52 The Lanarkshire and Renfrezvshire Hunt. 



them in a deep drain. These are the brief points of a really brilliant hunt 

 of two hours and ten minutes. 



When writing of sport one is apt to forget the covert owners, and I must 

 not omit to mention such a fine sportsman as Mr. John A. Holms. When 

 looking at the coverts around Formakin one realises they were specially 

 made to encourage foxes, for there are many snug corners here, and there 

 is a splendid patch of gorse on the estate. As the owner of Klondyke, 

 Hornpipe, and other good horses, Mr. Holms was a very popular competitor 

 in the point-to-point races, and he was invariably seen to advantage. 



Caldwell House has at various times been the home of several 

 enthusiasts of the chase, and Mr. W. C. Dickson formerly lived there. 

 We now have Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Howden to extend a cordial welcome. 

 The sport from a Caldwell House meet on 8th January was not very 

 exhilarating, and after killing one fox in the policies they had a gallop 

 with another from Blacloch to ground. In the afternoon we had a miserably 

 wet experience, for it rained as though it had never rained before, and there 

 was some wind with it. 



Finlaystone House is now in the occupancy of Mr. and Mrs. Blakeston 

 Houston, the latter being a daughter of the late Mr. G. J. Kidston— and 

 it is still a very popular place of tryst. On 22nd January they found a 

 brace in the home coverts, and a lot of ringing around here ended with 

 the fox going to ground. They got another away from the west covert, 

 and an enjoyable run was now afforded by Knockmountain to Elphinstone 

 and nearly to Cleaves, hounds losing their fox at Corslie Hill. 



Erskine Hospital was the venue on 1st February, but there was a very 

 poor scent in the early part of the day, and it was slow hunting with a fox 

 from Barochan Moss to Elphinstone. Finding another on Barscube Hill, 

 they had a good hunt round by Corslie Hill and Drums to Formakin, back 

 round Barscube Hill into Drums again, where they killed a well-beaten fox 

 in the evening. 



From Hartfield Farm, on 12th February, they had a capital hunt with a 

 Skiff fox by way of Bowfield across a fine line of country to Brownmuir, thence 

 by Cuff hill and Blaclochside. From here the pilot got well ahead of hounds, 

 and they could only hunt slowly to Woodside, where he went to ground. 



There have been many successful fixtures at Auchinbothie since 

 Major H. B. Collins came into possession of this estate, and it may be said 



