THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
THE 
 
 SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY; 
 
 OK, 
 
 HINTS ON THE HUNTER HUNTING HOUNDS- 
 SHOOTING GAME SPORTING DOGS 
 FISHING &c. &c. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN MILLS. 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN:' - "THE STAGE COACH J OR THE 
 ROAD OF LIFE :" " THE ENGLISH FIRESIDE, &C." 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 LEA & BLAJNCHARD. 
 
 1846. 
 
5K- 
 
 TO 
 
 BRITISH SPORTSMEN, 
 
 THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED. 
 
 AND, 
 
 THAT THEIR MANLY RECREATIONS MAY EVER REMAIN AMONG THE 
 
 BEST AND PROUDEST OF THEIR NATIONAL DISTINCTIONS, 
 
 IS THE SINCERE AND HEARTFELT WISH OF 
 
 THEIR HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 JOHN MILLS. 
 
 I*/ AUGUST, 1845. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IT can scarcely be expected that one man should 
 be a proficient in all the matters treated of in " The 
 Sportsman's Library." When I state, therefore, that 
 in some portions of this work, I have received as- 
 sistance, I do no more than might reasonably be 
 anticipated. 
 
 To a select few of the best, and the best known, 
 of living sportsmen, I am indebted for their valuable 
 opinions, and highly important assistance, with re- 
 gard to various subjects, as to which I may not have 
 conceived myself to be proficient, or may have doubt- 
 ed the correctness of my own judgment. 
 
 Desirous, however, as I am to acknowledge, and 
 pay my tribute of thanks for, the assistance received, 
 I am equally anxious that it be understood that this 
 volume, unlike the generality of sporting works, is 
 not a compilation, nor composed of piratical ex- 
 tracts. Without arrogating to myself more than 1 
 
Vi PREFACE. 
 
 feel to be my due, I believe I may justly claim the 
 merit of originality in all except a very few of the 
 matters treated of. Wherever I have made use of 
 the information of others, I have given the source 
 whence it has been derived: and the entire borrow- 
 ing does not amount to one-tenth of the volume. 
 Here and there, may be found a diversity between 
 my opinion and the views of some distinguished 
 authors who have preceded me. This has not been 
 occasioned by the wish to vaunt my own humble 
 skill ; but by the results of my experience having, 
 occasionally, differed from theirs. 
 
 From the time my memory cannot date, " field 
 sports" have been the study, the thought, the occu- 
 pation of my life. I have sought for information, 
 wherever and whenever it was to be obtained ; and 
 never yet permitted an opportunity to pass, of test- 
 ing, at the earliest period, the rules laid down for 
 the guidance of the sportsman. It shall therefore be 
 no matter of surprise, that I have discovered discre- 
 pancies, in several instances, between previous theo- 
 ries and positive experience. 
 
 On those important subjects to the Sportsman, 
 the Hunter and his condition, Hounds, Hunting, 
 Shooting, and the Breaking and management of 1 ho 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 Pointer, &c., I have given information that has 
 not before appeared in print ; information founded 
 on my own practical knowledge. 
 
 In treating on common ills, I have not attempted 
 to enter into the mysteries of the veterinary art ; 
 thinking it better to refer to eminent professors for 
 the preventives and cures for those diseases to which 
 horses and dogs are subject. 
 
 It has been my object to render this work one of 
 instruction, and of reference, as to every subject con- 
 nected with our national sports. In the belief that 
 the task has been completed in accordance with the 
 design, I submit the work with all humility, to the 
 favourable consideration of those whom I am proud 
 to call my fellow-sportsmen. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 BOOK I.-THE HUNTER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Page 
 
 ON THE BREEDING AND CONDITION OF HUNTERS, 19 
 
 Mare ; Choice of, - 20 
 
 Stallion; Choice of, - 21 
 
 Colt ; Diet for, ib. 
 
 Weaning ; Time for, - 22 
 
 Weaning ; Treatment after, - ib. 
 
 Broken in; When to be, 23 
 
 Three years old ; Treatment when, 24 
 
 Condition ; Bringing him into, - 25 
 Grass ; Coming from, 
 
 Work; Preparations for bringing him into, - 29 
 
 Sweating; Proper mode of, 30 
 
 Medicine; Alterative, - 31 
 
 Exercise and gallops, 33 
 
 CHAPTER IT. 
 
 CONDITION OF HUNTERS continued, - 36 
 
 Stable, what it should be, - 37 
 Horse; Treatment of, previous to going to 
 
 hounds, 39 
 
 Treatment upon return home, 40 
 
 Exhaustion ; Remedy for, 42 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Page 
 
 CONDITION OF HUNTERS continued, - 46 
 
 System to be observed when hunting ceases, 51 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CONDITION OF HUNTERS continued, - 56 
 
 Feet; Care and attention to, 57 
 
 Hoof; of what form it should be, 58 
 Soundness; never to be regained when once the 
 
 feet are diseased, ib. 
 
 Foot-lameness ; the principal causes of, 59 
 
 Evil effects of bad shoeing, - ib. 
 Foot-lameness ; no preventing it in very many 
 
 cases, 60 
 Shoes ; Different kinds of, - 63 
 Frog; Fallacious reasoning of Professor Cole- 
 man regarding, ib. 
 Shoeing ; the best plan for, - 65 
 Over-reach, An incident of, the cause and effect, 66 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CONDITION OF HUNTERS continued, - 68 
 
 Treatment of feet after severe work, ib. 
 
 Stopping them, - 69 
 
 Pumiced feet, 70 
 
 Thrush ; The preventive and remedy for, 71 
 Corns ; the general causes of, 
 
 Fever in the feet; what produced by, - 73 
 
 Sandcrack ; its causes and remedies, 74 
 Extract from Goodwin on the diseases of the 
 
 feet, .... 75 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Page 
 
 CONDITION OF HUNTERS concluded, 76 
 
 Common injuries to the legs and feet, 77 
 
 Thorns and stubs, ib. 
 Sore backs, Palliatives for, washes, and detergent 
 
 ointments, - 78 
 Sit-fast, ^ - 79 
 Disease in the wind of horses, The various de- 
 grees of, - ib. 
 Cold; test of inflammatory action, - ib. 
 Roaring ; an irremediable disease, - 80 
 Chronic cough, - 81 
 Roaring, The cause of, in a colt y ib. 
 Remedy for incipient roaring, 82 
 Blindness, The cause of, - 83 
 Cataract, - - ib. 
 Examination of the Eyes, Great care should be 
 
 taken in, - ib. 
 
 Eye, Unfavourable Symptoms of, - 84 
 Eye, Principal causes of Inflammation in, and 
 
 means to be adopted in Reducing, - 85 
 
 Curbs, The Cause of, 86 
 
 Curbs, The Remedies for, 87 
 
 Splents, The Treatment for, - ib. 
 
 Spavin, 88 
 
 Bog-spavin, ib. 
 
 Thorough-pin, - 89 
 
 Windgalls, - ib. 
 
 Strangles, ib. 
 
 Kidneys, Inflammation in, - - 90 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 AGE OF HORSES, - 93 
 
 Running- rein Fraud, ib. 
 
 Extraordinary instance of a horse lasting, ib. 
 
 Age ; how to be discovered, 94 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Age, general signs of, - - 95 
 
 Age, not to be ascertained by the Mouth after 
 
 Five years, - ' - . 96 
 
 BOOK IL-ON HUNTING AND HOUNDS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HUNTING AND HOUNDS, . - 97 
 
 Hunting, The past and the present style of, - 98 
 
 Foxhound, The breeding of, - - 100 
 
 Hounds, The points of Symmetry in ib. 
 
 Hunting, in the remotest period of our history, - 101 
 
 Talbot, the original stock, - 102 
 
 Southern hound, - 103 
 
 Foxhounds of the present day, ib. 
 
 Bitches with Litters, Management of - - 104 
 Whelps ; Common diseases to which they are 
 
 subject, - 105 
 
 Feeding them, - ib. 
 
 General treatment, - ib. 
 
 Hounds, The Size and Stamp of, - - 106 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 KENNEL, AND KENNEL MANAGEMENT, - 107 
 
 Kennel, general requisites of, - ib. 
 
 Kennel ; the Duke of Rutland's, - 108 
 
 The Duke of Richmond's, - 109 
 
 The Duke of Bedford's, - ib. 
 
 Kennel Management, - 110 
 
 Feeding, - 111 
 
 The Duke of Beaufort's Kennel, - 112 
 
CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 Page 
 
 Washing Hounds, - 113 
 
 Discipline in the Kennel, - - ib. 
 
 Diseases, Preventives of, ib. 
 
 Meal ; Oat and Barley, 114 
 
 Huntsman's Duties in the Kennel, ib. 
 
 Bleeding Dogs, - - - - 115 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 DUTY OF A MASTER OF FOXHOUNDS THE HUNTSMAN, 
 
 AND WHIPPER-IN, - - 117 
 
 Master of Foxhounds; his Duties, - 118 
 
 Huntsman; his Duties in the Field, - ' - 124 
 
 Lifting Hounds ; unsportsmanlike practice of, 126 
 
 Whipper-in, Duties of, - - - 131 
 
 CHAPTER XL- 
 HINTS UPON RIDING STRAIGHT TO HOUNDS. THE 
 
 STAGHOUND, HARRIER, AND BEAGLE, 135 
 Anecdote concerning the Policy of getting well 
 
 away with Hounds, - - ib. 
 Position to be Selected, - 137 
 Riding timidly ; danger in, - 138 
 Riding with Judgment, 139 
 Horse, a previous Knowledge of, indispensable, 141 
 Stag-hunting, - - 142 
 Stag-hounds, Devon and Somerset, - ib. 
 Beagle, the best for Hare-hunting, ib. 
 Harriers, - - 143 
 Beagles, His Royal Highness Prince Albert's, 
 Lord Winterton's, and the Rev. Mr. Honey- 
 wood's, - - - - 145 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 BOOK III.-SHOOTING, 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SHOOTING, - - 146 
 
 Detonating System, ib. 
 
 London Gunmakers, - - 147 
 
 Westley Richards' guns, - ib, 
 Lancaster's Guns, and his barrel-boring Ma- 
 
 chine, - - ib. 
 
 Purdey's Guns, 148 
 
 Egg's Guns, - - ib. 
 
 Blissett's Guns, ib. 
 Messrs. Moore, John Manton, Nock, Smith, and 
 
 Wilkinson's Guns, - ib. 
 
 Gun, The choice of, 149 
 
 Barrels, Length of, ib. 
 
 Locks, The springs of, 151 
 
 Trigger, Regulation of, ib. 
 
 Nipple, 152 
 
 Cock, or Striker, ib. 
 
 Vent-hole, - - 153 
 
 Ram-rod, ib. 
 
 Sight, ib. 
 
 Elevation, - 155 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHOICE OF GUNS, 157 
 
 Duck Guns, ib. 
 
 Lancaster's and Long's Side Primer, - - 159 
 
 Metal ; The weight of, ib. 
 
 Stanchion, or Punt Gun, ib. 
 
 Hawker's plan of firing a pair of barrels, - 160 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 Page 
 
 Pigeon Gunj- - - 162 
 The " Grip," 
 
 Lock, of what it consists, 164 
 Mechanical Names for the remaining principal 
 
 parts of a gun, - - 165 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 LOADING A GUN, POWDER AND SHOT, CARTRIDGES, 
 
 WADDING, &c. - - - 166 
 
 Loading; The proper method, ib. 
 
 Powder, - 167 
 
 Curtis and Harvey's, - 168 
 
 Recoil ; The cause of, - - - - ib. 
 
 Shot ; The selection of, - - 169 
 
 Varying the size, - - - - ib. 
 
 Small Shot ; Advantages of using, - 170 
 
 Charge ; The quantity to depend on the way 
 
 in which the gun shoots, - - 171 
 
 Shot ; Patent Drop, 173 
 
 Shot; Mould, - - ib. 
 
 Cartridge ; Eley's, - ib. 
 
 Wadding; Patent, - 174 
 
 Wadding; Punched, - 175 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 CLEANING A GUN ; THE BARRELS AND LOCKS. SHOT- 
 POUCH, SHOT-BELT, POWDER FLASK, NIPPLE 
 
 PROBE, &c., - - 176 
 
 Cleaning, ----- ib. 
 
 Lock ; Cleaning of, - - 178 
 
 taking it to pieces, - 179 
 
 putting it together, - 180 
 
 Shot-belt, - 182 
 
 Pouch, ib. 
 
 Flasks ; Egg's and Sykes's, 183 
 
 Nipple Probe, - ib. 
 
XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Page 
 
 SHOOTING, - 185 
 
 Lesson the first, ib. 
 
 Loading, - ib. 
 
 Carrying the gun, - 186 
 
 Aim both eyes open the best mode of getting it, 188 
 
 Level ; The necessity of, - 190 
 
 Ways of obtaining your level, - ib. 
 
 Slow and Quick Shooting, - 191 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SHOOTING continued, - 196 
 
 Hints on holding the gun, - ib. 
 
 Double Shots, - - 199 
 
 Game ; Beating for, 201 
 
 Conduct upon finding and killing, - 202 
 
 Long shots, 205 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 PARTRIDGE, GROUSE, PHEASANT, COCK, AND SNIPE 
 
 SHOOTING, - - 207 
 
 Partridges ; the wildness of, ib. 
 
 Poaching, 
 
 Sporting ; the time for, 209 
 
 Manner to be observed in shooting, - 211 
 
 Birds ; the occasional shyness of, - ib. 
 
 Grouse shooting, 
 Pheasant shooting, - 
 Cock shooting, 
 Snipe shooting, 
 Spaniels ; the best for, - 
 Dress for snipe-shooting, - 218 
 
CONTENTS. XV11 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Pago 
 
 BLACK GAME SHOOTING ON THE BORERS OF DEVON AND 
 SOMERSET. WILD -FOWL SHOOTING, AND DEER- 
 STALKING, 
 
 Black game shooting, ib. 
 
