176 HUNTING DIRECTORY. 



The System of the 



" After hare-hunting, they were, the remaming part 

 of the summer, daily walked amongst riot. 



" When the hunting season commenced, his hounds 

 wei'e hunted in the woodlands, amidst abundance of 

 foxes, for two months. 



"In the month of November, the pack was carefully 

 divided into the old and young pack. The old pack 

 consisted of three years' old and upwards ; and no two 

 years' old was admitted, except a very high opinion was 

 entertained of his virtues and abilities. 



" The young hounds were hunted twice a week, as 

 much in woodlands as possible, and in the most un- 

 popular coverts. The young pack had always a few 

 couple of steady old hounds with them. 



" The old pack hunted the best country. When any 

 bad faults were discovered, they were immediately draft- 

 ed, for fear of contamination. 



" Skirting, over-running the scent, and babbling, were 

 the greatest faults. 



" Perfections consisted of true guiders in hard run- 

 ning, and close patient hunters in a cold scent — together 

 with stoutness. 



"Mr. Meynell's hounds were criticised, by himself 

 and his friends, in the most minute manner : every hound 

 had his peculiar talents, and was sure to have a fair op- 

 portunity of displaying them. Some had the remark- 

 able faculty of finding a fox, which they would do, almost 

 invariably, notwithstanding twenty or thirty couple were 

 out in the same cover ; some had the propensity to hunt 

 the doubles and short turns ; some were inclined to be 

 hard runners ; some had a i-emarkable faculty of hunting 



