342 HUNTING PRELIMINARIES. 



a country at his own expense, has of course the right to 

 institute a personal button. 



Hunting breeches are made either of white buckskin, white 

 cotton cloth or white cord. Those of the former material 

 look smarter and give a better grip in the saddle than those 

 of the latter ; but cost a good deal more, and are very 

 uncomfortable if they happen to get wet. The chief points 

 about breeches are that they should have plenty of length 

 from the knees to the fork, and should be loose about the 

 thighs, so that they may allow perfect freedom of movement 

 to the legs ; and should be made in such a manner that 

 when they are drawn on, the openings at the knees shall 

 be in their proper places. If the knees of the breeches 

 require to be twisted round, in order to get them into correct 

 position, they will tend during use, to work back into their 

 old place, and will look untidy, even if they do not feel un- 

 comfortable. In attempting to obviate this fault in con- 

 struction, breeches are often made uncomfortably tight at 

 the knees. In such cases, even when this constriction is 

 supplemented by the employment of tight garter straps, 

 the buttons generally work round, after the wearer has 

 ridden a few miles. If the breeches are cut properly, they 

 will have no tendency to become shifted. Formerly, the 

 top button of the knees of the breeches was supposed to 

 lie in the small depression which is on the outside of the 

 knee cap and at its lower edge, and which is considered by 

 some sportsmen to have been made for that purpose ! At 

 present, the buttons as a rule are brought to the front 

 as much as possible, which arrangement is apt to cause 

 unpleasant pressure of the buttons on the shin bone. The 

 custom is for four buttons to show above the boots, and 

 three above the leggings. 



Garter straps (Fig. 220) are put round the legs, to prevent 

 the knees of the breeches working round. They are about a 



