RECORDS FOR 1877-78 AND 1878-79. 65 



The record for the season was forty-nine foxes killed, 

 and forty-two run to ground, which, by a curious co- 

 incidence, was exactly similar to the record of the 

 previous season, but it was accomplished in ninety-nine 

 days' hunting as compared with one hundred and eleven 

 days in the season of 1876-77. It is evident that scent 

 was much better in the season of 1877-78, and that sport 

 generally was of a higher class than in the preceding 

 season, although the " bag " was precisely the same. 



The season of 1878-79 was much interrupted by a 

 long frost, which set in about the latter end of November, 

 and almost entirely stopped hunting until February, 1879. 



Dickins mentions, a propos of January 1st, 1879, 

 when hounds managed to get out in a short interval of 

 open weather, that Boxall hunted the hounds — that he 

 (Dickins) could not go out, being unwell, and that this 

 was the first time hounds had been out without him in 

 twenty-two years. 



" March 10th, 1879. BetJeij Hall.—Drew Betley blank and Wrinehill ; also 

 Finson's Hay. Found at Harrow's Wood. Ean to Checkley and on to Blaken- 

 hall, and back to Checkley and Finson's Hay Gorse, and killed him. A good 

 hour and forty minutes. 



^^ March 3lst, 1879. Weston Eall, Crewe. — Found at Doddlespool. Kan a 

 ring to Mill Dr.ie and Barthomley, back to Mill Dale to ground. Then got on 

 another fox and killed him. Found a third at Craddock Moss. Ran to Hayes 

 Wood to ground. Found a fourth fox at the Gladdings, and killed him." 



This very moderate season came to an end with a 

 poor day's sport from Stableford Bridge on April 12th. 

 The record of foxes killed was forty-two, and thirty run 

 to ground. Not such a bad record, seeing that the 

 hounds were only out on seventy-eight days altogether, 

 being stopped by frost and snow for something like seven 

 weeks. 



The season of 1879-80 was again unlucky in the 

 matter of frost and snow. Dickins records that alto- 

 gether hounds were stopped by frost for twenty-eight 

 hunting days during the season. 



" November 10th, 1879. Norton-ia-Eales. — Found in the Canal Covert at 

 Betton. Ran fast to Oakley Folly to ground. Then went back to Betton. 



F 



