102 OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 



of killing him, if they do not change, which will 

 often happen where foxes are plentiful. In the 

 long runs we read of, an end, when hounds are 

 beat, unless they have gone a very slow pace, to 

 a certainty the pack must have changed foxes ; 

 and nothing disheartens hounds so much as chang- 

 ing. Perhaps no fox can stand more than an 

 hour the best pace before hounds of the present 

 day, except in the Roothings of Essex, and in 

 some parts of Suffolk, where I have seen them 

 often run an hour and twenty minutes. Some 

 sportsmen have an idea that particular breeds of 

 foxes are better than others, and there is some 

 reason in the observation ; every one must allow 

 they differ often in size, colour, and shape ; you 

 may probably smile, and call me too fanciful, yet 

 I certainly have observed that the best runners 

 and the stoutest, are the long dark coloured foxes ; 

 but I beg to be understood that this depends 

 chiefly upon their age. 



With regard to naming your hounds, it strikes 

 me to be of little consequence Avhat names you 

 give them ; some prefer words of three syllables, 

 others two ; the latter are thought to be the 

 easiest to halloo to. The dog hovmds are generally 

 named from heroes, ancient and modern, and 

 there is scarcely a pack in the kingdom that does 

 not boast its Wellington. As to the colour of 