 Wild-fowl shooting on shore and afloat, - 220 
 
 Time ; the best for, 223 
 
 Tide ; the ground ebb the best, - 224 
 
 Deer-stalking, 226 
 
 Deer ; three kinds of, - ib. 
 
 Vulnerable points in, ib. 
 
 Bullets and shot to be used, - - 227 
 
 BOOK IV. GAME, SPORTING DOGS, &c. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A LIST, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, OF GAME, WILD- 
 FOWL, AND BIRDS GENERALLY PURSUED BY THE 
 SPORTSMAN ; THEIR NAMES AS GIVEN BY BE- 
 WICK, &C.; WITH A FEW HINTS CONCERNING THE 
 MODE OF SHOOTING THEM, - - 228 
 
 Bittern ; The, - ib. 
 
 Black Cock ; The, 229 
 
 Brent Goose, ib. 
 
 Bustard, - ib. 
 
 Capercailzie, ib. 
 
 Coot, - - 230 
 
 Curlew, - ib. 
 
 Dotterel, - 231 
 
 Ducks, ib. 
 
 Eider Duck, - ib. 
 
 Gannet, Gan, Soland, or Solan goose, ib. 
 2* 
 
XV111 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Garganey, - - 231 
 
 Godwit, ib. 
 
 Golden-eye, 232 
 
 Goose, - ... ib. 
 
 Grebes, ? , 233 
 
 Greenshanked Godwit, ib. 
 
 Grouse, - ib. 
 
 Guernsey or French partridge, - ib. 
 
 Hare ; two kinds of, 234 
 
 Jacksnipe, Judcock, or Jetcock, ib. 
 
 Knot, ib. 
 
 Landrail, Daker Hen, or Corncrake, r ib. 
 
 Lapwing, Bastard Plover, or Pee Wit, 235 
 
 Mallard ; The, ib. 
 
 Morillon, - - ib. 
 
 Partridge, ib. 
 
 Pheasants, - ib. 
 
 Pigeons, ib. 
 Pintail Duck, Sea Pheasant, Cracker, or Winter 
 
 Duck, - ib. 
 
 Plover, ib. 
 
 Quail, 236 
 
 Rabbit, - - ib. 
 Redshank, Red-legged Horseman, Pool Snipe, 
 
 or Sand Cock, ib. 
 
 Ringdove, Cushat, or Wood Pigeon, ib. 
 Ruff' and Reeve, - 237 
 
 Scaup Duck, or Spoonbill Duck, - ib. 
 
 Scoter, Black Duck, or Black Diver, - ib. 
 
 Sheldrake, orBurrough Duck, ib. 
 
 Snipe, - ib. 
 
 Stag, - - 238 
 
 Stockdove, - ib. 
 
 Swan, - ib. 
 
 Teal, - ib. 
 Velvet Duck, Double Scoter, or Great Black 
 
 Duck, ib. 
 Water Crake, Water Rail, Skitty, or Spotted 
 
 Gallinule, ... ib. 
 
CONTENTS. XIX 
 
 Page 
 
 Water Hen, or Moor Hen, 238 
 
 Water Rail, Bilcock, or Velvet Runner, ib. 
 
 Widgeon, - - 239 
 
 Woodcock, - ib. 
 
 Woodpigeon, ib. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 POINTERS, SETTERS, SPANIELS, AND RETRIEVERS, 
 THEIR BREEDING, BREAKING, AND MANAGE- 
 MENT, - 240 
 Pointer ; The, - ib. 
 Fast and slow Dogs ; Comparative merits of, - ib. 
 Puppies ; Breeding, 241 
 Dogs ; Breaking, - 242 
 Deception practised in, 245 
 Check-collars, puzzles, &c. - 247 
 Pointers and Setters ; what they should be, ib. 
 Size, Colour, and general points, - 248 
 Symmetry, ib. 
 Breaking; Manner to be observed in, - - 249 
 Setter ; origin of the stock, 252 
 Breaking of the Setter, - - ib. 
 Spaniels, - 253 
 Retrievers, - ib. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 How TO ADMINISTER MEDICINE TO DOGS. COMMON 
 
 DISEASES, PREVENTIVES, AND TREATMENT, - 254 
 
 How to administer medicine to Dogs, ib. 
 
 Distemper ; symptoms and cure, - 255 
 
 Worms, - 257 
 
 Swelled Seats, - 258 
 
 Ears ; Torn, - ib. 
 
 Strains ; Cure for, ib. 
 
 Swelling from bleeding, - ib. 
 
 Joints ; Bruises in, - ib. 
 
XX CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Wounds ; Green, - 258 
 
 Poisoned ; When a dog is, 259 
 
 Kidneys ; Distemper in the, ib. 
 When a dog looks heavy and sleepy in cold 
 
 weather, ib. 
 
 Teeth ; Canker in the, ib. 
 
 Mange, Cure for, - - ib. 
 
 Hydrophobia ; Preventives for, ib. 
 
 Wounds, - 260 
 
 Feet ; Sore, - ib. 
 
 Fleas, - - ib. 
 
 Feet ; Stripped, - ib. 
 
 Ears ; Canker in, - 261 
 
 Complaints ; Bilious, ib. 
 
 Purges, ib. 
 
 Wounds; Old, ib. 
 
 Fits and Staggers, - - - 262 
 
 Canker ; External, - - ib. 
 
 Canker ; Internal, ib. 
 
 Eyes ; Films over the, ib. 
 
 Rheumatism in Dogs, - - 263 
 
 To make a dog fine in his skin, ib. 
 
 For a Hovering in the Lights of Dogs, - ib. 
 
 To cure the Red Taint or Mange, - ib. 
 
 Mange, if from Repletion, - 264 
 
 if from Weakness or poor living, - ib. 
 
 To destroy Worms, - - 265 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 PRESERVATION AND REARING OF GAME. DESTROYING 
 
 VERMIN, &c. - - - 266 
 
 Preservation of Game, - ib. 
 
 Inconvenience of Game being too thick, ib. 
 
 Quietude necessary, - - ib. 
 
 Mischief of often disturbing the Game, - 267 
 
 Gaps and Creeps should be stopped, ib. 
 
 The common Gin much used by Poachers, ib. 
 
 When evidently set for Game, 268 
 
CONTENTS. XXI 
 
 Page 
 
 Utility of Dog-spears, against Poachers, 268 
 The Spears should be numbered, - ib. 
 To keep Pheasants at home, - ib. 
 To know whether Coverts are entered, 269 
 Partridge's Nests cut out of the grass, - ib. 
 Rearing Pheasants and Partridges under Do- 
 mestic Hens, - ib. 
 The purchasing of Eggs, for rearing, - ib. 
 Bantams better than the common Hens, - 270 
 Keeping the Hen in a Coop, - - ib. 
 The Hen and brood should be allowed to range, 271 
 Proper construction of the Coop, - ib. 
 Pheasants arid Partridges reared near a house, ib. 
 Courage of Partridges so reared, ib. 
 Food for the young birds, - ib. 
 Ants' Eggs, the best, - ib. 
 Maggots, a good substitute, ib. 
 Artificial Ants' Eggs, - ib. 
 Pheasants more difficult to rear than Partridges, 272 
 The Gapes, and how to cure them, - ib. 
 Proper position for the Coop, - ib. 
 Destruction of Vermin, importance of, 273 
 Birds of Prey, how to be destroyed, - ib. 
 Gins, for Polecats, Weazels, Cats, &c. ib. 
 How to set these gins, - - ib. 
 Hutch-traps, advantage of, in one respect, - 274 
 But gins preferable, - - ib. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 GREYHOUNDS, THEIR BREEDING AND TRAINING. 
 
 COURSING, AND THE LAWS OF COURSING, - 275 
 
 Symmetry of a Greyhound, - ib. 
 
 Good Feeding indispensable, ib. 
 
 Importance of a good Sire and Darn, - - 276 
 
 Old Dams objectionable, - ib. 
 
 Late Puppies seldom good, ib. 
 
XX11 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 More than one bitch should be warded, - 276 
 
 Cleanliness, Food, and Exercise necessary, - ib. 
 
 Improper Modes of Exercise, - - 277 
 
 Fast Work necessary, to obtain condition, - ib. 
 
 Food of Greyhounds, - ib. 
 
 The Distemper in Greyhounds, - 278 
 
 Coursing. To find hares readily, ib. 
 
 Best country for Coursing, - - ib. 
 
 When a Hare is found, - ib. 
 
 Ground to be given her at the Start, 279 
 
 If more than a brace of Greyhounds in the field, ib. 
 
 Care necessary in riding a course, ib. 
 
 Lifting Greyhounds, when proper, - ib. 
 
 THE LAWS OF COURSING, - - 280 
 
 General Rules recommended, 283 
 
 Local Rules, ..... 285 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 TERMS USED IN SPORTING, - - 288 
 
 BOOK V -FISHING. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 TROUT FISHING, - 293 
 
 Knowledge of Flies, the first requisite, ib. 
 
 Ability to tie them, also necessary, - 294 
 
 Important General Rules as to Flies, ib. 
 
 Flies in general use in each month, - 295, 296 
 
 Flies change their hues, - ib. 
 
 Whipping with an Artificial Fly, ib. 
 
CONTENTS. XX111 
 
 Plying a Trout until he is tired, - 296 
 
 Evening the best time for fishing, - 297 
 
 Dress for Trout Fishing, ib. 
 
 The Fisher should screen himself, - ib. 
 
 Proper Position of the Fisher, - ib. 
 
 Best Period for Trout Fishing, 298 
 
 Spinning a Minnow ; Walton's mode, - ib. 
 
 Improvement on Walton's method, 299 
 
 Tackle, Proper, ib. 
 
 When- the water is clouded and thick, - ib. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 PIKE, PERCH, AND OTHER FISHING. RODS, LINES, 
 
 HOOKS, &c., - .... 300 
 
 Pike Fishing, - ib. 
 
 Trolling for Pike, the best sport, ib. 
 
 The author's plan for taking Pike, - ib. 
 
 Perch Fishing, - 301 
 
 Bait for Perch, and how to fix it, - - 302, 303 
 Time of day, and of year, for Perch Fishing, - ib. 
 
 Other Fishes. General Rules, ib. 
 
 Fishing Rods ; wood for, and making, ib. 
 
 Length, weight, joints, &c., of Rods, 304 
 
 Lines, - - - 305 
 
 Hooks, 306 
 
 Hooks, to whip on, - ib. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS NOW IN FORCE, - 308 
 
 A LIST OF THE LONDON GUNMAKERS FOR 1845, 321 
 
 INDEX, - - 325 
 
BOOK I. 
 
 THE HUNTER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OPT THE BREEDING AND CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 
 
 To all who take delight in the manly and invigorating 
 recreations of the field, so generally indulged in by English- 
 men of every grade in some way or other, there is no aux- 
 iliary so essential as the Horse. We are indebted to this 
 noble, generous, and gallant animal, for the chief of our na- 
 tional sports; and with him, therefore, I have first to deal. 
 
 I must here remark, that although I have had some expe- 
 rience in training my own horses for a few "public events," 
 that circumstance would not justify my attempting to enter 
 into the mysteries of bringing one to the post for the two 
 thousand guineas stakes, the Derby, or the St. Leger; albeit, 
 the variation between getting a hunter of the present day, 
 and a race-horse, into first-rate condition, is so very slight 
 that it may be regarded as nearly a distinction without a 
 difference. Drawing the latter finer, and giving him more 
 quick work than the former, is about the only distinction in 
 the mode of treatment applicable to them. Gentlemen, 
 however, who breed, buy, and run race-horses, as a matter 
 3 
 
20 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 of course, either keep private trainers, or they patronise the 
 public stables; and while such stables are to be found as 
 Scott's, Dawson's, Forth's, and others, I think, upon refer- 
 ring to the past, that the chances of success are almost 
 wholly with these exclusives, and that owners had far better 
 put trust and confidence in their experience and judgment 
 than in any system or knowledge of their own. Conceiving, 
 therefore, that it would be occupying space unnecessarily 
 to enlarge upon the economy of the racing stable, I shall at 
 once come to the first link of my intentions, by opening upon 
 the breeding and condition of the Hunter. 
 
 That we can have porridge without salt, is quite certain; 
 but that we cannot have porridge without meal, is equally 
 positive. In other words, we may possess a horse scarcely 
 worthy to be classed as one, and yet he never could have 
 proved a disgrace to his kith and kindred, unless it had been 
 through the agency of the mare. It is obvious, therefore, 
 that as a first cause we should consider the stock and origin 
 of the animal we desire to produce. I am of opinion that 
 good things generally spring from good, although occasion- 
 ally the reverse is the result. This, however, is the exception 
 to the rule; and by no means are we to be guided by ex- 
 ceptions. To get good wheat, the farmer sows good seed; 
 and sometimes his expectations are doomed to bitter disap- 
 pointment in the reaping. Nevertheless when seed-time 
 comes again, he adheres to the practice of sowing the best 
 seed he can obtain. Now, to have a fair and generally 
 successful result in breeding a colt designed to go straight 
 to hounds, I say, get a well-bred, large, and roomy mare, 
 with a constitution as sound as a nut. If her legs and feet 
 have not prematurely failed, it matters not although there 
 be, in the phraseology of grooms, "a screw loose" in these 
 particulars. But in the event of their having gone, from a 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 21 
 
 flaw or weakness in her frame, do not attempt to incur the 
 expense and infinite pains of letting her be a brood mare. 
 I am also no advocate for breeding from worn-out, aged 
 mares. The chances are that a half-conceived, pigmy, 
 miserable wretch is dropped; to be poorly nursed, and, 
 when brought up, to be worth nothing, and sold for less. 
 The mother should be ripe, not rotten. The same rule will 
 apply to the stallion, regarding his constitution. Many, and, 
 indeed, most of our superior stallions, tell tales in the legs 
 but they are the effects of hard work and severe training, 
 and in no way are objections to the breeder allowing him- 
 to become a sire. By way of choice, I should prefer a horse 
 whose legs had never given way; but if they had done so 
 from racing only, I should not think for a moment of reject- 
 ing him on account of his legs. Had he thrown out, how- 
 ever, a splent, curb, ringbone, or spavin, I would avoid him 
 for my stock, let his performances have been ever so good. 
 Be it remembered, at the same time, that the performances 
 of the stallion are famous borrowed light for the progeny; 
 and that, notwithstanding his shape may be the perfection 
 of symmetry, and his capacities beyond a question, yet if he 
 has not proved what he can do, there can be no inheritance 
 of a noble name; and without it, high prices, for colts can- 
 not be expected. 
 
