to hunt her walk in one part of a field, and not in another ; that 

 at ten or eleven o'clock, the same walk which gave the least 

 scent at seven in the morning, has afforded the best ; but what 



