SEASON 1895-96 279 



of the house of Manners, whose family pack the Bel- 

 voir had been smce its institution. Though the sun 

 certainly set and a new day began for the Belvoir, it 

 was full of reflected glory, " for when Frank Gillard 

 retired with his noble master the Duke of Rutland, 

 he left behind such a number of superb stud hounds 

 as has probably seldom if ever before been 

 assembled in this famous kennel. Some few — 

 very few — kennels in England may show you six 

 stallion hounds worthy of the title. Belvoir can 

 show you twenty." We are quoting the outside 

 opinion of so high an authority as Brooksby, who 

 goes on to say : " The wherewithal to strengthen a 

 pack, to maintain its bone, to improve the type of 

 its brood bitches, is to be found in quantity and 

 variety. It merely remains to ask yourself which 

 lines of blood you prefer. For instance, if that of 

 Weathergage and of Lord Henry Bentinck's Dori- 

 mont attract you, and it is an object to get in- 

 creased substance, how can you do better than 

 appeal to the massive and successful Valiant (1889) ? 

 If, again, you are not averse to that of Rufford 

 Dancer, how can you leave the notable brotherhood 

 of Dancer, Dolphin, and Donovan (1891) ? All 

 three have made their mark in many a kennel, but 

 the greatest of these is Donovan, who has worked 

 such wonders for the Grafton. If, again, you have 

 a fancy for the great Proctor— Struggler — Ruler — 

 Nelson family all are well proven, and their names 

 are respectively Prodigal, Painter, Pensioner, and 

 Tapster (1886). Prodigal has been most used at 

 home, but Tapster, a year younger, is, to the 



