to hunt in, I am convinced they are far more effective than a gigantic sort; they are symmetrical, and level to the eye. Mr. Montague, who hunts them himself, was mounted on a very clever, compact bay horse, low, powerful, and quick; and attended by two whippers-in, consistently appointed.

They proceeded to draw a covert called Burnhams, on the outside of Aldermaston Park; and had not been in it longer than a few minutes before a challenge from a well-known hound elicited encouragement, when the whole pack joined in chorus. A fox well found, and on the first challenge, the enthusiastic cheer of the huntsman, confident of the truth of his favourite, who " speaks first," is the most delightful prelude to a run that can be imagined; and if a bad scent or other unfortuitous events (over which no human being can have control) detract from the accomplishment of a good run, every true sportsman will retire at the end of the day indulging in the satisfaction that the huntsman and his hounds have done" their duty."

The fox, without requiring to be much pressed, soon broke away; and I, as a stranger, ignorant of the nature of the country, imagined we were in for a burst over the open; but such a pleasure was not in store. Getting well away from the covert, the hounds did their work admirably; but the chain of woodlands was too attractive. Through them the fox ran a ring to Aldermaston Park, and in the direction of Padworth; a locality equally abounding in sylvan retreats. To enumerate the coverts through which a ringing fox makes his play, would not only be most uninteresting to read, but to a stranger, like myself, a task of great difficulty. I must therefore be content with stating that Mr. Montague and his steady pack stuck to their chase with admirable perseverance, till "the shades of evening" compelled them to desist.

With a very moderate scent, but working beautifully, and having many difficulties to contend against, in fact such as many huntsmen would have shrunk from, an opportunity existed of forming a just conclusion of the capabilities of the pack, and of the skill with which their operations were directed; in fact, more so than could have been formed with a “brilliant scent" and "thirty minutes" over the country. It is with a bad scent and a ringing fox that hounds show their excellence in the grand property of stooping, and the huntsman his experience in the habits of the crafty animal." All hounds of the present day will go fast enough with a blazing scent over the country, and can, under such circumstances, scarcely fail to kill their fox.

The services of the two whippers-in must not be overlooked; they were always in their places, and the head whip appeared to be all but gifted with the faculty of ubiquity: when it is mentioned that he came from Mr. Assheton Smith's establishment, no wonder can be expressed that he knows his business. The under whip, although but young, was constantly at hand to wait upan his master; from whom it is very apparent he has received the most judicious instructions. A little anecdote, which is scarcely worth relating in detail, of an event which took place on a subsequent day, when they met at Bucklebury, on which occasion Mr. Montague wished to have a gate opened as he was making a cast, confirms me in this impression.

I cannot dismiss the notice of this day's sport without mentioning a circumstance which I never met with on any other occasion. All the

hand gates around Aldermaston Park were locked; not, let me explain, in opposition to hunting, as the master of the hounds, his servants, and some other persons were supplied with keys; but those of the field who were not close at hand when such an auxiliary was available were "done," as the locks are so constructed as to refasten when the gates close.

Another opportunity presented itself of paying my respects to the South Berkshire, at Bucklebury, when several coverts were drawn blank. They did not find till after mid-day; and when they did, the scent was very bad. The surrounding country replete with woodlands, and the land awfully wet, sport was out of the question.

In the way of subscription, I heard with regret, it was not quite so ample as the occasion requires; but surely the liberality of those gentlemen who derive so much amusement from his efforts, will never suffer the master of these hounds to be out of pocket. He is indefatigable in his endeavours to show sport; always with his hounds-no easy task in such a country, and one which can only be accomplished by a perfect knowledge of the district.

Most of the places at which the South Berkshire meet are within easy distance of the Great Western Railway, or the branches which extend from Reading to Hungerford or Basingstoke; and although most of the country is of a woodland character, this pack is well deserving a visit from those who roam in quest of variety.

The country hunted by Lord Gifford, known as the H.H., is considerably reduced in extent from what it was during the time of the late Mr. Villebois. In other words, it has been divided. On the authority of Nimrod, "It commenced at a village called Crondell, to the right of the road from Odiham to Farnham, and reached to Southampton in one direction, and Romsey in another," thus encircling Winchester and Bishop's Waltham. The latter portion has been hunted by the Hambledon for several years. The Western or Hursley district is hunted by

Mr. Cockburn.