 It is now a somewhat stale phrase, that " the best part of 
 a horse goes in at the mouth." This, without a question, is 
 the truth; and a mare in foal, and particularly after she has 
 dropped her foal, should enjoy a good and generous diet. 
 Care should be taken that the colt be dropped early; and 
 the dam be liberally fed on bran mashes mixed with corn, 
 carrots, and good old hay; and, above all things, be kept 
 warm and comfortable. It is asserted by some, that if she 
 prove a good nurse, the colt will not require corn till he be 
 
22 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 weaned. With this I decidedly disagree. My belief, founded 
 on my experience, is, that as soon as the colt can digest a 
 broken oat, he should be no stranger to its flavour; and the 
 more corn he can be induced to eat, by giving him it a little 
 and often, the finer and nobler animal he will become. When 
 weaned, which should be early in and not later than the 
 middle of September, the colt should have a head-collar put 
 on, which will allow of his being handled a little from time 
 to time; and thus, by degrees, learning to be docile and 
 good-tempered in regard to the duties required of him. I 
 need scarcely say that now, being bereft of the tenderness 
 of his nurse, he should have the greatest attention paid to 
 his feeling as little the want of her as possible. His allow- 
 ance of good sweet hay should be full, and never less than 
 half a peck of oats per diem; while, never allowing him to 
 be sensible to cold, is, if possible, of greater importance. 
 Every six weeks or two months at most, his toes should be 
 rasped down, and his heels opened. In the spring, about the 
 first week in April, he should have a couple of gentle doses 
 of physic. After the effects of the medicine are got over, 
 and the weather becomes sufficiently mild, turn him out into 
 good sweet grass for the summer, where there is water and 
 shade. If there be not sufficient from the trees in the 
 vicinity, a shed should be erected to screen him from the 
 heat; as there is nothing more tantalizing and conducive to 
 the spoiling of his temper than exposure to a baking sun and 
 his irritating enemies, the buzzing and stinging universal 
 family of the flies, There should be, too, an easy shelving 
 place for him at which he may get his water at all times; 
 and I would here advise, from having lost a truly valuable 
 colt in neglecting the precaution, that, if there is a proba- 
 bility of his getting into danger when going to slake his 
 thirst, you should, by hurdles, bars, fagots, or any similar 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUXTER.S. 23 
 
 preventatives, render injury to him impossible. The same 
 care should be taken as previous to his being turned out, in 
 rasping his toes and opening his heels. It is unfortunately 
 more general with breeders than exceptional with them, to 
 leave their colts out, as long as the weather remains open; 
 which frequently happens to continue so until late in Novem- 
 ber. This is a very great mistake; as, after Michaelmas, 
 there is little nutriment in the grass, and it is sour and un- 
 wholesome. Not later, therefore, than the second week in 
 September, house him again in his comfortable straw-yard; 
 and stint him not in the best of corn and the sweetest of hay. 
 Deal both with no sparing hand; and, if you ever thought of 
 the aphorism of '* the best part of a horse going into his 
 mouth," remember it at this season. 
 
 When two years old, he should enter the first circles and 
 be broken in ; but not backed. Let him have, as a prelimi- 
 nary, a gentle course of physic ; and, previous to trusting 
 him to the hands of the breaker, (if your head-groom be not 
 competent,) be sure that this worthy possesses patience, and 
 a good temper ; or let your anticipations pave the way of the 
 realization of your disappointment. Early in the following 
 June, as a general rule, the colt should be cut ; although this 
 must depend upon circumstances and the judgment of the 
 breeder. Should his growth appear to be such that he is 
 likely to become an ungainly animal, with a large body and 
 weak legs ; or, if there is not a convenient paddock, box, 
 and straw-yard, to keep him from the evils of early excess; 
 the first year for castration is to be preferred : but, generally 
 speaking, the second is the period for that important opera- 
 tion. Upon recovery, he should be turned out for the re- 
 mainder of the summer. When taken up again, he should, 
 as before, have a couple of doses of physic, and be kept 
 warm and well ; occasionally having a large bran mash and 
 
 3* 
 
24 
 
 a few carrots. Now comes the important epoch in the pro- 
 mising colt's existence. At the dawn of spring, let him have 
 another prescription in a mild form ; and, when the sickening 
 effects are well got over, and his spirits regained, he should 
 have the pigskin girthed across him, be backed, and taught 
 his paces by a light weight, who possesses a light hand, and 
 one who well understands his business. The colt is now 
 three years old ; and henceforth industry must hold the ribands 
 of his fate. To let him be idle at this age, is to injure him. 
 Exercise will develop his muscles, improve his form, strengthen 
 his sinews, and greatly tend to make him grow. He is now 
 to be considered a horse, and in every respect should be 
 treated as such ; except in his work, which, until he has 
 completed his fifth year, should be gentle and moderate. I 
 have no hesitation in saying that there are more horses spoiled 
 between three and six than there are between six and twenty 
 years of age. It is the early work that ruins and kills the 
 best horses bred ; and our great two-year old and three-year 
 old stakes greatly occasion this wholesale destruction to the 
 forced and unnatural powers of the animal professedly to be 
 encouraged by these prizes. But it is not because a horse is 
 not "up to the mark," to use the graphic language of the 
 stable, until he is five years old, that he is not ready for the 
 market. On the contrary, a three-year old, bred as he always 
 may be, brought up, broken, and trained as he always can 
 be, with common luck against accidents and misfortunes, 
 will invariably find a buyer at a price averaging from one to 
 two hundred pounds. Considering this, and the great dearth 
 of hunters of the superlative order, it is quite marvellous that 
 farmers should pay so little regard to the description of mares 
 they breed from, and should be so reluctant to take them to 
 first rate stallions. " Penny wise and pound foolish" ap- 
 pears to be the rule by which they are governed in this par- 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUNTEHS. 25 
 
 ticular ; and in doling out a poor fee for a leap from some 
 unknown, provincial horse, they little think how much is 
 lost by the niggardly investment. My advice is, in the 
 breeding of a hunter, get a well-shaped mare, with a sound 
 constitution ; stint her to a popular stallion (he can scarcely 
 have become popular unless he merited the distinction) of a 
 similar stamp ; keep the colt well and warm ; pay attention 
 to his general health and to his feet until he is three years 
 old ; then begin to put him into gentle work : and it is " a 
 horse to a hayseed " that you will have a hunter to repay you 
 amply for every oat that he has swallowed and for every 
 minute's attention that he has occupied. 
 
 Having now bred our horse, we will go into the particulars 
 of the means and appliances of bringing him into that most 
 indispensable state for the accomplishing of quick and heavy 
 work, " fine condition." It is generally admitted that an 
 inferior horse in good condition can beat a superior one in 
 bad ; and it requires neither the aid of a philosopher nor a 
 conjurer to prove the soundness of the aphorism. Such 
 alterations have I seen, and, if I may be allowed to venture 
 upon the dangerous brink of egotism, produced, in horses 
 between very bad condition and very good, that the best 
 acquainted with them could not even have recognised them. 
 Upon one occasion I bought a mare at Tattersall's for fifteen 
 guineas ; a friend who was with me ridiculed my purchasing 
 11 such a brute^ as he called it; and if outward appearances 
 justified the character bestowed upon my bargain, I must 
 confess there was no reason for complaint, and no slander 
 committed. Such, however, was the improvement in her 
 crestless neck, shoulders, thighs and gaskins, from good old 
 oats, beans, white peas, and hay, proper alteratives, exercise, 
 and work ; that, within seven months from the day of my 
 buying " the brute/' I sold her to my friend for one hundred 
 
26 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 and fifty pounds, without his being conscious of her being 
 "the brute" that he had laughed at my buying. Keeping 
 this information from him, I inquired some time afterwards, 
 how he liked the mare. " She carries me better," replied 
 he, " than any horse in my stable ; and I wouldn't take five 
 hundred pounds for her." If ever a man was made breath- 
 less with astonishment, my friend was so, at my now telling 
 him that the object of his unqualified praise was the miserable 
 wretch he had seen me purchase at Tattersall's for fifteen 
 guineas, not twelve months before. 
 
 I am now writing for the times we live in ; and although 
 there may be a few with prejudices and antiquated notions, 
 who may dispute the grounds of innovation and modern im- 
 provement, I will allege nothing without having a " where- 
 fore" for every " why." It must be remembered that the 
 hunter of the present day has to perform very different kind 
 of work from what he had fifty years ago. " Then," as one 
 of the old school said to me, " they were minutes finding, 
 and hours killing; but now it's hours finding, and minutes 
 killing." In former days, a fox was drawn for as soon 
 as it was light, and occasionally a little before ; and the 
 heavy slow-hounds, (as I am told, for I have not, from per- 
 sonal experience, the slightest idea of what took place so 
 long before I went black-berrying,) then in vogue, pulled 
 him down by degrees. I have heard it asserted, that even 
 reynard was then a slow coach, and of the heavy-drag order, 
 compared with "the varmint" of the modern time; but of 
 that, I must say, I ever felt sceptical ; although the reason 
 given was, that a fox, so early in the morning, was gorged, 
 and, his duck being undigested, he could not run so fast as 
 at the present fashionable hour of eleven or one, when he is 
 whipped or unkenneled from the gorse. However this may 
 be with regard to foxes, it is quite certain that hounds go 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 27 
 
 faster now than they did in days gone by ; and therefore 
 horses, to live with them, must go faster also. It is the pace 
 now, that is regarded by the fox-hunter of the nineteenth 
 century ; but whether the improvement in the speed affords 
 more sport than the obsolete slow and sure hunting of old, 
 is to my mind very questionable. As to this, however, it is 
 worse than useless to enter upon any discussion ; as, what- 
 ever argument might be used against the flying system, that 
 system would continue in spite of all that might be said or 
 written ; for " the pace we go" is the very spirit of the age 
 in which we live. 
 
 I will suppose the horse desired to be put into good con- 
 dition is at grass, where I trust we shall never find him 
 again ; but, in order to have him in as unfavourable a state 
 as possible, we will imagine him in a pasture as fat as a prize 
 ox at Smithfield in the middle of July. This of course must 
 be got off him, and quite another description of flesh put on, 
 by the end of October, when he will be required to go, I 
 hope, straight to hounds. Physic and sweating, at as little 
 expense to his legs as possible, are the only proper means of 
 taking it off: while good old oats, beans, hay, alterative 
 balls, exercise and work, judiciously administered, are the 
 only legitimate ones of putting it on. I will now submit the 
 system I think the best to adopt in these successsive cases. 
 When the horse is taken up, (which should not be a day 
 later than the third week in July ; as after this, the nights, 
 or rather the mornings at daybreak, become cold and very 
 likely to give his coat a check,) and housed, he should be 
 kept as cool as possible. As this c-an hardly be, if there are 
 many horses in the stable, it is better to put him into a loose 
 box, house, or shed, by himself; where, by leaving the 
 window or door open, by placing a bar or two instead of the 
 latter, the temperature can be maintained as low as may be 
 
28 
 
 wished. As there is no time for delay, (for it should be re- 
 membered that the hunter is required now to be in as racing 
 condition as a filly for the Oaks, and that the former, under 
 the circumstances I have mentioned, has scarcely as many 
 weeks for training as the latter has months,) the sooner he 
 has his first dose of physic, the better. Frequently prepara- 
 tions are made for this, by giving him bran mashes : but as 
 his bowels are quite sufficiently relaxed by the grass he has 
 been eating, there is no necessity for any such preliminary. 
 As a rule, a mild dose, for sudden and violent purging is 
 exceedingly injurious at all times, should be given; not 
 exceeding five drachms of aloes. But this may frequently 
 depend upon the knowledge of the constitution of a horse ; 
 some being capable of bearing severer doses than others. 
 Strong physic, however, I greatly disapprove of; and, with 
 judicious management, there is no necessity for giving it. 
 When the horse is in physic, he should have all the warm 
 water that he will drink; and be walked out at intervals of 
 an hour, three times during the day: but he should not be 
 backed except by a weight not exceeding the specific gravity 
 of a fly. Let him be led on a level piece of turf, of such a 
 length as not to be required to be turned abruptly too often. 
 Under the influence of the medicine, he will feel sick and 
 faint ; and therefore, to hood and clothe him, is but to add 
 to his nausea and languor. He should be taken out without 
 a rug on; and, if he declines the warm water, permitted to 
 drink at any pond or exposed stream that he may meet. A 
 bucket from a well just dipped, would injure him: but a 
 draught to which air and light can get, at this season of the 
 year, will never chill him nor in any way prove prejudicial. 
 
