42 RATS IN KENNELS. 



licking the floor in the cold for an hour, instead of 

 retiring to their benches. 



The feeding-room should be so contrived, that the 

 pack may be drawn in to feed from one court, and 

 turned out through another door into a second court, 

 by this means they can be fed much easier, and more 

 level, than by turning those which have been fed back 

 amongst those which are waiting; the door through 

 which they are drawn in, should be divided in the 

 middle; the upper part being left open during the 

 time of feeding, renders the operation much less dif- 

 ficult to the feeder. The feeding-room should be 

 always separate from the boiling-house, let the size be 

 ever so large even in a temporary cub-hunting kennel, 

 as the heat of the furnaces will cause the puddings to 

 ferment, to say nothing of other inconveniences. 

 Hounds seldom look clean in their coats when the 

 boiling;-house is in the centre of the buildino;, on ac- 

 count of the smut falling continually upon them when 

 in the court yards. The eaves should be by all means 

 spouted, and the water well drained olf, which will 

 much contribute to the dryness of the place ; the gut- 

 ters of the courts should be all carried into one main 

 drain, which should not have access to the open air 

 within at least one hundred yards of the building, 

 well grated at each end to prevent the rats getting in. 

 This description of vermin will be found most trou- 

 blesome guests in a kennel, if allowed to increase ; 

 the food they destroy is perfectly incredible, to say 

 nothing of their leisure moments being employed in 

 drilling loop holes through the doors, trough lids, 

 and meat sacks. There are various ways for extir- 