It cannot be denied that much convenience arises from one pack of hounds not hunting over too extensive a scope of country, simply from the fact that by such a division the resident sportsman enjoys much more hunting, without having to go from his home. In the late Mr. Villebois' time they had an occasional kennel at Hursley, where the hounds were taken to hunt that side of their country, and where they sojourned a fortnight or three weeks at a time, so that the members of the hunt residing in the other part were at a loss how to occupy their leisure days and keep their horses at work: alternate inconvenience was thus occasioned. It is worthy of remark that under the present arrangement there is a sufficiency of foxes-a fact that would have been much questioned some five-and-twenty years ago; at least, so Nimrod must have been of opinion, as he writes in 1825: "Mr. Villebois' country is of considerable extent, and so it ought to be for four regularly advertised fixtures every week, and very often a bye-day on the Friday." Lord Gifford hunts four days in the week, Mr. Cockburn two; and estimating the portion of country hunted by the Hambledon as equivalent to one, the original district affords seven days. To accomplish this, the preservation of foxes must, most unquestionably, be more scrupulously attended to than it was in former times.

In

To the eye many parts present a most flattering appearance, the fields being generally large, and it does not seem to overabound with woodlands; but in that respect the country is deceptive; for on hunting days they are too numerous and extensive-they seem as if they had risen for the occasion. The fences are generally practicable and easy, though, many of the hedge-rows being very wide, it is necessary to walk through them, which occasionally requires a considerable degree of thrusting to accomplish. Ditches are not numerous, and what there are, for the most part, not deep. The gates, however, are infamously hung; and so contrived in the matter of fastenings, that you are generally obliged to lift the head up for the purpose of opening them. all hunting countries-and where is there a spot in England so infelicitous as not to be cheered by the harmony of hound and horn!farmers would materially consult their best interests by having their gates so constructed that they may be opened with facility. They would save their fences from injury by so doing. The first flight men, when hounds are running, may scarcely ever think of opening gates; but those are not the style of men who damage the fences-they will jump the gates or fences, whichever may be in their line, without injury to either; but there is another class, who look out for the gates in order to pass through them, and they compose the greater portion of the hunting fields. If they cannot open the gates readily, the fences are broken down by them. They are the multitude: and those who are the most indifferently mounted occasion the most damage. This remark applies to other countries as much as to this, especially where the fences are strongest.

Brooks are of very rare occurrence in Hampshire; indeed, it excites some surprise what becomes of the superfluous waters, in wet seasons like the present; for this has, in truth, been a remarkably moist one. The greatest source of annoyance, in some parts, arises from the flints where the surface of the fields are thickly strewed with them-very detrimental, it would seem, to good husbandry; but this is a county where that science is not courted. Draining is wofully neglected, and the land not well cultivated; the portions under the plough ride very heavy; within the last twenty years, a vast quantity of the down land, which previously abounded, has been broken up. The most disagreeable impediments are the bye-lanes, into many of which there is a considerable drop from the fences; these lanes are commonly formed with chalk, which, at times, is as slippery as ice: loose flints are scattered on the surface; and if a horse, in leaping the fence, puts his foot on one of them, so as to come in contact with the frog or heel, much pain is occasioned, and he is very likely to come on his knees. On this account, and likewise as a protection when galloping over flinty strewn fields, it is essentially necessary that the fore feet should be provided with shoes having plenty of cover, and also strength at the heels. In a general way, I am strongly opposed to the use of shoes wide in the web; in grass countries they are certainly objectionable, as they cause horses to slip, and are not so conducive to the healthy condition of the foot; besides which, they are more readily drawn off by suction. In flinty and stony districts, the web must be sufficiently wide to preserve the foot; and the length of the heel demands much nicety of adjustment; if it be too long, there is great danger of the fore shoe being torn off by the hind

foot, and if not sufficiently long, the frog and heel are deprived of that protection which is imperatively necessary to the safety of both horse and rider.

It is ten times less dangerous to get a fall at a brook than over a drop fence into a lane; in the former case a ducking is, in most cases, the extreme penalty; but broken bones, or broken knees, perchance both, are far from improbable, if your horse has to jump on to a quantity of sharp flints.

