426 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



know give them credit for wonderful dash upon a cold 

 and difficult country.) And the Fitzwilliam likewise. 

 These also were for years at the top of the tree for power 

 and beauty. No hounds ever ran harder, or with more 

 devilry ; in a plough country, too, when on most days 

 every hound has to put his nose down. 



Here is what Colonel Anstruther -Thomson in his 

 courtesy writes : — 



"Newton House, Rugby, March b. 



" My dear , — I have read some articles in the 



Field about Welsh hounds with much interest, and shall be 

 glad to give you any information I can, which is not 

 much, about Welsh hounds. 



"The year after I gave up the Pytchley Hounds 

 (1869), I became partner with Mr. Oakeley in the Ather- 

 stone Hounds, and we started the foundation of the present 

 Atherstone pack. Among others, we bought the whole 

 pack of Gogerddan Hounds from Colonel Pryse. I don't 

 think many of them were pure-bred Welshmen. I think 

 Colonel Pryse had at one time lived in the Heythrop 

 country, and got drafts from Jim Hills, which he crossed 

 with the Welsh hounds. I have no memoranda or lists 

 here, so I can only speak from memory ; but I think Mr. 

 Oakeley has, if you want more particulars. 



'' I think we got about 25 couple; they were about 

 2 2| or 23 inches, nice shaped, with good backs and fair 

 for bone, rather sharp noses, and light in colour, mostly 

 yellow and white. In work they would not draw a covert 

 like a Midland pack, but smelt the smeuses till they found 

 a place to please them, and would then creep through 

 briars like ferrets ; they were not steady, and would speak 

 either to hares or rabbits, but they soon got better in that 

 respect. They were capital hunters, ran hard, with plenty 

 of tongue, and very diligent. I never found them shy or 

 afraid of horses in the field. 



" They had not been much handled in the kennel, and 

 bit like vipers if necessary to look at their feet. The only 

 plan was to sniggle them with a hunting-whip and tie 

 their mouths up. 