 By the time he is ready for the second dose, which should 
 be a full week after the setting of the first, a little more pre- 
 paration and care is necessary. He will now have had 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 29 
 
 hard meat, and his bowels will have lost the opening effects 
 from the grass. Give him, therefore, a couple of large loose 
 bran mashes for two days in succession; which will relax 
 them, like the grass; and thus the same quantity of physic 
 will, in the form of a second dose, operate as lively as the 
 first. He should now be hooded, and have a warm body- 
 cloth on; and, having become reconciled to the change of 
 temperature, from the open air to confinement, the window 
 or door may be closed, or partly so, if the box, shed, or 
 stall be considered likely to become too warm of a sudden. 
 As regards giving him warm water and exercise while the 
 physic is operating, the same rule will apply for the second 
 dose as for the first. At the end of a week after the setting 
 of the second dose, give him three loose mashes; and add 
 half a drachm of aloes to the third and last dose, as it will 
 take more to open his bowels now that he has had hard 
 meat, arid a predisposition to cosliveness invariably exists 
 from the effects of the physic already taken. It is a mis- 
 taken notion with grooms generally, that the ball ought to 
 lie in the horse for a day, otherwise it will not operate so- 
 beneficially. This, however, is one of those common errors 
 which are fallen into from precedent, without the slightest 
 inquiry as to the reason. It must be self-evident that the 
 object of giving the aloes being to clear the intestines from 
 foulness, the sooner the office is performed the better; as the 
 horse recovers from the sickness in a few hours, instead of 
 needlessly being subjected to it for a much longer period. 
 Exercise, therefore, on the day the physic is given, and as 
 much warm water as he will drink, are the means of speedily 
 getting rid of the deleterious effects. 
 
 The horse has now had his last dose of physic, prepara- 
 tory to bringing him into work; for, although he must have 
 
30 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 exercise from the day he is stabled, yet there should be no- 
 thing like work until we have got some steel in him. His 
 condition must now proceed by degrees; for if any body's 
 ardent temperament lead him to suppose that this state is to 
 be arrived at, at a bound, he will be lamentably mistaken. 
 The horse should now have eight pounds of hay per day, 
 and five feeds of corn. It has been said, by some of my 
 sporting friends, that my allowance of hay is short; but I 
 think a larger quantity unnecessary, and likely to increase 
 the carcass and be detrimental to the horse's wind. Upon 
 the lapse of a fortnight after he has had his last dose, during 
 which space of time he should be walked and trotted in his 
 hood and clothes for three hours in the course of the day, 
 he must begin to do some work ; for without this little pro- 
 gress can be made. But it should be remembered, that he 
 is not yet in condition to do what is termed good work. 
 Mild and gentle means are to be resorted to; not violence. 
 Instead of brushing gallops, let him be well and heavily 
 clothed, and seduced into gentle sweats, often repeated. 
 These can be got without hazard to his feet or his legs, and 
 with no distress to his yet foggy and imperfect wind. As 
 his condition improves, and it will daily, with care and 
 management, so should his work be increased; and he 
 should now be kept out of his stable for four hours in the 
 day. Alterative medicine must now be used; as it is quite 
 impossible to get a horse into blooming condition without 
 the use of it, exclusive of physic; that is to say, in such con- 
 dition as to be in full strength and vigour of body, to dry as 
 readily after a sweat as breath leaves the surface of a dia- 
 mond, and to look little less bright than a diamond when 
 dry. There are different kinds of these alterative medi- 
 cines: but antimony forms the principal, as an operative 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 31 
 
 upon the skin; and nitre as diuretical, in provoking a free 
 action of the kidneys. These medicines, when a horse is in 
 work, should be combined: as they will check that tendency 
 to excitement of the general habit, which invariably accom- 
 panies a change from rest to work; purify the blood, with- 
 out the least violence to the system, and give vigour and 
 tone to the constitution. Nitre is extremely cooling: but it 
 should be remembered, by those who are fond of giving this 
 medicine in large quantities, that it is of a debilitating na- 
 ture. I would also have it borne in mind, that antimony, 
 producing insensible perspiration, opens the pores of the 
 skin; and therefore precautions should be taken, for not ex- 
 posing the horse to wet or cold when under its influence. 
 The following ball I have given to my horses, as an altera- 
 tive; and, although other combinations may be found equally 
 good, I do not think one can be mixed to surpass it. 
 
 Nitrate of potash, 4 ounces. 
 
 ^thiop's mineral, .... 3 do. 
 
 Camphor, 1 do* 
 
 Balsam of sulphur, .... 1 do. 
 
 Cinnabar of antimony, ... 1 do. 
 
 To be made into ten balls. 
 
 
 
 ./Ethiop's mineral is objected to by some, from containing 
 so large a proportion of calomel; but if the horse be kept, as 
 I have said before, from the cold and wet, no danger from 
 giving calomel is to be apprehended. Should, however, this 
 still be feared, from prejudice or other causes, the mineral 
 can be omitted, and the same quantity of antimony be mixed 
 instead, with a couple of ounces of balsam of sulphur. 
 
 To greedy feeders and horses of full gross habit, one ball 
 may be administered every week or ten days; and to all 
 4 
 
32 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 horses, tvhen in work, a course of alteratives, in accordance 
 with their constitutions and the effects they have upon them, 
 should be given every six weeks or two months at farthest. 
 This system will render unnecessary the frequent use of 
 strong purgatives, which at all times are to be dispensed 
 with, except in cases of disease; for it should be remembered 
 that the intestines of a horse are very delicate, and ex- 
 tremely sensitive to any thing of an irritating nature. When 
 a horse becomes so foul that a mild alterative will not pro- 
 duce the desired effect, and it is inconvenient to put him into 
 physic, a stronger one may be tried; and I know of no bet- 
 ter than the emetic tartar. It is quicker and more powerful 
 than the antimony : but caution must be observed that no 
 mischief ensue from its stimulating properties. As a rule, 
 however, in the hands of grooms of the common run, I 
 should advise the use of the common antimony; administer- 
 ing an ounce per diem for eight days in succession: and if a 
 little resin be added occasionally, it will lead to the expedi- 
 tious effect of the antimony. In the event of a course of 
 either of these alteratives not producing the wished-for re- 
 sult, the foulness of habit must be such that other prepara- 
 tions are necessary; and it is useless to delay or tamper 
 longer with the disease: for, a disease it amounts to, when 
 these fail; and a judicious course of medicine is proved to 
 be necessary. In this case, for there is a distinction with 
 a very material difference between physicking for condition 
 and physicking for disease, I recommend the immediate 
 assistance of the best veterinary surgeon within reach; as 
 neither my theory nor practice in the mysteries of the V. S. 
 warrant my entering into the secrets of this most useful pro- 
 fession. I will now take the opportunity of saying, that, for 
 all diseases and complaints, of whatever kind, except colds, 
 slight attacks of inflammation (I say slight attacks of inflam- 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 33 
 
 mation, for all diseases in horses are of an inflammatory 
 nature,) and accidental causes of lameness, I advise the im- 
 mediate attendance of the most capable veterinary surgeon 
 that can be procured. As well might a man attempt to 
 bleed, blister, and physic himself, for hidden and unknown 
 causes of indisposition, as his horse, and with equal chances 
 of committing mistakes. 
 
 But to return to the succession of ordeals which are to 
 lead us to the object of our pains, unexceptionable condi- 
 tion. As I have said in a preceding page, he must be put 
 into work as soon as the third and last dose has set. Plenty 
 of slow work must be given, and a gentle sweat every four 
 days. To effect this, hood and clothe him pretty heavily; 
 and let him be ridden by a lad on the turf, when soft and 
 springy, or on a fallow. The latter I like better than the 
 former; as it uses him to the necessity of gettting lightly 
 over dirt. The exertion, too, of scrambling through such 
 ground, brings the moisture out of his skin, without an un- 
 necessary strain upon his thews and sinews in quick exer- 
 cise. Not but that I like him to have "a brushing gallop" 
 now and then, and when fit to take it: but he is not fit until 
 he has been gently sweated in his clothes; and then, when 
 he is, he should be stripped naked. Nothing can be more 
 absurd than making a horse undergo the exertion of a gallop 
 in his clothes; more particularly when his condition is such 
 as to make that a labour which, when approaching to ripe- 
 ness, he would accomplish with ease. There can be no wish 
 to distress him, when "up to the mark;" much less should 
 there be any cause to do so, when far under it. I have 
 scarcely known whether to laugh at the absurdity, or to ex- 
 postulate with the cruelty, when seeing a horse, as yet but 
 in the rudiments of condition, heavily clothed and hooded, 
 and being hustled along, by the application of the heels of 
 
34 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 an overgrown booby. Doubtless this is one way of making 
 him feel faint; but, for the life of me, I cannot see how it 
 can increase his bodily vigour and spirits. For the purpose 
 of sweating, there is no occasion for any thing like speed. 
 Indeed, when a horse is in such a state as to require a suc- 
 cession of sweats for the purpose of bringing him into 
 condition, it is quite clear that he is not prepared for the 
 gallop; much less is he fit to carry hood, rugs, and body- 
 clothes when taking it. Many grooms, however, have great 
 objections to let the breeze fan the coats of their horses; in 
 the fear of chilling them, and retarding that shot-silk hue 
 which it is their pride to see glisten on them. This is an 
 error; as a horse's skin is refreshed, like our own, by expo- 
 sure to the air, and a healthy action is occasioned by it. 
 Nothing, too, enlivens a horse, accustomed to be clothed 
 from his ears to his hocks, more than stripping him of them. 
 He feels the removal of these encumbrances to his freedom 
 of limb and action very refreshing. I need scarcely say that 
 the weather should be consulted before thus "peeling him'' 
 for his gallop; and that, when stripped, he should "go" with- 
 out delay. 
 
 After his sweats, and the hunter cannot be got into 
 good form by November, unless attention be paid to these 
 grand assistants to good condition, let the weather prove 
 never so warm, he should be taken to a place of shelter, 
 where there is no exposure to a current of air, and there be 
 stripped of his wet clothes and scraped. When getting dry, 
 put a fresh hood and clothes on, and let him he walked 
 quietly for half an hour; when he will be fit to dress. The 
 blunt curry-comb and the wisp are the only implements that 
 are to be applied in dressing him, and plenty of elbow grease. 
 I should here remark, that, from the day of his being taken 
 from grass until now, nothing like a brush must have been 
 
ON THE BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 35 
 
 put upon him; unless from some extraordinary desire to see 
 his coat stare and stand on end, "like quills upon the fretful 
 porcupine." Let him have his water with just the cold 
 taken off, and be shut up without being disturbed for three 
 or four hours. 
 
THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS CONTINUED. THE STABLE. 
 
 TREATMENT WHEN DISTRESSED, &C. &C. 
 
 I HAVE now stated all that I consider to be essential Tor 
 putting a hunter into as good form as he can be in the time 
 given between taking him from grass in July and mounting 
 him at the covert side in November; for, as it will be here- 
 after seen, I deny the possibility of getting a hunter into the 
 condition that the modern style of his work demands in the 
 space of time mentioned, any more than it would be to pre- 
 pare a horse for the St. Leger in the same period. But of 
 this in its place. I will now, therefore, proceed to submit 
 what, in my opinion, are the best means for not only keeping 
 him in the state arrived at, but also for improving it. 
 
 I am not an architect or builder, except in raising castles 
 in the air, an occupation so general that it can be no wonder 
 that stones from the clouds should occasionally fall; and I? 
 therefore, shall not treat, now nor hereafter, at very great 
 length, concerning what a stable ought to be in its propor- 
 tions, or the material of which it should be composed: but I 
 must be allowed to say, that unless a stable, be it large or 
 small, be warm, dry, and well ventilated, it is impossible 
 either to get a horse into good condition or to keep him in it. 
 There is a vast deal of difference between keeping all the 
 foul air in, leaving no vent for the fetid to escape, and main- 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 37 
 
 taining a cold, contracting temperature. A horse should feel 
 as comfortable in his stall as an Englishman by his fireside ; 
 and no one will question whether the latter can do so unless 
 he is warm and cozy. I have heard men say, "Clothe your 
 horses well; but keep your stable cool." Now, I should like 
 to know how they would feel, wrapped up in pilot jackets and 
 mackintoshes, sitting in a cool chamber with an empty grate, 
 in the months of frosty winter. It should be remembered, 
 that the horse is originally a native of a warm country; and 
 while he improves in a warm one, he always degenerates in 
 cold regions. There is no better proof of this than the per- 
 formances of the imported blood from England, in the United 
 States of America. In the Southern States and there may 
 be found the very best of our blood the climate is most con- 
 genial to the existence of the horse; and even in the Northern 
 States, where the winter is sharp and severe, the atmosphere 
 is dry and bracing, and fog and damp are scarcely known. 
 Here we find, especially in the former, the powers of en- 
 durance in the horse far greater than with us. The speed, 
 too, for the distance that they run when racing, which, I be- 
 lieve, is always four-mile heats, is truly astonishing; and I 
 venture to assert, taking the reports of their performances in 
 the sporting chronicles to be correct, that there is not a horse 
 in the united kingdom able to compete with many in America, 
 fairly handicapped, in a race over a flat for four miles, let alone 
 heats of the like distance. This can only be owing to a natural 
 improvement in the horse, from the climate approximating to 
 his native air; for it would be ridiculous for any body to allege 
 that the management there is better than with us, when it is 
 well known the better their system in this particular, as in all 
 others observed by the republicans, the more faithful the copy 
 from ours. As a proof of degenerating in cold climates, I have 
 
38 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 only to refer to the little shaggy ponies in the Welsh moun- 
 tains and the Highlands of Scotland. 
 
 To resume, however, my remarks respecting the stable. 
 Whatever may be thought, whatever may be said, upon the 
 philosophy of keeping horses in a cold stable, (and a great 
 deal has been,) I can positively declare, that, so far from 
 having experienced any ill effects from a hot stable, I never 
 had a hunter in my life, and never saw one, come out of a cold 
 stable iu good condition, or any thing like it. And I will fur- 
 ther say, that I have known horses, which no care or exertions 
 of their grooms could get to look or be well in a cold stable in 
 the winter, on their being changed to a warm one, become in 
 good condition in a very short space of time, without any other 
 alteration in their management, either generally or particu- 
 larly. I have made something akin to an analogy between a 
 man and a horse; and a writer of undoubted experience, the late 
 Mr. Apperley, says, "there is a striking one between a horse 
 and a man, as far as their condition is concerned. Each en- 
 ters on his training with physic, and concludes it with severe 
 work: each is at his best when least reduced by sweats: each 
 is capable of doubling his ordinary powers. The skin of the 
 horse is also his complexion; and it is not until the prize- 
 fighter strips in the ring, that his good or bad condition is 
 ascertained. Nothing can exceed the beauty and lustre of 
 some horses' skins when in what is called < blooming condi- 
 tion;' on the other hand, nothing can be more unsightly, or 
 even appalling, than the death-like appearance of the staring 
 coat of a half-starved dog horse awaiting his fate in the ken- 
 nel-orchard on a cold winter's day." 
 