I have already remarked, a very high priced horse is not required in this portion of Hampshire, but he must be well bred, and, moreover, he must be fit to go; for, be it remembered, there are hills, and as there is much ploughed land, which, in such seasons as the present, rides very heavy, condition soon tells its own tale. Moreover, as the woodlands are extensive, if a man intends to be with the hounds over the open, he must ride up to them through the woods: this takes a vast deal out of horses; but if this practice is not adopted four times out of five, he will miss the chance of a start. Far different is it in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, or Warwickshire, where the coverts, in a general way, are so small, that any man may get a start. Even in the Warwickshire woodlands, the line which the foxes almost invariably take is so well known, that a man stationing himself at a certain point may generally calculate upon being right-premising, nevertheless, that he does not occupy a position where he will head the fox. But the Hampshire foxes appear to have a will of their own, setting all hunting rules at defiance; in this respect they are very independent. They will often run up-wind, even when hard pressed, and certainly more frequently than their kindred in other countries are wont to do. It has been stated by an authority, I believe by Beckford, "that if a fox runs up-wind, turns and runs down-wind, that he will seldom, if ever, face the wind again.' The aforesaid authority could not have hunted much in Hampshire, or the foxes pursued a different style of running in those days, otherwise the remark could never have been made. That it is not an invariable rule in any country I am perfectly convinced, having experienced its fallacy on former occasions, On the logic of this propensity in the "wild animal," divers causes may be assigned as reasons for changing his tactics. When first roused from his kennel, he is perhaps disinclined to quit his native covert, or perchance having had a breathing before, he instantly quits it; in either case he makes for some well known haunt, possibly to try an earth, which sanctuary is closed against him; should it happen that the wind blows from that quarter, he disregards it, unless previously dear-bought experience acts as his monitor; finding himself hard pressed, and that the asylum which he had determined upon is not available as a place of refuge, he turns again, and soon finds his account in having done so, because he is not so closely pursued ; not that he knows the cause, but he experiences, to him, the satisfactory result if it happens that he is not closely pressed, he continues his course, and escapes; or, on the other hand, hearing the death warnings of the pack increase upon him, he makes another effort to reach some accustomed haunt as a place of safety, regardless" which way the wind blows." Foxes that have been constantly hunted will, undoubtedly, adopt these manœuvres more frequently than those which have been suffered to enjoy greater repose. Hunting, then, may be regarded as

education, grafted upon a vast foundation of animal instinct. After a good wild fox has afforded a splendid run, unless he is killed, the finale to the day's sport is not considered satisfactory and complete. In this particular, I must presume to differ, in some measure, from the important bias of public opinion, craving pardon for doing so. I will explain how far my reasoning carries me, and introduce the sentiments of that good old sportsman, the late John Lockley, so well known in Warwickshire during the palmy reign of Mr. Corbet; he was a man whose experience invested him with great authority. On several occasions when I described to him good runs which 1 had seen, and concluded by informing him the fox was killed, he invariably expressed regret; but if, on the other hand, the narration concluded with an apology for the escape of the "wily animal," expressions of delight. and satisfaction followed. In my juvenality, I wondered and enquired his reason; his reply was, "I always like to hear of a bad fox being killed, but never of a good one; he will give us a run another day, and is worth breeding from.' Lockley regarded good breeding in man, horse, hound, and fox-in fact, every species of animal-with great importance, and there is no doubt he was quite correct.

It would certainly be very difficult to persuade a huntsman, that after his hounds had chased their fox thirty minutes or an hour, best pace, doing their work gallantly and well, that they should not be rewarded with blood, if possible. The huntsman would urge that the perfection and making of the pack depended much on the accomplishment. If they had not recently had blood, I would most unequivocally join with him; but on that account alone. Supposing unfortuitous events prevent the fox being killed, are the hounds materially injured by that circumstance? In a general way, I think not; especially if, afterwards, an early opportunity be embraced of encouraging them with blood.

I think the great evil which arises from a fox making his escape, after having been "hard pressed," is that he may die from exhaustion, or that it may produce a surfeit, from the effects of which he will never recover. It is not an uncommon thing for a fox to have the hair of his brush come off, and its first appearance inculcates the idea of his being mangy; but which, on close inspection, is found not to be his disorder. In such case, there is every reason to suppose his bad condition is attributable to over exertion, or distress.

When a country is well stocked with good wild foxes, I would subscribe to the propriety of killing, if possible, one of the best of them, whenever fair and sportsmanlike opportunity presented; but when it abounds with a number of short running brutes that will not break covert, and are constantly seeking refuge in the first rabbit-hole they can find capacious enough to admit them, I would most decidedly kill them down as closely as possible, and preserve the good ones as much as practicable. Both in horses and in hounds we can trace peculiar faculties or propensities, in certain families in other words, those properties run in the blood. So, no doubt, it is with foxes. From some particular coverts, it is most generally the case that the foxes fly from them the instant they are found; sometimes they steal a march as soon as the "note of preparation is sounded." In others, the foxes hang so resolutely that it is scarcely possible to force them from their sylvan