18 



BREEDING. 



vices, he should, without hesitation, draft him before 

 the rest become contaminated by such evil examples ; 

 no vicious habit is sooner acquired from others than 

 skirting, being noisy, or tying on the scent ; a mute 

 hound, particularly in woodlands, is more likely than 

 not to spoil the day's sport, every time when he is 

 taken out, and one that tires is a disgrace to his pos- 

 sessor ; — some take to hanging in cover, the sooner they 

 are hano-ed out of cover the better it will be for their 



owners 



It cannot be expected that what are termed the old 

 hounds (that is such as have hunted), can be par- 

 ticularly striking in point of beauty for the first season, 

 it is quite sufficient if they are tolerably steady, and 

 can run together ; new introductions invariably cause 

 jealousies, and those which have been perfect Nestors 

 in their former kennel, frequently become, by the 

 example of vicious companions, the most incorrigible 

 rogues themselves. Whatever hounds are to form a 

 new pack, should be undoubtedly collected for some 

 weeks previous to the commencement of cub-hunting, 

 they should be thoroughly drilled, like the young ones, 

 and such as show lameness, or vice amongst sheep 

 (hares or deer may be excused at first), should be put 

 back. Hounds which have hunted in wild mountain- 

 ous countries, are all more or less given to the vice 

 of killing their own mutton, from the impossibility of 

 a whipper-in getting at them upon all occasions, and 

 from the frequent and tempting opportunities offered 

 them of pulling down the small black sheep when 

 unobserved, which bounce out of the ling like a fox, 

 which they resemble, not only in their wildness, but 



