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New Forest, it was the custom in the 

 spring for the hounds to meet at break of 

 day, to enable them to find their fox, with 

 what is called a drag. No doubt it would 

 be gratifying to sportsmen and masters of 

 hounds to see them work on this drag, if it 

 could be done without a great destruction 

 of vixen foxes. But if you should happen 

 to get upon the drag of a wet vixen, or one 

 heavy in cub, what chance can she pos- 

 sibly have in that state ? The New Forest 

 is a peculiar sort of hunting ; sportsmen that 

 are accustomed to it prefer it to any other. 

 In no country can you see the work of 

 hounds so well, although the riding to 

 them is thought nothing of. 



Leicestershire-men are often at a loss 

 here, as much as Foresters would be in 

 that great country. I have frequently seen 

 in the Forest brilliant and gratifying tilings 

 to a sportsman, in which hounds that were 

 perfect at their work had an opportunity 

 of showing themselves to the greatest pos- 