 I wish it to be well observed, that although I hold it as ab- 
 solutely indispensable, for bringing and keeping hunters in 
 condition, that their stables should be kept hot, yet I know it 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 39 
 
 is equally important that there be a vent for the foul air to 
 escape. Without this the eyes and the lungs of the horse 
 will suffer, not from the heat, but from the impure and fetid 
 atmosphere. I have gone into many stables so unwholesome 
 from want of a pipe, or some mode of ventilation, that my 
 eyes have smarted, and I have felt all but suffocated. This 
 is not the description of heat that I recommend to be kept up; 
 but, on the contrary, I advise the getting- rid of all such stench- 
 ing impurity. In order to keep the stable warm, healthy, and 
 comfortable, keep your door and windows closed; have every 
 gap, broken or cracked panes, chink, and crevice, stopped; let 
 there be an escape, over the heads of the horses, for the foul 
 air; and there will be sufficient of fresh admitted from the in- 
 gress and egress necessary at feeding, dressing, and removing 
 the wet litter, besides that which will find admittance through 
 the key-hole and secret places. As near as possible, the tem- 
 perature should be kept up to 63; and as horses are never 
 safe when breathing contaminated air, it is necessary, and by 
 no means difficult, to have a good circulation of fresh air, and, 
 at the same time, to maintain about the above degree of heat. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary for me to say, that foul litter suf- 
 fered to remain in the stable is extremely prejudicial, and 
 that .cleanliness throughout is of the greatest importance for 
 health ; without which, of course, there can be no good con- 
 dition. 
 
 Having said all that I consider necessary about the stable, 
 (for if the stalls be an inch or two wider than the common 
 run, or the roof more lofty, or the mangers a little higher, or 
 the racks a little lower, I deem these improvements and inno- 
 vations in our modern edifices of so trifling importance, that 
 I shall not farther notice them,) I will proceed with the treat- 
 ment of the horse previous to his going to hounds. 
 
 In consequence of the pace that hounds now go, which 
 
40 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 amounts to racing, an empty stomach is necessary ; or why is 
 the muzzle put on the race-horse? But hunters are not to be 
 fed alike; and judgment must be used even with the same 
 horse when his work varies. For instance, if he has to go 
 a long distance to cover, say twelve or fifteen miles in a 
 morning, he should have more hay over night than if he had 
 only a third of that journey. Nothing is so likely to make 
 horses in high condition scour, as a change in their food and 
 water: therefore, if the distance does not exceed fifteen miles 
 to meet hounds, it is better that the horse be jogged there 
 gently on the morning of his hunting than that he should 
 sleep out. I will here remark, that an easy slow trot is far 
 more pleasant and less wearisome than a fast walk, when the 
 horse is either at exercise or travelling. If, however, he 
 must be stabled out, and has proved, by precedent, that he is 
 affected by the change, he should be watered before he leave 
 home, and have only a few swallows where he sleeps. As 
 to whether water should be given on the morning of hunting, 
 that must also depend upon his constitution. If he is what 
 is termed " washy," id est, scours and throws his meat off on 
 the road, I recommend his having not a drop. But if he 
 holds his food well in him, and is not called on, as the pro- 
 babilities are that he will not be, until half past ten or eleven 
 o'clock, he may have, and it will be of benefit to him, eight 
 or ten " go-downs," as the grooms call them, at five or six; 
 but not later. This quantity of water is always given to the 
 race-horse on the morning that he runs his race; and it is 
 all absorbed by the time he is taken to the post. 
 
 I have heard and have read of suppositions that the more 
 certain horses scoured on the road to cover, the better their 
 style of carrying their riders. All that I have to say in answer 
 is, that this may be so; but they must be animals out of the 
 common run, and considered as rare exceptions to the rule. 
 It must be obvious that the less cause for weakness the bet- 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 41 
 
 ter, more especially when on the eve of hard and fast work ; 
 and as there is nothing more debilitating than relaxed bowels, 
 the greater care taken in preventing their becoming so the 
 better. 
 
 I have known it recommended that a hunter should be 
 sweated and galloped on the day before hunting. To that I 
 decidedly object. We do not find the race-horse thus treated 
 on the day preceding his running; and, as I stated at the 
 commencement of my observations on the condition of hun- 
 ters, the treatment of the one is, and should be, very like that 
 of the other. It is too late to take any thing out of the horse 
 at this time ; although he should have gentle exercise of a 
 couple of hours or so, and be refreshed by " sobs" of morn- 
 ing air, on the previous clay. 
 
 We shall now, having got our horse in form to meet hounds, 
 rifle our bag of odds and ends, leased and gathered for the 
 purpose of learning the measures to be adopted upon his re- 
 turn home. I shall suppose that the sport has been good, 
 and that, in the long and fast run, the noble horse, who would 
 strain himself to the last gasp, has lived well with hounds 
 from end to end. Nature is exhausted, and he is beaten. 
 Where is now his flashing eye and up-reared crest, his dis- 
 tended nostrils and quivering nerves? Does he fret and 
 champ his bit with feverish expectation, and paw the earth 
 with outstretched limbs ? Are his full-blooded veins swollen 
 in his skin like fibres upon a vine leaf? No. His eyes are 
 dull and heavy, and he droops his head between his knees, 
 and drags his weary length along, with tucked up belly, and 
 without a spark of fire remaining. 
 
 It must be clear that a horse thus beaten and distressed is 
 not in a state to be further wearied by unnecessary fidgeting 
 in a long dressing, and making him " Come over" twenty 
 times in his stall. The sooner he is made as comfortable as 
 
42 
 
 his fatigue will admit of, the better; and the more ready the 
 means that are applied to produce this, the more advan- 
 tageous must they of necessity be. 
 
 It will save trouble brushing the rough dirt off with a birch 
 broom, previously to taking him into his stall. This is but 
 the work of a few seconds ; and it can be done, if there be 
 no shed at hand, even at the stable door. Then bid the 
 horse enter with a welcome ; ungirth his saddle, but do not 
 remove it for some minutes ; throw a cloth over him, and let 
 him suck up half a pail of warm gruel. Then wash his legs, 
 feet, belly, sheath, thighs, and every under part of him, with 
 hot water. Nothing is more grateful to the horse than this, 
 after severe work ; as, indeed, his master may have experi- 
 enced, after a hard day's snipe shooting on a cold frosty day, 
 in a wet moor or bog. Then rub him well with a large 
 sponge and two or three dry flannels, and swathe his limbs 
 up to the knees and hocks with bandages. He should then 
 be rubbed down, and his head and ears got dry ; but there 
 is no occasion to stand over him until every part of his body 
 is so, as this may occupy a longer space of time than should 
 elapse previous to his having corn, and enjoying that refresh- 
 ment from repose which his fatigued state demands. He then 
 should be turned into a loose box, with straw littered well up 
 to his belly ; and a feed of corn should be given to him, 
 but not a large one, as his appetite will not likely be keen, 
 and he will only blow, upon a large quantity. His groom 
 should visit him again in about a couple of hours, take off 
 his bandages, hand-rub and wisp his legs, put on fresh ban- 
 dages, lightly brush his head and body, wisp and rub him 
 with cloths until he be perfectly dry, should there be still 
 patches of moisture about him, and put on fresh rugs. Three 
 parts of a pail, or indeed a full one, will do him no harm if 
 he likes it, of luke-warm water. A large warm mash with a 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 43 
 
 feed of oats in it, and a handful of hay thrown into his rack ? 
 will render him as comfortable as his rider stretched upon a 
 sofa, slippered and robed, before a blazing yule log, looking, 
 with a smile upon his longing lips, at the bee's- wing floating 
 in his glass of good old ruby bright; the reigning silence 
 broken only by the sharp crack of the walnuts which his gay- 
 hearted, pretty wife is industriously peeling and preparing as 
 a zest to the wine. God bless both her and him! for she 
 loves him for his deeds of gallant daring, like a true English 
 Sportsman's wife; and he loves her, that she doth listen to 
 them. 
 
 Before quitting this important division upon the treatment 
 of the hunter, I will add what I think the best means to adopt 
 when he returns home in a particularly exhausted state; 
 when his appetite entirely fails, and he is over anxious for 
 nothing but his water; no- quantity of which would slake the 
 fever and inflammation burning within. In addition to this 
 greediness for water, for it does not follow, that because he 
 is desirous for potations deep, he is in a condition to require 
 more than ordinary care, his pulse will be found quick and 
 unequal, and a noise will be heard with his respiration. The 
 inside of his eyelids may also be found to be inflamed ; and, 
 if so, a gallon of blood should be let from him without delay. 
 But I am strongly opposed to the letting of blood, except 
 when the symptoms of inflammation are such as to leave no 
 doubt upon the expediency of the measure. Great debility 
 must necessarily ensue, if a vein be opened : as it is from 
 exhaustion that the fever arises ; and taking blood must, in 
 the end, and for a time, increase the debility. Good judg- 
 ment, therefore, should be exercised previously to using the 
 fleam ; and it is by no means to be applied unless the case is 
 clearly one of emergency. Generally speaking, strong stimu- 
 lants must be administered without bleeding. An ounce of 
 5 
 
44 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 salt of hartshorn (carbonate of ammonia) will be found a capi- 
 tal pectoral ball ; and two ounces of nitre in three parts of a 
 pail of tepid water should be given him. Let him have a 
 large loose cold mash with no corn in it, and as much gruel 
 as he likes to drink. No treatment can be more grateful to 
 
 o 
 
 him than this: but should he still appear to sink, repeat the 
 pectoral ball, and give him a pint of hot spiced ale, and throw 
 open the door and window of his box. Remember that he 
 cannot be kept too coo/, under such circumstances. If the 
 quick action of the heart do not now abate, administer a clys- 
 ter of warm gruel ; draw some more blood, and blister him 
 sharply behind the elbows. And then, in the event of his 
 life flickering out, I think all has been done within the power 
 of man to save it. 
 
 I cannot but repeat, however, the great necessity for the 
 exercise of discretion in the use of the fleam, when a horse 
 is, as the grooms call it, "over-marked." For his relief, in 
 ninety-nine cases out of every hundred, strong stimulants are 
 required ; and unless there be indubitable symptoms of dan- 
 gerous inflammation, which can be known by the increased 
 action of the heart and arteries, and by examining the inside 
 of the eyelid, blood must not be let. It was formerly, and 
 it is now, a too general practice to resort to bleeding, when 
 horses evince more than an ordinary degree of distress ; and 
 many persons imagine that, as an inflammatory action must 
 attend it, stimulants are improper. This, however, is quite 
 a mistaken notion. Expiring nature wants assistance in the 
 regaining of her strength ; and the reducing or repellant sys- 
 tem must only be resorted to when the pressure upon the 
 lungs, from the greatly increased action of the heart and 
 arteries, is such as to render such a course indispensable. 
 
 Before concluding this chapter, I must say, that although 
 I strongly recommend the use of cordials, when the animal 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 45 
 
 functions have been so hurried that the fatigue amounts to 
 exhaustion, it is far from wise to give them upon every trifling 
 occasion. I have known, when a horse has refused his feed, 
 that his groom has immediately given him a cordial ball ; 
 whereas an alterative one, or perhaps none, was wanted. 
 This frequent and needless stimulating of the stomach is not 
 unlike the injudicious application of drachms of ardent spirits 
 to the human body. Medicinally, and upon occasions, a 
 swallow of good brandy is of the very greatest benefit : but, 
 let a man make it a rule to have recourse to the mingling 
 " of rebellious liquors with his blood" whenever he feels a 
 little wearied and " off his feed," and he will quickly dis- 
 cover how detrimental to his constitution is the abuse, instead 
 of the use, of stimulants. 
 
46 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS CONTINUED. THE SYSTEM TO BE 
 
 OBSERVED WHEN HUNTING CEASES. OBJECTIONS TO BEING 
 
 TURNED OUT AT GRASS, &C., &C. 
 
 I have now arrived at that stage which leaves me, for the 
 conclusion of my observations upon the Hunter, to state the 
 most approved method to be observed with him at the ter- 
 mination of the hunting season. 
 
 As every body knows, who ever kept a stud of " flyers," 
 his horses are in far finer condition on the last day of the 
 Meet, than they were in on the first. The long course of 
 hard meat that they have had, the care taken of their health, 
 exercise, work, and general economy ; have, collectively and 
 respectively, combined to render them so. They are now 
 strong in work, and high in flesh ; which is the state of per- 
 fection that a hunter should be in. It would of course be 
 truly desirable, and an infinity of pains and trouble would be 
 saved, if this condition, which has cost so much labour and 
 time, could be maintained as it is, until the succeeding season : 
 but this, it is needless to say, is impossible. All things must 
 have rest. ; and to the universal decree acting throughout 
 nature, from the flower to the oak, from the worm to man, 
 there are times appointed for inaction and repose. 
 
 How often have I heard the owner of a horse say, in reply 
 to an observation that he looked somewhat stale on his legs, 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 47 
 
 " Yes, he does : but when the season 's over, I shall give 
 him a summer's run at grass ; and then he'll come up all 
 fresh again." Thou sapient Nimrod ! Hence to thy library, 
 and refer to Johnson's Dictionary for the two monosyllables 
 run and rest, and let the difference of their signification be 
 well grafted in thy memory. Give him a summer's rest, by 
 every plea that humanity and a proper estimation of your 
 horse's value can suggest : but do not think for a moment of 
 extending your well-meant, but ill-timed and ill-judged kind- 
 ness, in mistaking for this rest a run at grass. 
 
