160 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



Greenwell, of Broom shields, knew his own foxes at a glanoe, 

 and many of his neighbours' foxes as well. But then he was 

 oonsJtantly among them, for not. only did he do a lot of earth- 

 stoipping, buti he watched foxes at play right through the 

 summer, and, having a quick eye, he noticed little peouliari- 

 ties, and more especially peculiarities of action. He used to 

 say that half a dozen foxes would all trot and gallop in slightly 

 different form, and I am much inclined to believe that he was 

 right, for this variation of action can be found in most hounds, 

 and to a much greater eixtent in horses. Look at any field of 

 hunters galloping over the open, and there will be as many 

 styles of going as theire are horses in sight. It is the same, 

 too, in a show ring, and here the action can be studied. How 

 often, too, when hunting, does one recognise a horse that is 

 quite a long way off by his action, and before his rider can be 

 plainly discerned. 



Coverts Round Stamfordham. 

 West and north of Stamfordham is ai very fine covert, called 

 the Fens, which lies high on a hillside, and not as the name 

 suggests in a hollow. Due wesit are the Matf en coverts, which 

 have been mentioned in connection with the Monday country, 

 while on the east side of the village are the Heugh covert, 

 certain plantations about Dalton and Dissington Hall, and a 

 mile further on East Dissington, a capital covert, and a 

 certain find. Further north, between Dissington and Belsay, 

 is Milbourne Dene, through which flows a brook, called, I 

 think, the Black Heddon Brook. Some years ago hounds had 

 run a fox into the Dene and hunted steadily up it. It was 

 in mid-winter, and the brook, which no doubt is a trickle in 

 summer time, was greatly swollen, and the banks almost hid- 

 den. Towards the western end of the Dene there is a ford, 

 with a narrow wicket gate in front of it, and the field had to 

 pull up and go through in single file. The entrance to the ford 

 beyond the wicket was narrow also, and as horses began tO' be 

 a little crowded, one standing within two or threei yards of the 

 bank shot out and jumped the brook, doing this " on his own " 

 to the amazement of his rider. Almost immediately other 

 horses were infected with the same idea, and one or two of 

 the field who were not in the least inclined for a biggish water 

 jump found themsielvea carried over or into the water. It wa<: 



