110 OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 



with a run, vmless the hounds do their work 

 well. 



Were I to have some sporting friends coming 

 to see my hounds in the field, I should prefer 

 going away dose at him for twenty minutes, then 

 a short check, to bring the hounds to a hunting 

 scent, and a quick thing at last, and run into 

 him, in order that my friends might be convinced 

 the hounds could hunt as well as run ; for of this 

 I am certain, if they cannot do both, they merit 

 not the name of fox-hounds. It is a mistaken 

 idea to suppose that a southern hound, or any 

 other species, has a better nose than a fox-hound. 

 I once had some dogs to hunt hare, they consisted 

 of every description, — the rough tanned and blue 

 mottled harriers, and among them a few fox- 

 hounds from George Sharpe, his present Majesty's 

 huntsman at that time ; the fox-hounds always 

 showed a superiority of noses, and it is my opinion 

 no animal of the canine race has so fine a nose 

 as they have. A pointer, with a cross of a fox- 

 hound, (in short, he was got by one,) was the 

 best I ever had. Often in bad scenting days I 

 have known him find game, which other pointers 

 had passed by without winding. 



Now that we are upon the subject of what 

 is called winding game, let me observe, that it 

 is a great advantage to hounds to draiv up ivind ; 



