ANIMALS PURSUED IN ENGLAND AT THE PRESENT DAY. 41 



hounds, when badger-hunting, would take no notice of them. 

 He was especially anxious that I should see the sport ; but as 

 it only takes place in the summer, I had not the opportunity. 

 I believe, however, that he has had some of the best sportsmen 

 in England, and more than one noted M.F.H. amongst them, as 

 his companions in these badger-hunting expeditions. 



The foumart is never now hunted to my knowledge, and 

 Captain Hopwood, of Bala, North Wales, kept the last pack 

 of hounds for the purpose in the country — in fact, the only 

 pack of which any record has been preserved. As this is 

 from the classic pen of Nimrod, and the hunting of this animal 

 will be no further alluded to, perhaps it may interest some of my 

 readers if I transcribe the paper which appeared in the new series 

 of the " Sporting Magazine," December, 1841. Mmrod says, — 



" I have at last been able to procure a description of a kind 

 of hunting previously unknown to myself, and such it must be 

 to the vast majority of your readers. I allude to a pack of what 

 are called foumart hounds, kept by Captain Hopwood, a gen- 

 tleman of family and fortune, at present residing at a beautiful 

 seat in the neighbourhood of Bala, K"orth Wales. As the system 

 he pursues, and the diversion afforded by it, must be something 

 of a novelty in the well- beaten track of the chase, it cannot fail 

 of being interesting ; and I have it in my power to send you a 

 sketch of one of the hounds used in this species of hunting, 

 which resembles, to no inconsiderable extent, the old Welsh 

 broken-haired fox-hound, so called because by his fine nose 

 foxes could be hunted by the drag at nearly aU hours of the 

 day from the hills, where they had been busy among the sheep 

 or lambs, to their earths, where they were either digged to or 

 caught with nets placed at the mouth of them. 



" By way of giving some idea of the sort of sport Captain Hop- 

 wood's hounds afford, I will transcribe part of a note from him- 

 self to a neighbouring sportsman, arranging for the next day's 

 meeting, namely, the 21st of June last past. It was not in- 

 tended to meet the public eye, and is therefore most likely to 



