68 BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS. 



were a century back, and in kennel discipline among 

 the rest. Very great, indeed odious, cruelty used to be 

 constantly practised in fox-hound kennels — perhaps 

 there are some now where reformation in this respect 

 is wanted ; where it is so, generally speaking, the m.en 

 are not first-rate at their business, for where that is 

 well conducted, such severity is not often wanted. 

 Hounds are like young persons, very difficult to re- 

 claim when past a certain age, but child or puppy 

 is easily made do what is proper, and then propriety be- 

 comes natural to them. It is cruelty to permit either to 

 acquire bad habits, and it becomes positive barbarity 

 and injustice to unmercifully punish, in order to cor- 

 rect that which has become habit, from our ignorance 

 or supineness in not counteracting it at the proper 

 time. The flogging administered sometimes to 

 hounds is really no less than disgraceful to man. I 

 quite allow the provocation is great, where the noisy 

 babbling of some false-tongued sinner distracts the 

 attention of hounds finding, or when his running hare, 

 or haunch, calls the whole pack from their legitimate 

 business ; still it should be remembered it is as 



