at Newcastle-upon- Tyne. 
113 
found with him, but whether he is or is not suitable for a 
hunter-sire depends entirely upon whether individuals believe 
or disbelieve in the expediency of an Eastern cross in hunter- 
breeding. In olden days Mr. Childe, of Kinlet — known as 
" the flying Childe " — used to beat nearly every one in Leicester 
on a horse by Lord Clive's " Arabian," while " Hermit," the 
grey horse of which Charles Davis, the huntsman of the Queen's 
stag-hounds, was so fond, was by an English thoroughbred 
(" Grey Skin "), out of a white Arab mare belonging to 
Mr. Gates, of The Hermitage, near Woking. A recent news- 
paper controversy shows that there are still many admirers of 
Arabs as hunters, though the result of Mr. Blunt s last sale 
seems to indicate that the time has not yet arrived for the 
average hunting man to regard the Eastern horse as the best 
type of a Leicestershire hunter. " Hermit," by the way, cost 
160 guineas, and was ridden by Davis for nine seasons; but 
then the Royal huntsman was a light weight — only about 
10 stone, including saddle, and the gold-lace of his coat. The 
patronage extended to " Selim," therefore, must depend upon 
how far the believers in Eastern blood act up to their theorv. 
A Roman nose helps to spoil the appearance of " Sideral," bv 
" Siderolite," out of " xMay Queen," by "Claret." "Sideral" 
has not quite the size or substance of his sire ; yet for a little 
horse he has many good points to commend him, though his 
feet might be better. " Storm Sig.ial," by " Thunderer," out of 
" Soffinka," a " Newminster " mare, is by no means a bad stamp 
of a hunter-sire. In colour he is a rich dark bay, he walks well, 
has great bone, and should find favour in the eyes of those who 
like big horses. " Sulieman," by " Knight of the Crescent," 
out of " Queen of Prussia," by " Orlando," struck one as being 
rather narrow, but showing rather more quality than the last- 
named ; his shoulders and quarters are good, and he is a mus- 
cular horse, ticked with white hairs. " Swillington " (late 
"Willie Darling"), by "Hermit," out of " Stockwater," by 
" Stock well," gained rather an unenviable name when on the 
Turf, through his tendency to break blood-vessels at critical 
moments. As a show candidate, he is not by any means at his 
best, having apparently lost a good deal of his muscle, and, 
when compared with some of the others, looking light and 
leggy. Nevertheless, no horse bred as " Swillington " is could 
be otherwise than good-looking, though some critics denied him 
the merits looked for in a hunter. His back and loins are good 
enough to carry 14 stone to hounds, and when he has spent a 
little longer time in the paddock, he may possibly find greater 
favour in the eyes of judges than that which attended him at 
Newcastle. From head to tail " The Muleteer," by " Mogador," 
VOL. XXIIL — S. S. I 
