SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 305 



fault. In Mr. Scrope's work on Deerstalking (who, 

 by the way, was an old friend of my father's) we find 

 him so impressed with the idea of deer invariably 

 running up wind, that he was slow to believe the 

 contrary, which will appear from a quotation we give 

 in his own words : " It is mentioned in a letter 

 printed by the late Lord Graves, who hunted the 

 wild deer in Devonshire, that these animals, when 

 they find themselves pursued by scent, generally run 

 down wind, and the same thing has been asserted by 

 others. This, if true (for I confess I have my 

 doubts), is an extraordinary instance of sagacity, as 

 their natural instinct leads them to the opposite 

 direction ; it being a most difficult thing for men 

 alone to drive them down wind." 



Mr. Scrope clearly doubts the fact of red deer 

 running down wind as their general practice. Foxes, 

 however, almost invariably turn down wind, unless 

 trying to reach some sanctum or place of refuge, and 

 in this respect show the wiliness of their nature, by 

 keeping their enemies at a longer distance, and in 

 the full knowledge that they cannot come upon 

 them without due notice. 



There is another reason why foxhunting may 

 take precedence of stag we do not mean calf, but 

 wild deer hunting. The fox, in comparison with the 

 stag, is a very diminutive creature, leaving generally 

 a very poor scent behind him, except under very 

 pressing circumstances ; and as his physical power is 

 diminished by a long chase, so are the chances of 

 overhauling him lessened by the consequent failure 

 of the sine qua non. With a burning scent the 



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