 To a hunter, whose legs must feel the effects of his sea- 
 son, it is obvious that he cannot improve them by use or 
 further labour. On the contrary, the less he is obliged or 
 permitted lo wear them, the more likely are they to become 
 free from the injuries they have received. Now, if he is 
 turned out at grass for this season designed for his repose, I 
 think that it will not be difficult to show that he will be de- 
 prived of at least nine-tenths intended for his especial benefit. 
 In the first place, when he feeds, which, as the horse is a 
 greedy animal, will occupy by far the greater number of his 
 hours, he is compelled, from the position he must put himself 
 into, to throw the entire weight of his body into his fore 
 legs, and strain and stretch upon them, the whole time that 
 he is feeding. This great stress upon them must of course 
 prove prejudicial, and is one of the evils desired to be 
 avoided. It can scarcely have escaped the notice of the 
 most casual observer, too, how ceaseless is the pawing and 
 stamping of the horse throughout the heat of a long and 
 sultry summer's day. Goaded and stung by multitudes of 
 flies, he seeks the shade of the'most inviting tree, and there 
 he continues in perpetual motion ; first stamping one foot 
 and then the other upon the hard and unyielding earth. In 
 addition to the injury that he must derive from this uninter- 
 
 5* 
 
4S 
 
 mitting action, caused by ceaseless torments, he frequently, 
 from freak or fear, gallops as fast as he can go, and leaps 
 over hurdles, bars, and ditches that may chance to be in his 
 course. Then there is the hunt, either to catch or to drive 
 him back to the enclosure again; all of which comes strictly 
 under the head of " a summer's run.'' The evening and 
 morning dews are decidedly favourable to the feet of horses ; 
 but whatever advantages are to be derived from them can 
 be had in a more favourable method, taking the whole of 
 the circumstances into consideration ; which I shall arrive 
 at, in the order of my arrangement. 
 
 If the likelihood of the legs and feet of the hunter being 
 in no way improved by his being turned out at grass were 
 the only objection to the system, it might be answered, per- 
 haps, by saying that they are sure to be knocked about, 
 bruised, and be full of contusions, bangs, and blows; and 
 therefore they are not to be considered in comparison with 
 the benefit that his constitution will receive. I maintain, 
 however, that his constitution, instead of being benefited, 
 will also be materially injured. A great many of the dis- 
 eases in horses are caused by plethora ; and when they can 
 gorge themselves with grass, which they always do, there 
 is no more likely cause for diseases of various kinds than an 
 uncontrolled power of swallowing as much as they think 
 proper. It was formerly supposed that spring grass acted 
 as a purgative ; but I believe the march of intellect has ren- 
 dered this error completely obsolete ; and that, when horses 
 are subjected to the pains and penalties of a summer's run 
 at grass, they, as a preliminary, are well prepared with 
 physic ; it being positively certain, that if they go out foul, 
 they will come up still more so. At grass, horses invariably 
 become full in flesh and heavy in the barrel. This is not 
 only from the great quantity of juicy food they devour, but 
 
ON THfi CONDITION OP HUNTERS. 49 
 
 also from the sudden stop to the evacuations, by sweating and 
 other means that are resorted to when in work. Extremes 
 are proverbially admitted to be bad; and it must be obvious 
 that very great ones are resorted to, between keeping an 
 animal eight months in the year in a hot stable, and in an 
 almost equal temperature, and exposing him, during the 
 other four months, to the varying hent of noontide, and the 
 chilling influence of the nights. The arterial system must 
 be both increased and checked ; and thus inflammation often 
 attacks those organs which are most sensitive to such mis- 
 chievous exposure to the great opposites of heat and cold. 
 I have heard grooms speak of their horses having "grass 
 coughs;" I should like to have it explained to me, how the 
 grass could occasion the cough. The fact is, it is incipient 
 inflammation of the lungs; which frequently ends in broken 
 wind, produced by the extremes of temperature. And thus 
 we find horses generally begin to cough when they are first 
 housed from grass. 
 
 The load of bad flesh that a hunter acquires in this state, 
 has as an indispensable to his being brought into condition 
 again, to be taken off by physic and sweating, at the extra- 
 vagant expense of his legs. And I defy any treatment within 
 human ingenuity to put him into the condition between 
 taking him from grass in the middle or by the 20th of July 
 and the 1st of November, that he was in when he took his 
 last gallop at the finish of the preceding season. As I have 
 said before, or I ought to have said, time it must take, not- 
 withstanding all the care and good treatment that can be 
 adopted, to bring a hunter into blooming condition. It is 
 useless to think otherwise; and we have but to refer to the 
 race-horse, to know the correctness of the allegation. With 
 trainers, this is so indisputable, that it is never attempted ; 
 and, were it proposed to take a horse from grass to their 
 
50 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 stables, to be brought into running condition within three 
 months or fourteen weeks, they would laugh (civilly in their 
 sleeves,) at the futile instructions. Then, as the hunter's 
 condition should be quite as perfect, and but little different, 
 how is it practicable to bring him to the covert side in that 
 high state of health and vigour which his modern style of 
 work demands, unless sufficient time be accorded? With 
 all the regularity and perfection of treatment that experience 
 can suggest, a trainer knows that he cannot bring a horse 
 " up to the mark " to the post, unless he has nearly as many 
 months to do it in as the head groom has weeks to make his 
 horse meet hounds, from the time of taking him from grass 
 to the end of October. The pace when going is nearly the 
 same as the racer's ; and the only chance that can enable a 
 hunter to continue it, is the relief he gets by being pulled at 
 his fences, and the checks it is to be hoped he will have in 
 a long and fleet run. If, therefore, the work of a hunter is 
 so much like the work of the race-horse, the treatment for 
 that work should be in great measure similar; or it must be 
 confessed that he has not had fair play. 
 
 Chiefly on account of the condition which must be lost, I 
 object to the turning of hunters out at large at grass; although 
 I have stated, as a further objection, the injury, instead of be- 
 nefit, that may, and probably will, arise to their legs and feet. 
 At the same time it may be indispensable to turn them out, 
 under certain circumstances; as, in the event of it being ne- 
 cessary to blister or fire them; but even in that case they 
 should not be left out during the day; and then not in a wide 
 enclosure, where they will be induced to race, and in which 
 there is an abundance of grass: for it is not the grass that is 
 wanted, but the damp and moisture to their feet, and the 
 bracing effects of the pure air. With respect to giving a 
 hunter, stale on his legs, and knocked about, a Hunter's run, 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 51 
 
 I hold a very different opinion. The very greatest benefit 
 will accrue from such treatment; and frequently I have seen 
 a horse, that had scarcely a leg- to stand upon, come up as 
 fresh as a three-year-old, after a respite from exertion in a 
 straw-yard. This, however, is by no means a parallel case, 
 as it rather refers to the class of "screws," than the animal 
 it is my present duty and pleasure to dwell upon, 
 
 It now becomes necessary, having- said what 1 would not 
 do, to state what I would do, with a hunter, at the conclusion 
 of the season. In the first place, he should be turned into a 
 loose box; have his shoes taken off; ami his feet well pared 
 and rasped, so as to let his frogs weM down, and tips be put 
 on in the stead of his shoes. By degrees, his corn should be 
 diminished; and, after preparing him for a couple of days with 
 mashes, he should have two gentle doses of physic, of five 
 drachms or five and a half of aloes; but this will depend on 
 the constitution of the horse; some being far more capable of 
 bearing severe doses than others are. After this, you will 
 quickly discover whether there are any callous substances on 
 the sinews or the tendons; as, if there are not, his legs will 
 become as fine as can be expected after the work they have 
 done or the bruises and injuries they may have received. The 
 examination should be very minute; as in the first stages liga- 
 mentary enlargements will yield to mild means, instead of vio- 
 lent remedies being necessarily resorted to, in case of procras- 
 tination. To ascertain the cause, if it be possible to do so, is 
 the first step to be taken; and there should be no speculation 
 or experiments upon the matter. If the groom doubts and his 
 master hesitates, let an umpire be called in, to decide the ques- 
 tion, in the shape of an accomplished veterinary surgeon. 
 Should there be a probability that a blister will remove the 
 blemish, it should always be applied, in preference to the 
 
52 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 iron. I am far from being an advocate of firing", except when 
 the blister is or will be of no avail. The effects of the latter 
 are of a temporary nature, and soon wear out; but those from 
 the actual cautery are of a permanent kind, and, besides be- 
 ing- unsightly, greatly tend to reduce his marketable value, 
 although it may not the intrinsic one to his owner. 
 
 To his loose house or shed, there should be an area of 
 about forty square yards ; with a barrier of high and thick 
 fagots, so as that he neither can see through nor over them. 
 This will keep him quiet, and make him satisfied with his 
 limited boundary. For all purposes of exercising himself, 
 this space is ample ; and he will not be disposed, nor indeed 
 be able, to wear and tear his legs to pieces, as he would do 
 in a wider enclosure. As to the moisture he should get to 
 his feet, it can be far more regularly applied to them., in the 
 shape of stopping with cow-dung and clay, three times in 
 the course of a week, than that which they will receive from 
 the dew, in his summer's run at large. I have read about 
 the hoof contracting in oil, and expanding in water: but 
 neither oil nor water are required : it is moisture, and not 
 wet that is wanted. The latter, so far from being benefi- 
 cial to the feet of horses, is really injurious ; although I have 
 heard of studs, under the superintendence of some sages of 
 old, doomed to stand, by means of high leathern boots, in 
 the watery element, like the Hippopotami, for many long 
 hours through successive days. Another simple means of 
 applying moisture to the feet, so essential at this season, is 
 the throwing a sufficient quantity of clay on the floor of a 
 shed, (or any place that can be conveniently spared and 
 where it can remain,) so as to cover it for four inches in 
 depth; and casting a few pails of water over it, so as to ob- 
 tain a proper consistency for the purpose wanted. Here h,Q 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 53 
 
 can be placed for two or three hours, twice or three times in 
 a week; and the clay has only to be freshly watered, upon 
 the successive times of "soiling him." 
 
 It must not be supposed, from my foregoing observations, 
 however, that I am adverse to giving hunters green food in 
 the summer. On the contrary, I know how essential it is for 
 them to have it in limited quantities : but, for a horse to be 
 allowed to devour as much as his appetite may dictate, is 
 as impolitic as it would be to permit him to blow himself 
 out at the corn bin on the morning of his going to meet 
 hounds. Grass should be cut and given to him with his 
 hay; and a few bundles of fresh vetches will be cooling, if 
 they are not in pod. In that case, they should not be given. 
 By these means, any quantity of green food can be allow- 
 anced; and with his hay and corn (which allhough it should 
 be greatly diminished in quantity, ought not, and must not, 
 under this system, be taken entirely from him,) instead of 
 being thrown completely out of condition, and a large 
 amount of loose, unwholesome flesh gained only to be 
 worked oft' at the cost of his legs and by purgatives, very 
 little attention will bring him again into that blooming state 
 which he was in at the termination of his work. As to the 
 quantity of corn to be given to a hunter, when thus taking 
 his summer's rest, instead of a summer's run; I have never 
 given more nor less than two full feeds. 
 
 It should be remembered, by those who feel inclined to 
 save their purses at the expense of the condition of their 
 horses, and who are disposed to curtail them of their hard 
 meat, so as to reduce the amount of the corn-chandler's 
 bjii^ that the saving in the end is so trifling, that I think 
 the balance, taking into consideration the distress of their 
 horses at the beginning of the hunting season, the want o ' 
 safety which this distress occasions, (for a blown horse can- 
 
54 
 
 not face " a yawner," except at fearful odds,) and the great 
 damp to the pleasure in finding your hunter in a froth and a 
 foam with no wind in his sails, will be found greatly against 
 them. 
 
 In many points, and material ones too, I differ with the 
 late Mr. Apperley (so well known, and so justly appreciated 
 by the best sportsmen of the day, under the signature of 
 " Niinrod,") upon the condition of hunters. Whether he is 
 right and I am wrong, or the reverse, I must in all humility 
 leave to the decision of those who may sit in judgment upon 
 our respective opinions. But in the policy of treating the 
 hunter at the end of the season, and for the summer, I agree 
 with him to the letter. Indeed, were I not subjecting myself 
 to the charge of plagiarism, I would copy verbatim^ every 
 line that he has written in his voluminous work, upon this 
 particular and important branch of the subject. To quote, 
 however, a few lines from his book : He says, in speaking 
 of the comparative expense of summering horses as I have 
 before described, which agrees with his own system, or nearly 
 so, that *' when in, work, six horses in my stable ate exactly 
 three hundred weight of hay per week : but in these large 
 loose places, allowing for waste and better appetites, we will 
 give them nearly double the quantity, and say, six horses 
 shall eat six hundred weight per week. 
 
 Two tons five cwt.. of hay at 4 per ton, .... 9 
 Seventy-one bushels of oats at 4s. per bushel, ... 14 4 
 Beans, ^ , ... ^ .... 1 10 
 
 24 14 
 Six horses at grass nine weeks at four shillings per 
 
 week for each horse, . ^glO 16 
 
 Difference, ...,.,.*.. 13 18 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 55 
 
 Thus it appears that the difference in the expense of six horses 
 summered in the house, and six horses summered in the 
 field, only amounts, after all, to 13, 18s. At least twice 
 that amount would be realized, in the value of any one of the 
 horses, if he were exposed to sale at the commencement of 
 the following hunting season. " 
 
56 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS CONTINUED. THEIR FEET, 
 SHOEING, &C., &C. 
 
 " LET a man mount a favourite hobby and he will ride his 
 tail off'," says the old saw ; and, perhaps, mine already begins 
 to shake with the work. However, to the end of the designed 
 journey he must go, let the result be what it may to his ter- 
 minus. 
 
