SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 129 



speaking, there is almost a certainty in finding, 

 where hounds are eager in drawing. 



We have seen in the West of England a pack of 

 foxhounds opening as freely upon the stale drag of 

 a fox as harriers on the trail of a hare ; but this 

 sort of thing does not accord with our ideas about 

 foxhunting in short, we should draft such hounds 

 as these, considering them as babblers. It is very 

 agreeable news to be told, when looking for a fox, 

 that he has been and may be somewhere in the 

 neighbourhood, but much more satisfactory that he 

 is positively in the covert you are drawing. There 

 is no dependence to be placed on drag-hunters, 

 since the fox they are talking about may have 

 passed, it is true, through the covert late at night, 

 or early in the morning, but he may be at that 

 time miles away. On the other hand, when highly, 

 bred and well-educated hounds throw their tongues 

 on a drag, we may rest assured he is within a 

 quarter of a mile of them. There is also another 

 very great objection to drag-hunters, especially in 

 a woodland country, whilst drawing down wind 

 sometimes an unavoidable necessity the fox will 

 be moving a long time before the hounds reach his 

 kennel ; and although they may be hunting him all 

 clay, there is little chance of their getting on much 

 better terms with a wide-awake old traveller. Even 

 with harriers, much bow-wowing on the trail of a 

 hare is very objectionable, but quite inconsistent 

 with the proper working of a pack of foxhounds. 

 We like to hear a jolly good chorus of musical 

 tongues, as much as any jolly old foxhunter of the 



K 



