OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 13 



sent a bitch to him. His sending the Duke's 

 famous Brood-bitch, Gladsome, to that celebrated 

 Stallion Hound, Mr. Smith's Collier, was from 

 the report he had heard of his superior abilities 

 in the field. I have lately seen some of the same 

 blood, in the Duke's pack, work through diffi- 

 culties, and turn very quick Avith a scent, which 

 proves the advantage of a judicious cross. They 

 could also go a killing pace, and carry an excel- 

 lent head across a country, without a single hound 

 in the pack being out of his place, although they 

 were over-rode most shamefully, and often de- 

 ceived by false halloos. This must surely be 

 considered sufficient to make any hounds wild, 

 at least for the day ; but, in spite of every unto- 

 ward circumstance, they put their noses down, 

 and to my amazement, hunted in the most correct 

 and superior style, as much so, as if their followers 

 had behaved according to rule, and every thing 

 had been done quietly. 



With regard to the actual setting to work, the 

 sooner you can commence Cub-hunting the better, 

 and the steadier your pack will afterwards be. 

 A friend of mine, an excellent sportsman, for 

 want of Foxes in his woodlands, cannot begin 

 before the end of September, or the beginning 

 of October ; but by great attention and per- 

 severance through the sunmier, he has his pack 



