FOX-HUNTING. 



laying the pack upon his trail. As he tires, his coat 

 becomes black. He will then lurk, skulk, and sink 

 lying down with his legs doubled under his belly, and 

 his nose to the ground, to prevent the scent flying. 

 Hounds are then likely to overshoot him ; in that case 

 the system for his recovery is the same as when fox- 

 hounds are at fault, and will be found treated at large 

 under that division of the chase. 



The ceremonials formerly used on the death of a stag 

 are become obsolete in this country. Some of those 

 practised ;on the Continent are singular enough. In 

 Germany all who are present at the death are required 

 to pull off their gloves, or redeem them by a fee to the 

 huntsman ; the unfortunate Louis XVI. never failed to 

 take off one of his gloves on such occasions. 



FOX-HUNTING. 



As far back as the reign of Richard the Second, the fox 

 is found to have been an animal of chase ; but hounds ex- 

 clusively kept for his pursuit have not existed more than 

 a century and a half. During that period the whole sys- 

 tem of fox-hunting has undergone a change, not alone as 

 regards the chase itself, but even the time of day dedi- 

 cated to it. As, however, an historical 'notice of that 

 sport does not suit the purpose of this book, we at once 

 proceed to offer the best practical hints for the manage- 

 ment of fox-hounds in the field, and to suggest how best 



