THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 41 



and yet, to dlftingiiiHi with any nicety, the order 

 a pack of liounds are in, and the diiferent degrees 

 of it, is farcly no eafy talk ; and to be done well, 

 requires no fniall degree of circumfpe6lion : you 

 had better not expect your huntfman to be very 

 exadl ; where precilion is required, he will moil 

 probably fail. 



When I am prefent myfelf, I maT:e feveral 

 draft?. When my huntfman feeds them, he calls 

 them all over l^iy their names, letting in each 

 hound as he is called ; it has its ufe — it ufes them 

 to their names, and teaches them to be obedient. 

 Were it not for this, 1 fhould difapprove of it en- 

 tirely ; fi nee it certainly requires more coolnefs 

 and deliberation to diftinguifh with precifion 

 which are bcfl entitled to precedence, than this 

 method of feeding will admit of; and unlcfs fiefh 

 be in great plenty, thofe that are called in lafi, 

 may not have a tafte of it. To prevent this in- 

 convenience, luch as are low in flefh, had better 

 be all drafted off into a feparate kennel ;* by this 

 means, the hounds that require j^"^, will all have 

 a fhare of it. If any be much poorer than the 



* By thus feparating from the reft, fucli as are poor, you will 

 proceed to the feeding of your hounds with more accuracy, and 

 lefs trouble ; and though they be at firft drafted off, m the man- 

 ner above defcribed, it is (lill meant that they fhould be let in to 

 feed, one by one, as they anfvver to their names ; or elfe, as it 

 will frequently happen, they may be better fed than taught. 



