148 A MONTH IN THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



buzzard-hawk seemed to be as plentiful in these 

 forests as they were in the woods, forests, and chases 

 of Bedfordshire when I hunted the country ; and 

 when I first arrived at the chateau, I observed more 

 than one specimen of the hoopoo. By walk and 

 steady trot, through very rough paths. Coco contrived 

 to ** devour the distance ; " and after some time I 

 reached, and for a space continued in, the high road, 

 where we had previously made a " hollow bush," 

 when searching for the very litter of wolves which 

 then again brought me into that vicinity. A few 

 miles further I beheld several horsemen waiting on 

 another road, and shortly after discovered three 

 bunches of hounds — for I cannot better describe the 

 animals strung to trees, tied by the heads together, 

 and which in this portion of fair France are miscalled 

 *^ packs of hounds." One circumstance alone de- 

 lighted me, and this was that the pack (which I 

 had not previously seen) belonging to M. Rambour 

 consisted of more hounds, better looking, and in more 

 able condition, than the others, and, I think, num- 

 bering eight or nine couples, among them some of the 

 large rough hounds from La Vendee in Brittany, 

 reminding me considerably of a bloodhound, save 

 from their roughness and pied white colour. It is 

 the fashion, or rather the neglect, of French gentle- 



