I08 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



use them, as early as I can, to the strongest covers and 

 thickest brakes; and I seldom find that they are shy of 

 them afterwards. A friend of mine has assured me, that 

 he once entered a spaniel to snipes, and the dog ever afcer 

 was partial to them, preferring them to every other bird. 



If you have martin-cats within your reach, as all hound,^ 

 are fond of their scent, you will do well to enter your young 

 hounds in the covers they frequent. The martin-cat, being 

 a small animal, by running the thickest brakes it can find, 

 teaches hounds to run cover, and is therefore of the great- 

 est use. 1 do not much approve of hunting them with the 

 old hounds : they shew but little sport ; are continually 

 climbing trees ; and as the cover they run seldom fails to 

 scratch and tear hounds considerably, 1 think you might be 

 sorry to see your whole pack disfigured by it. The agility 

 of this little animal is really wonderful ; and though it fre- 

 ..quently falls from a tree in the midst of a whole pack of 

 hounds, all intent on catching it, there are but few in- 

 stances, 1 believe, of a martin's being caught by them in 

 that situation. 



In summer, hounds might hunt in an evening. I know 



