HUNTING DIRECTORY. 47 



Treatment of Wheliis. 



bitch has many puppies, more than she can well rear, 

 you may put some of them to another bitch ; or if you 

 destroy any of them, you may keep the best-coloured. 

 They sometimes will have an extraordinary number. 



" I have known (says Beckford) an instance of one 

 having fifteen ; and a friend of mine, whose veracity 1 

 cannot doubt, has assured me that a hound in his pack, 

 brought forth sixteen, all alive. When you breed from 

 a very favourite sort, and can have another bitch warded 

 at the same time, it will be of great service, as you may 

 then save all the puppies. — Give particular orders, that 

 the bitches be well fed with flesh; and let the whelps 

 remain till they are well able to take care of themselves. 

 They will soon learn to lap milk, which will relieve the 

 mother. — The bitches, when their whelps are taken away 

 from them, should be physicked ; I generally give them 

 three purging balls, one every other morning. If a bitch 

 brings only one or two puppies, and you have another 

 bitch that will take them, by putting the puppies to her, 

 the former will soon be fit to hunt again ; she should, 

 however, be physicked first; and if her dugs are anointed 

 with brandy and water, it will also be of service. The 

 distemper makes dreadful havock with whelps at their 

 walks; greatly owing, I believe, to the little care that is 

 taken of them there. I am in doubt whether it might 

 not be better to breed them up yourself, and have a ken- 

 nel on purpose. You have a large orchard paled in, 

 which would suit them exactly ; and what else is wanted 

 might be easily obtained. There is, however, an ob- 

 jection which perhaps may strike you : — If the distemper 

 once gets amongst them, they must all have it ; yet, not- 



