124 THE NORTH STAFFOiiDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Record for the season 1882-83, seventy-five foxes 

 killed, forty run to ground. Hunting altogether one 

 hundred and fourteen days. 



The season of 1883-84 was a great season for sport 

 with most hounds, and Dickins succeeded in killing the 

 greatest number of foxes ever killed with the North 

 Staffordshire Hounds, either before or since, up to the 

 present date. 



" November 9th, 1883. Bird-in-Hand. — Found in New Close Spriiik. Ran 

 by Bromley Wood and Hilderstone up to Spot and Moddershall, and killed. Time, 

 fifty minutes. Went back to Draycot Woods. Found in Hose Wood. Ran a 

 lot of rings, and to ground at Sharpley Heath. 



" November Wtfi, 1883. Bird-in-Hand. — Found in New Close Sprink. Ran 

 fast out to Chartley Gorse, and back by Birchwood Park and Draycot Woods, 

 and lost in a snowstorm. Went on, drew Black Lake, refound our hunted fox. 

 Ran him out to Grange Wood and Mear Heath, and killed him." 



The writer's diary entry of this day's sport is — 



" Hunting at Bird-in-Hand. Found in New Close Sprink, and away for 

 Birchwood Park, and back via Middleton Green to New Close Sprink, and on 

 towards Stallington, and lost near Fulford in a snowstorm, which cleared oif. 

 Fresh found our hunted fox in Black Lake, and killed him in Hill's Nursery at 

 Mear Heath. Good sporting run. Rode Victor." 



•' December 31st, 1883. Bird-in-Eand. — Found on Fradswell Heath. Ran 

 a fast ring round Coton to Fradswell Drumble, and on to Chartley. Clashed with 

 the Meynell, and killed our fox. Found again in New Close Sprink. Ran at a 

 great pace up to Fradswell Heath, and away by Milwich up to Hardiwick Heath, 

 and killed him. Hounds had the best of it all the way. Time, fifty-tive minutes." 



The writer's diary account of the day is — 



" Nice hunting day. Bird-in-Hand. Good gallop to Chartley from Fradswell 

 Heath. Met Meynell pack, and killed at park palings. Second fox at New 

 Close Sprink. A good gallop by Sherratt's Wood and Milwich to Hardiwick, 

 Heath, and killed. Hounds slipped us by Sherratt's Wood." 



The clashing with the Meynell at Chartley was the 

 second time this had happened within about a year. On 

 this occasion the hounds got so mixed that Charles Leed- 

 ham and Dickins had to draw hound for hound at an 

 opening in the park fence, before they could put matters 

 straight ; and we believe in the end one Meynell hound 

 went to Trentham, and vice versa. 



The next account of runs from Seighford and Shallow- 

 ford Gorse on January 9th, 1884 (the day after the 



