THOUGHTS UPON HUNTIKG. 89 



When they beghi to hunt, they are firfl: taken 

 into a large cover of my own, which has many 

 ridings cut in it ; and where young foxes are 

 turned out every year on purpofe for them. Here 

 they arc taught the fcent they are to follow, are 

 encouraged to purfue it, and arc ftopped from 

 every other. Here they are blooded to fox. I 

 muft alfo tell you that as foxes are plentiful in 

 this cover, the principal earth is not ftopped, and 

 the foxes are checked back, or fome of them let 

 in, as may bed fuit the purpofe of blooding. After 

 they have been hunted a few days in this manner, 

 they are then fent to more diftant covers, and 

 more old hounds are added to them ; there they 

 continue to hunt till they are taken into the pack, 

 which is feldom later than the beginning of Sep- 

 tember ; for by that time they will have learned 

 what is required of them, and they feldom give 

 much trouble afterwards.* In September I begin 

 to hunt in earnefl, and after the old hounds have 

 killed a (q\v foxes, the young hounds are put into 

 the pack, two or three couple at a time, till all 

 have hunted. They are then divided ; and as I 

 feldom have occafion to take in more than nine or 

 ten couple, one half are taken out one day, the 

 other half the next, till all are fteady. 



* Sport in fox-hunting cannot be faid to begin before 1^0- 

 ber, but in the two preceding months, a pack is either made or 

 marred. 



Two 



