128 SPORTING REMINISCENCES [1825 to 



of Mr. Villebois taking out a pack for the 

 day's hunting all got by one hound out of four 

 bitches — an account of which was then given 

 in the Sjwrting Magazine* The name of the 

 sire was Pontiff; and the bitches were Ven- 

 geance, Thoughtless, Notable, and Milliner — 

 the two last now running with the pack. 



" To breed hounds for Hampshire is no 

 easy task; for those which would scarcely 

 ever miss a fox in some countries might 

 seldom kill one here. For example : Mr. 

 Osbaldeston's twenty-five couples picked out 

 of his celebrated pack, with Seabright at their 

 head, only killed seven Hampshire foxes in 

 three months ; and I have reason to believe 

 Sir Bellingham Graham did about as much. 

 Before I hunted a month in it, I pronounced 

 it to be the most difficult country to kill a 

 good fox in that I ever had seen, and my 

 opinion is in no wise changed. By the time 

 Christmas is past, if the weather be open, 

 more than half of it is ploughed; and from 

 the constant changing from pretty good to 

 very bad land, hounds are always uncertain 

 of their scent, and, consequently, afraid to 

 hold on. To this must be added the number 

 of small, as well as large, coverts which 

 abound in it, where foxes are always making 



* This occurred Dec. 22, 1822, and 13 alluded to at p. 105. 



