46 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 



If your hounds be not walked out, they lliould 

 be turned into the grals- court to empty thcm- 

 felves after they have been fed, it will contribute 

 not a little to the cleanhncfs of the kennel. 



I have heard that it is a cuflom in fome ken- 

 nels to lliLit up the hounds for a couple of liours 

 after they come in from hunting, before they arc 

 fed; and that other hounds are fliut up with 

 theni, to lick them clean."* ]\Iy ufual way is to 

 fend on a whipper-in before them, that the meat 

 may be gotten ready againil they come, and they 

 are fed imnieduUelj/ : having filled their bellies^ 

 they are naturally inclined to reft. If they have 

 had a fjvcre day, they arc fed again fome hours 

 after. -f- As to the method above-mentioned, it 

 may be more convenient perhaps to have the 

 hounds all together: but 1 cannot think it nccel*- 

 fary, for the reafon that is given ; and I fliould 

 apprehend a parcel of idle hounds, fhut up 

 amongft fucli as are tired and inclined to refl, 



* If hounds be fhut up, as foon as they come an from 

 hunting, theywill not readily leave the benches afterwards; for 

 Jf they be much fatigued, tliey will jn-efer reft to food. 



f My hounds are generally fed twice on the days they hunt. 

 Some will feed better the fecond time than the firft; befides, 

 the turning them out of the lodging-houfe refreflies them; they 

 ftretch their limbs; empty their bodies; and, as during this 

 jime their kennel is cleaned out, and litter fliaken up, they fet- 

 tle tliemfelves better on the benches afterwards. 



would 