 I have now stated the course that I believe to be the best 
 to be followed in breeding the hunter, breaking him, getting 
 him into condition, keeping him in it, his treatment previous 
 to meeting hounds, and upon his return home ; the general 
 rules to be observed with him in the stable, and the most ad- 
 vantageous method of giving him his summer's rest. I shall 
 now treat upon those details connected with the horse, which, 
 if not strictly coming under the head of his condition, are so far 
 blelnded with his general good, that without attention to them 
 it is quite impossible to have him from hoof to crest as he 
 should be in all respects. 
 
 There is nothing more essential to a horse who is wanted 
 to go safely and well, than great care and attention to his feet. 
 However good he may be, however perfect his symmetry, he 
 will be of comparatively little value unless his feet be healthy 
 and sound. It is quite true that a few hunters who cannot 
 go upon the road, in consequence of injuries to their feet, 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 57 
 
 corns, inflammation, contractions, and other evils, shine like 
 meteors in the field ; and these " detrimentals" are of no great 
 hinderance, or perhaps no hinderance at all, to their living 
 well with hounds : still it must be obvious that the marlceta- 
 ble value is much deteriorated by these effects; and it is very 
 desirable, for many reasons, to prevent their occurrence by 
 every care and attention. 
 
 The hoof of a horse, from its beautiful and delicate forma- 
 tion, and the continued wear, pressure, and bruising to which 
 it is constantly being subjected, should be treated at all times 
 and under all circumstances with the greatest skill and good 
 management ; whereas, generally speaking, it is subjected to 
 the most consummate ignorance on the one hand, and little 
 or no regulation on the other. For the blacksmith, in ninety 
 and nine cases out of every hundred, knows nothing what- 
 ever of the anatomy of the foot; but he takes his butteris 
 and pares down the hoof and frog, biands the red-hot shoe in 
 the place it is to be fixed in, and makes the hoof fit the shoe* 
 He knows, too, for he has been told, and he saw during the 
 term of his apprenticeship, that his master was careful to avoid 
 driving in the nails up the hoof, and that he must bring the 
 points out within a certain line, or that there will be a likelihood 
 of his pricking the horse : but what is pricked in an accident of 
 this kind, he knows no more than a solution of the problems 
 in Euclid. Grooms also are strangely neglectful in the ma- 
 nagement of the feet of their horses. They know w r hen a 
 horse has disease, from his going lame ; and they will oblige 
 their masters with the earliest information of the effect ; but 
 the cause (in many instances the result of their own neglect,) 
 they neither think of nor inquire into. 
 
 In all evils it must be admitted that that system is most de- 
 sirable that teaches the method of preventing their arrival 
 rather than the one calculated to eject them after possession. 
 
58 
 
 Now, my object, and I flatter myself with the confidence 
 that I shall gain it, is, to submit the treatment in this particu- 
 lar and exquisite part of the horse that will ensure a preven- 
 tative to disease and local injuries, as far as it is possible for 
 care and attention so to do. 
 
 In the first place, we shall see what the hoof of a horse 
 should be, to rank under the head of perfection. It should 
 be full in the front, large and circular ; the frogs should be 
 elastic and free, and the bars well brought out. There should 
 be neither crevice, crack, seam, nor rib on the external sur- 
 face ; which should be of a dark shining colour. But it must 
 not be supposed that, because a horse possesses this capital 
 foot, he can never be subjected to disease; although he is not 
 nearly so likely to become lame as if he had a narrow contract- 
 ed hoof, high heels, and hard unyielding frogs. Good feet, 
 therefore, should not be neglected by reason of their excel- 
 lence ; as it matters but little whether they be well-shaped or 
 not, when disease becomes confirmed and settled in them 
 for when it is so, no skill, care, nor judgment can eradicate it. 
 
 I do not mean to say that disease cannot be checked and 
 stopped in its primary and incipient stages; but, when once dis- 
 ease has taken root, soundness can never be regained. I should 
 here state, that as a horse possessing finely shaped feet is not 
 free from the likelihood of disease, it does not follow that one 
 having them badly formed must necessarily presume disease, 
 I had a horse with small contracted feet, with little frogs as 
 hard as brick-bats ; and I hunted him for four successive sea- 
 sons, without his knowing what it was to limp an inch, from 
 any cause whatever. I account for this, by supposing that 
 Nature \\z<\formed them in this model, and that neither disease, 
 bad shoeing, nor neglect of any kind, had any thing to do 
 with these mal-formed feet. It is true that I had great care 
 taken of them ; as they carried me many a fast mile, and over 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 51 
 
 " yawners" that made my gorge rise as he lifted me at them ; 
 but not greater care than I have had bestowed upon every horse 
 that I have yet been master of. We have but to look at the 
 small frogless hoofs of that humble cropper of thistles, the pa- 
 tient ass, to know that an animal without a full circular foot 
 may go safely and sound, when it is designed by Nature that 
 he should do so. 
 
 As I have previously said, the shape of the foot in the horse 
 is a good criterion of the chances against his becoming lame 
 from disease: but it does not follow that he must escape them. 
 We will therefore dive into the measures to be resorted to, in 
 all instances, however good and faultless the form may be. 
 
 In the first place, I will treat of the principal causes of foot- 
 lameness. In the front rank stands thz pace that horses are 
 rattled at, upon hard ground. Nothing is so detrimental to 
 the feet as hard ground ; and a stage upon the road, at the 
 rate of twelve miles per hour, produces greater concussion, 
 and consequently greater injury, than galloping a horse twice 
 the distance upon the turf, when in a soft and pliant state. It 
 sometimes happens that gentlemen, from choice, and not un- 
 frequently from necessity, ride at speed along hard roads and 
 lanes, when endeavouring to ride to hounds ; and then it is 
 that mischief is done to the feet. Excitement, from high 
 feeding without judicious exercise and a liberal use of alter- 
 atives, is another cause of foot-lameness. Inflammation set- 
 tles in the hoof; and this contracts it ; but the contraction is 
 the effect, not the cause of the lameness. If a horse be per- 
 mitted to stand on wet litter, or if his feet be not regularly 
 and properly cleansed from muck, heat must be engendered ; 
 and nothing is more likely to create fever in them. Bad 
 shoeing is often the origin of the destruction of the hoof: I do 
 not mean, by pricking the sensitive part of the foot in nailing 
 the shoe on : that will, in all probability, occasion only tem- 
 
 6* 
 
60 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 porary lameness ; but in the ignorant proselyte of Vulcan 
 abusing the use of his drawing knife or butteris ; shaving, 
 cutting, rasping, and burning the foot to the shoe, and pay- 
 ing no attention to the peculiarities in the tread of the horse. 
 I am quite certain, notwithstanding so much has been assert- 
 ed to the contrary by Mr. Apperley, that the blacksmith may 
 destroy a good hoof by clumsily placing on it an ill-construct- 
 ed shoe. 
 
 That which I am about to mention does not apply to the 
 foot of the horse : but it is so far applicable as to show what 
 good shoeing may do in opposition to bad. I purchased a 
 mare at Tattersall's, one of four that had been sent from Her 
 Majesty's stable, for forty-eight guineas. Within two months 
 of my buying her, she threw a splent on her off' fore leg. 
 This I blistered and sweated down, until it was not larger 
 than a bean : but this excrescence still remained, in spite of 
 my repeated endeavours to remove it. The iron would no 
 doubt have got rid of it altogether : but I preferred the minor 
 blemish to the major; and as it did not interfere with her action, 
 although it was exceedingly high and close, when carefully 
 shod, I rode and worked her as a hack for more than a year, 
 without the slightest inconvenience arising from the splent. 
 Mr. Field of Oxford Street shod the mare for me; and by" 
 " levelling" or rounding off the inside of her near fore shoe, 
 and, indeed, all round, and being particular in not letting it 
 exceed the boundary of the hoof, she did her work as well 
 with the splent as she had done without it. About a year 
 afterwards, a friend insisted upon becoming the purchaser of 
 her, at more than double the amount that I had given ; and, 
 yielding to his entreaties, from the operation of my bump of 
 acquisitiveness, I stated at the time of the completion of the 
 bargain, " Now remember, if you let an ignorant bumpkin 
 shoe her, she will be fit only for the boiler in three months." 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 61 
 
 He assured me that no " bumpkacious biped" should touch 
 her feet ; but that the same care should be taken of them as 
 heretofore. How or why this promise came not to be fulfilled, 
 I never inquired : but when I saw the mare again, which was 
 within two months, the bean had swollen to the size of a hen's 
 egg, and was perfectly raw, from the continued striking of 
 her near fore shoe ; which was as thick and as heavy as that 
 of a dray horse, and projected over the hoof with an edge 
 sharp enough to cut her leg in two. Now the cautery was 
 applied, but in vain ; for the substance was as hard as iron ; 
 and not even the skill of Mr. Field could reduce it sufficiently 
 for her not to strike it every step that she took out of a walk ; 
 and thus as handsome and as good a hack as was ever sad- 
 dled, was sent to the dogs, solely on account of bad shoeing. 
 
 Not being prepared for the work that he is put to, and being 
 fed too quickly on hard meat, when brought from grass, with- 
 out a sufficient preparation with mashes and physic, is an ad- 
 ditional cause of lameness in the foot : improper position of 
 the limb causing an uneven tread ; but, above 9\\,fast work 
 upon hard ground. 
 
 These, for the most part, are the causes of foot lameness ; 
 and it is for the careful master and the groom to avoid them 
 as much as possible. 
 
 It is not in the power of man to prevent foot lameness in 
 very many cases ; not taking into consideration the accidents 
 that may occasion it. For instance, it sometimes happens that 
 a horse may have as good a shaped hoof as can be desired, 
 and yet disease may lurk in it from the hour of his birth. 
 His tread may also be defective and uneven ; and this is cer- 
 tain to produce lameness, if he be exposed to fast work ; par- 
 ticularly if good shoeing be not resorted to, as a corrective to 
 the limb being improperly placed. What may be done by 
 
62 
 
 excellent shoeing in this case is beyond credence : but as so 
 few farriers understand even the rudiments of their trade, the 
 chances are a hundred to one that a horse will be attacked 
 with foot lameness who has an uneven tread. 
 
 That which I shall term the " innate" disease in the foot, 
 is generally centred in the navicular bone ; and, when this is 
 injured, no human art can restore it. It often occurs that this 
 may exist in a perfect model of a foot ; but until high feeding 
 and work expose the flaw, it is beyond the judgment or inge- 
 nuity of the most experienced to discover it. For a horse 
 thus afflicted there is no remedy but the knife ; and to that, 
 rather than incur a useless expense, supposing the effect to 
 be so bad as to preclude his working except under constant 
 torture, I strongly advise every humane owner of such an ani- 
 mal to have recourse. 
 
 Fever has undoubtedly a determination to the sensible 
 parts of the fore feet; and, as if Nature had resolved 
 that the balance should be pretty evenly maintained be- 
 tween the hinder limbs and the fore ones, it is well known 
 to all who have paid attention to the subject that the hind 
 leg is much more subjected to diseases than the fore one ; 
 while the hind foot is not. Now, this cannot be on ac- 
 count of greater care being bestowed upon the latter ; for 
 grooms invariably pay more attention to the fore feet than 
 to the hinder ones. Indeed, these last are generally sub- 
 jected to culpable neglect on the part of the knights of the 
 wisp and curry comb. 
 
 Cart horses, although of much greater weight than the 
 description of animal that I am treating of, are seldom (I 
 have been told " never'* by Mr. Coleman : but this I know 
 to be incorrect) lame from disease in the foot. Without 
 question, the feet of cart horses are much more neglected 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. DO 
 
 than those of the hunter or the roadster; and therefore we 
 must trace their soundness to the fact of their not being 
 fed so highly, and the great root of the evil, the pace, being 
 so completely negatived in these animals of draught. 
 
 Experiments of various kinds have been attempted by 
 sanguine inventors, to produce a shoe that would admit of 
 all the functions of the foot being duly performed as in a 
 state of nature. We have had patent expanding shoes, and 
 anti-concussion shoes, and shoes with springs in the heels, 
 and all sorts of speculations in this protector to the foot of the 
 noblest animal that is designed for the service of man. But, 
 if these enthusiastic artificers had, in the first instance, in- 
 quired well into the structure of the foot, they would have 
 saved themselves an infinity of futile labour. It is quite im- 
 practicable to construct a shoe, so as to allow of the entire 
 offices of the hoof, in the same manner as though it were un- 
 encumbered with an inflexible body ; and that is most en- 
 titled to our notice, which occasions the least inconvenience 
 to the horse, and allows of the most natural position to the 
 feet, either when in action or at rest. 
 
 That eminent professor of the veterinary art, Professor 
 Coleman, has asserted, that, without pressure upon the frog, 
 it becomes diseased. This is one of those fallacies which 
 originate in the error, or prejudice, of a clever man's brain ; 
 and, although its origin can be traced to this source, hun- 
 dreds and thousands give credence to it, without giving 
 themselves the trouble of inquiring into the untenable theo- 
 rem. "No animal," says the professor, "can be preserved 
 in health, where the natural functions are prevented. When 
 the frog is not sufficiently pressed upon, it becomes soft, 
 from the accumulation of the fluid which it naturally secretes 
 in great abundance from the fatty substance which lies im- 
 
64 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 mediately under the tendon." He also says, that, " without 
 pressure' on the frogs, the cartilages of the coffin bone no 
 longer act upon the coronary ring;" and that, "as the horn 
 is secreted, it takes a wrong direction, in consequence of 
 this want of action on the cartilages ; and hence all the 
 disease which takes place." 
 
