THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 97 



are cbccxked back, or some of them let in, as may best 

 suit the purpose of blooding After they have beea 

 hunted a few days in this manner, they are then sent to 

 more distant covers, and more old hounds are added to 

 them : there they continue to hunt, till they are taken into 

 the pack, which is seldom later than the beginning of 

 September j for by that time they v.'ill have learned what 

 is required of them, and they seldom give much trouble 

 afterv/ards*. In September I begin to hunt in earnest j 

 and after the eld hounds have killed a few 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 seldom have occasion to take in more than nine or 

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

 the next, till all are steady. 



Two other methods of entering young hounds 1 have 

 pradised occasionally, as the number of hounds have 

 required ; for instance, if that number be considerable 

 (fifteen or sixteen couple), I make a large draft of my stea- 



* Sport, in fox-hunting, cannot be said to begin before Odober; but, 

 in the tvv'o preceding months, a pack is either made or marr'd. 



