A SUFFICIENT PACK. 213 



able arrangements for the reception of animals in 

 which I am led to conclude he takes an especial 

 interest. 



The cost of erecting two small lodging-rooms, 

 with a boiling-house at the back, would not be 

 very great ; in short, where materials are mode- 

 rately cheap, it need not exceed twenty pounds. 

 The dimensions must, of course, depend upon the 

 strength of the pack — and that, again, will depend 

 upon the taste or fancy of the Master — some men, 

 glorying in the melodious cry of a full body of 

 hounds, say from fourteen to sixteen couples ; 

 others maintaining that half that number are quite 

 sufficient for the purpose on which alone they are 

 bent — of killing every hare they find. 



As there is such a diversity of opinion about 

 the number of hounds requisite to hunt fox or 

 hare, I will merely state that I have been fre- 

 quently out hunting within the last few years with 

 a very old and experienced Master of harriers, who 

 has occupied that position for nearly thirty seasons, 

 and the number of his hunting-pack in the field 

 has never, at any time I have met them, exceeded 

 eight couples, with which he is enabled to cope 

 with the stoutest hill-hares, generally killing two 

 or three a- day 



Facts are stubborn things to fight with, and 



