230 HUNTING DIRECTORY. 



Of Speed and Music. 



inclined to think, cannot run at the very top of his speed, 

 and send forth a considerable volume of music at the same 

 time. In the latter end of the month of February, 1825, 

 I was out with a pretty pack of harriers belonging to 

 R. Seed, Esq. in the neighbourhood of Liverpool: we 

 had quested for some hours, without finding, and had 

 every prospect of a blank day, when, about three o'clock, 

 a hare moved from a wheat field, in the township of 

 Maghull, and went away as if she meant to run. The 

 hounds got well settled to the scent immediately, and ran 

 breast high. The hare never doubled, the scent was as 

 good as possible, and such was the speed of the hounds 

 that it was not without the utmost difficulty the leading 

 sportsmen could keep with them. The pack ran un- 

 commonly well together, but were by no means so loud 

 and musical as usual ; and in running over some fine 

 grazizig ground, they became nearly mute : Pilot, one of 

 the pack, a dog with much of the southern blood in his 

 composition, who was remarkable for music, and whose 

 voice was generally heard above the rest, crossed a con- 

 siderable space without opening. In fact, I never saw 

 these harriers run with such speed, or make so little 

 noise over it. The hare ran six miles, and was killed 

 almost without the occurrence of a trifling check. From 

 this, as well as similar circumstances which I have wit- 

 nessed, I infer that a hound, when running at the very 

 extremity of his speed, cannot be very musical ; indeed, 

 if we reason upon the matter, we must come to the same 

 conclusion. 



