The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Hunt. 25 



assembled to do honour to Mr. G. J. Kidston, who was presented with 

 his portrait in oils, painted by Sir George Reid. 



It may be here mentioned that the late Mr. Kidston fulfilled the duties 

 of honorary secretary to the Hunt for a period extending over many 

 years, and he was extremely popular. 



Season 1904-1905 opened on 5th November, when the sport was of a 

 character so often associated with the preliminaries in the Houston country. 

 There were any amount of foxes on the move, and I remember seeing no 

 fewer than two brace leaving Elphinstone in a sort of procession to Wraes 

 soon after the pack had entered the former covert on this day. Towards 

 the end of November frost set in and caused several stoppages, but on 

 17th December, when the going was terribly heavy, there was as much 

 galloping as anyone could desire, the meet being at Finlaystone. Hounds 

 ran fast from Knockmountain over Barscube Hill and over the valley up 

 to Elphinstone, going on from here by Wraes and Botherickfield right 

 down to Scart, where they rolled over a beaten fox. In the afternoon they 

 hunted another from the gorse near Bardrainy, hounds fairly screaming as 

 they raced over the valley by Castlehill Dam up to Knockmountain. From 

 here it was the usual course over Barscube Hill, across Mid Glen to 

 Elphinstone, and this fine run was carried on back over the undulating 

 country to the left of Drums up the steep ascent of Barscube, which evidently 

 put the finishing touch on tired horses. Hounds went on to mark their 

 fox to ground in a drain at Knockmountain, this run having occupied fully 

 an hour. 



A capital run, almost entirely over grass and the cream of Renfrewshire 

 territory, fell to the lot of those hunting with the pack from Woodside on 

 10th January, 1905. A fox was found in Bowfield Moss, and going on by 

 North Castlewalls he discarded Skiff, the hounds running in fine style by 

 Mid Hartfield just to the left of Peesweep and the right of Threepgrass, 

 along the edge of Caldwell Law and between Bracko Farm and Hartfield 

 Moss, nearly to Top Farm. Here scent seemed to vanish suddenly, and, 

 as the saying goes, the fox was accounted for by being lost. The run had 

 occupied fully an hour, and was remarkable for the fact that the pilot never 

 entered a single covert en route. This was a fox of the sort a huntsman 

 likes to find. 



On 1 8th January an interesting function was carried out at a meet held 



