THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 279 



namely, ihe'ir heivg out of hlood-y nor can there 

 be any other realbn affigncd why hounds, which 

 we know to be good, lliould remain fo long as 

 they fometimes do without killing a fox.* Large 

 packs are leall lubje^t to this inconvenience : 

 hounds that are quite frefli, and in high fpirits, 

 leaft feel the want of blood. The fmallefl packs 

 therefore fliould be able to leave at Icaft ten or 

 twelve couple of hounds behind them, to be 

 frefh againft the next hunting day. If your 

 hounds be much out of blood, give them reft: 

 take this opportunity to hunt with other hounds, 

 to fee how they are managed, to obferve what 

 flallion hounds they have, and to judge yourfelf, 

 whether they be fach as it is fit for you to breed 

 from. If what I have now recommended fhould 

 not fucceed, if a little reft and a fine morning do 

 not put your hounds into blood again, I know of 

 nothing; elfe that will ; and you muft attribute 

 your ill fuccefs, I fear, to another caufe. 



You fay, you generally hunt at a late hour : 

 after a tolerably good run, try not to find another 

 fox. Should you be long in finding, and fliould 

 you not have fuccefs afterwards, it will hurt 

 your hounds: fhould you try a long time, and 



* A pack of hounds that had been a month without killing a 

 fox, at lafl ran one to ground, which they dug, and killed upon 

 the earth: the next feveu days they hunted they killed a io^ each 

 day. 



T 4 not 



