208 HUNTING DIRECTORY. 



An old Sportsman's Opinion 



" There is certainly something noble and heroic in 

 hunting the wild boar, the tiger, and the lion ; but we 

 inhabit an island wherein art and activity are more 

 requisite to the huntsman than strength of body, and 

 where safety must compensate for the want of glory. 



" The principal games of Great Britain are the deer, 

 the fox, the hare, the otter, the badger, and martin ; 

 though the three last of these would hardly deserve the 

 honour of being hunted, were they not in season in the 

 spring of the year, when the poor hare ought to be in 

 peace to mviltiply her species, and were not our young 

 gentlemen contented to play at a small game rather than 

 stand idle. 



"There are authors before me on this subject, who 

 have with accurate judgment and great learning described 

 the pursuit after each of the animals above mentioned, 

 and been so particular as to lay down at large the terms 

 of art, the ways of finding, recovering, and taking each 

 distinct species ; as well as the kinds and marks of the 

 dogs proper to be chosen for the different games ; to 

 such therefore I refer my readers, it being my design to 

 repeat very little of other men's labours, and not to 

 enlarge on topics that every green coat officer under- 

 stands, or at least pretends to do it, better than myself. 



*' The stag, I confess, is a noble prize ; and as the taking 

 it requires a large pack of dogs, the very best of horses, 

 and a great expence, to the nobility and men of noble 

 estates I have long since resigned it. The pursuit after 

 the fox is also violent, and fit rather for those youthful 

 heroes who glory in breaking the hearts of their horses, 

 and venturinff their own necks. The fliffht of these two 