 Now, this reads like the argument of a reflective mind ; 
 and might seduce many, easy of belief to conclude it to be 
 an established truth ; but experience has taught me, in spite 
 of the plausible reasoning of Professor Coleman, and some 
 of his book-making parasites, that a greater sophism was 
 never broached. I have ridden some thousands of miles 
 on all sorts of grounds ; and I am sure, whenever the frog 
 touches any thing which is hard, the horse is sure to flinch. 
 In opposition to the authority I have quoted, who says, that, 
 " where the frog does not touch the ground, disease must be 
 the consequence" I assert, that no horse is safe with his frog 
 in contact with the ground ; and that disease will be very 
 likely to arise from the concussion with it. This must be per- 
 fectly obvious, when we know that the frog is exceedingly 
 sensitive; and that, whenever it is pressed upon any hard 
 substance, like a stone, the horse winces with pain. That 
 which, therefore, cannot bear temporary pressure, most 
 assuredly should not be subjected to constant bruising. As 
 I have said, in a former part of this book, it is very judi- 
 cious to pare away the hoof, and to let the frogs well down, 
 when a horse is to be turned into his loose house and pad- 
 dock ; but I should be sorry to see the frogs of a horse of 
 mine upon the ground, when standing on a firm level ; know- 
 ing what the certain result must be. 
 
 Formerly it was the practice in the army to shoe horses 
 with a thin-heeled shoe ; and I think the custom became a 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 65 
 
 general one. By these means, the toes of the horse were 
 raised, the heels depressed, and his frogs let down upon the 
 ground. The compulsory abandonment of that method, is 
 conclusive proof of its futility. As Mr. Goodwin says, 
 " When a horse is shod with a thin-heeled shoe, the position 
 of the leg and the foot is unnatural, and continually upon 
 the strain, when the toes are raised so much above the 
 heels; and this must be the situation of all horses shod thus, 
 except in those which have become mule shaped by con- 
 traction. Therefore it is these only which will bear a 
 diminution of the horn at the toe, equal to a reduction of 
 the shoe at the heels, which Mr. Coleman urges the neces- 
 sity of paying due attention- to. Sprains in the tendons and 
 ligaments, as well as fatigue in the muscles of the leg, often 
 occur from their being thus unusually exerted." And he 
 adds, that " he has never seen that horses thus shod are less 
 liable to contraction or to corns. On the contrary, he has 
 remarked that the low-heeled system is particularly inju- 
 rious to weak feet, and disposes the heel to shelve forward: 
 the foot, in consequence, loses its equilibrium ; and the horse 
 goes unsafe, and is continually tripping and blundering in 
 his paces." 
 
 Almost every horse has some peculiarity attached to his 
 feet ; and therefore it is difficult to prescribe general rules for 
 the preparing him for the shoe, and the manner that he 
 should be shod. However, I will state what I have done 
 with my own horses, and the system that I still pursue. In 
 the first place, it is prejudicial to allow the shoes to remain 
 on longer than a month ; and frequently (but this will depend 
 on the material and form of the foot and the work it has 
 been put to) they should not be left on so long. Jt must be 
 remarked here, however, that some feet will not bear fre- 
 
66 
 
 quent shifting of the shoes ; while others require it, in order 
 to maintain their soundness. If a foot be thick and strong 
 in the crust, and be deep and hollow, it can bear a free 
 application of the butteris, and should be pared well down. 
 The toe of this foot should be kept short ; as it will tend to 
 make the hoof throw out new horn from the coronet. A 
 foot the reverse of this, which I shall call a weak foot, 
 should be treated in exactly an opposite manner. It should 
 be pared very slightly indeed ; as the horn is barely suffi- 
 cient to protect the internal and sensitive parts. This ob- 
 jectionable foot may be known by the circular base, the 
 open heels, and the fine flourishing frog. The heels, too, are 
 also generally low ; causing great strain on the flexor ten- 
 dons of the leg. These kind of feet must be kept dry ; all 
 moist- stopping being injurious to them. The toes should 
 be cut short ; which will cause their heels to grow higher. 
 A light concave-seated shoe (and I will here state, that I 
 am strongly in favour of light shoes in all cases) should be 
 applied ; and as shifting is detrimental, the nails should be 
 driven superficially, or near the external surface of the wall 
 of the foot. In all shoeing, care should be taken that suffi- 
 cient room be left between the sole and the shoe, to pass 
 the point of a picker ; as then little danger is to be appre- 
 hended, provided the shoe be well fitted to the foot. 
 
 To guard against the danger of that truly provoking ac- 
 cident the over-reach, I have had the greatest care taken in 
 having the inside edge of the hind shoes " bevelled " to the 
 greatest nicety ; and this is a sovereign remedy against the 
 evil. It is frequently imagined that an over-reach is occa- 
 sioned by the striking of the toe against the fore leg ; where- 
 as it is in the act of drawing back the hind leg, after an 
 over-exertion of the hind quarters, that these frightful gashes 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 67 
 
 are made ; and if the inside edge of the shoes be well round- 
 ed off", nothing of the kind will be discovered. 
 
 I once saw the sinews of a horse, ridden by a whipper-in, 
 entirely cut through by an over-reach, which was done in 
 clearing a brook. Like many of the best, he disliked water 
 and the man rode him to it at speed ; and, between the fear 
 that the horse had in taking the leap, and the " persuasives" 
 that were used in urging him towards it, he made a mighty 
 spring. Unhappily, the inside edge of the near hind shoe 
 being as sharp as a knife, by the effect of the violent spring, 
 the sinews were completely severed, and the horse had to 
 be killed on the spot. 
 
68 
 
 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS CONTINUED. TREATMENT OF FEET 
 
 AFTER SEVERE WORK. DISEASES OF THE FEET. FURTHER 
 
 REMARKS ON SHOEING, &C-, &C. 
 
 I AM a great admirer of that good old maxim, " A stitch 
 in time saves nine ;" and of the policy of invariably prevent- 
 ing mischief, instead of ejecting it when fairly or unfairly 
 in possession. 
 
 After severe days, the fore-feet of horses should be well 
 fomented with hot water and bran poultices, sufficiently 
 large to cover the coronet, w ? ith bole ammoniac lightly 
 mingled with it, to prevent it softening the frogs. After the 
 horse has gone to exercise in the morning, and there is an 
 appearance of tenderness in the feet, which may be known 
 by his placing the greatest part of his weight on his hind 
 Jegs he should be bled in the foot veins; which is both a 
 simple and safe operation. I should at the same time state, 
 that judgment must be used in not mistaking stiffness, a 
 bruise, or any such temporary ill, for inflammation or sore- 
 ness in the feet. 
 
 Stopping, I have ever considered as one of the most effec- 
 tive means of preventing disease in the feet of horses ; and 
 although there are some that had better be kept uniformly 
 dry, yet these are the exceptions to the rule. Generally 
 speaking, from the artificial state in which horses are kept, 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 69 
 
 the heat engendered by high keep, nnd ihe pace that they 
 are required to go on hard ground, moisture to the soles 
 and to the frogs is indispensable. At the same time, stop- 
 ping should not be constantly applied; but only two or three 
 nights in the course of the week, when a horse, is in high 
 condition and hard work. Clay and cow-dung are very 
 cooling and simple ingredients for this purpose ; and I think 
 quite as good, if not better, than I have yet heard recom- 
 mended. 
 
 I have seen moisture applied to the external surface of 
 the hoof, by saturated tow being tied round the outside of the 
 coronets and hanging over the entire of the crust. This may 
 promote the growth of horn from the coronet : but I think 
 the same improvement to the foot may always be obtained 
 from internal stopping ; which is far easier to apply. 
 
 There is a description of foot, called "pumiced," which, in 
 far the greatest number of instances, is the result of fever : 
 but when it is not so, and it may be traced to a natural 
 defect, the cause is in the crust and lamina being too thin 
 and weak, and the frog being generally stronger than the 
 other parts. According to Mr. Goodwin, than whom a more 
 eminent authority cannot be referred to, all horses that are 
 put to fast work are subject to pumiced feet. "In those," 
 says he, " where the secretion of horn is insufficient to meet 
 all the purposes required, it is found even at an early age, 
 after being shod only a few times ; for, as the crust and 
 laminaB are thin and weak, they are unequal to support the 
 weight which nature intended ; by which the peculiar struc- 
 ture and connexion between the horny and sensible laminae 
 should be chiefly borne by them. This does not wholly 
 arise from a defect of nature ; for nature did not intend that 
 the animal should be shod, kept in hot stables, or go so fast 
 
70 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 upon the hard roads. As the disease increases, the coffin 
 bone and the internal contents of the hoofs sink, and bear 
 down upon the horny sole ; which, being thin and weak 
 gives way; soon losing its concave appearance, and becoming 
 convex." 
 
 Horses with these pumiced feet are very apt to cast their 
 shoes. Indeed, it is a matter of great difficulty to keep any 
 kind of shoe on, in deep ground. 
 
 It would be superfluous to repeat the measures to be 
 adopted as preventives of pumice; as I have stated the cause 
 in four-fifths of the cases, to be fever; and that which keeps 
 away fever, as a necessary sequitur, will prevent pumice. But 
 I must add the plan to be adopted, when this disease, unfortu- 
 nately, becomes seated in the foot. If the sole becomes so 
 convex that it comes in contact with the ground, when stand- 
 ing on a level, the sooner the horse is put out of work the 
 better. He should have the crust of his fore feet rasped 
 down nearly to the level of the sole ; and then be made to 
 stand, for three or four hours each day, upon a level surface 
 of flag stones or bricks ; and tar ointment should be freely 
 applied to every part of the foot. The toes should be kept 
 short, to promote the growth of the horn. This course will be 
 found a palliative of the evil: but no radical cure can with 
 any certainty be looked for. 
 
 The common disease, known by the name of " the thrush," 
 is an issue or vent for the secretion of foul matter. The 
 preventive of this is, to keep the horse's system from be- 
 coming foul by physic, alteratives, proper feeding; and not per- 
 mitting him to stand on wet litter. Many have an idea, that 
 the stopping of a running thrush quickly, by drying, external 
 applications, proves highly dangerous : but there is no danger 
 whatever in so doing, provided mashes and physic be admi- 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 71 
 
 nistered at the same time. It must be remembered, however, 
 that the foulness must be thrown out somewhere ; and that, 
 if the thrush be stopped without medicine, it will fly to some 
 other quarter ; the eyes being by no means an unlikely quar- 
 ter. When the thrush is in the hind foot, it may be taken 
 for granted that it has been caused by the culpable negligence 
 of the groom, in permitting the horse to stand in his dung 
 or upon wet litter. But, whether proceeding from internal 
 foulness of habit, or outward neglect and filthiness, the effects 
 are the same, although the causes are different. If from the 
 latter, remove the cause, and the disease may cease without 
 further trouble ; but, if it has proceeded so far as to produce 
 ulceration of the sensible frog, a dressing composed of a so- 
 lution of blue vitriol, or oxymel of verdigris, is necessary. 
 Before this is done, the cleft of the frog should be thoroughly 
 cleansed to the bottom, by means of tow ; and, if there be 
 any ragged horn covering a diseased part, it should be com- 
 pletely removed by the knife. One of these dressings is suf- 
 ficient for the cure. As to the thrush in the fore feet, the 
 treatment must be different, if the disease be from foulness 
 of body; of which there is the greater likelihood. Then 
 physic must be given; at the same time the frog must 
 be kept clean; and, if a bad old thrush, it will be better to 
 rasp the heels and quarters, thin the soles, cover the frog with 
 tar ointment, and wrap the foot in a bran poultice. Should 
 the thrush continue after the hoof has been well soaked in 
 the poultice, and especially if the frog be very tender and 
 rotten, Egyptiacum with a few drops to two ounces of sul- 
 phuric acid is a capital dressing. As a concluding remark 
 upon this disease, I may add, that the knife should be freely 
 applied removing ever}'' bit of unsoundness from the frog ; as 
 unsound flesh can never unite with sound. 
 
72 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 Mr. Apperley says, in speaking of shoeing, (concerning 
 which he treats very lightly,) that " when executed on its 
 worst plan, it has not alone the power to produce lameness." 
 I should like to have been at his elbow when he penned this 
 sentence, and to have asked him whether bad shoeing would 
 not produce corns, and whether corns will not produce lame- 
 ness ; for which, frequently, there is no radical cure. 
 
 Corns are generally occasioned by the pressure of the heel 
 of the shoe; either by its bearing directly on the sole, when 
 it is too thin to bear the pressure, or by its forcing the heel of 
 the crust inwards. In this way, the sensible sole and laminae 
 are bruised, their blood-vessels ruptured, and the blood pene- 
 trates into the pores of the horn. 
 
 Need I say, that, to escape this common and troublesome 
 disorder, let your blacksmith be skilful ; corns are a certain 
 effect of his want of skill. 
 
 Of an old neglected corn, no absolute cure can with any 
 reasonable expectation be hoped for, but if taken early, a radi- 
 cal cure is practicable. 
 
 The practice of paring out a corn, and leaving the bar and 
 crust to press upon the heel of the shoe, is of no benefit; as, 
 if a little temporary relief be afforded by bending or making 
 the shoe bear off that particular part, in a very short time it 
 must yield to the weight of the horse, and press upon the ten- 
 der heel. It is thus that corns are made so troublesome as 
 we find them ; and not unfrequently horses are ruined by this 
 improper treatment. Matter is often formed within the heel, 
 from this sort ol management, and breaks out at the coronet ; 
 frequently doing great mischief, and even rendering the horse 
 useless. When corns have been suffered to go this length, 
 the foot must be poulticed, and all the hollow horn cut away. 
 
 After the inflammation has been entirely subdued, the sen- 
 sible parts which have been laid bare should be dressed with 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 73 
 
 tar ointment and Friar's balsam. In old cases, the sensible 
 parts will always remain tender, however carefully they may 
 be treated, and will always require the protection of a bar 
 shoe. 
 
 There is another cause of foot-lameness, which seems to 
 have escaped the notice of Nimrod, when he spoke of "shoe- 
 ing alone not having the power to produce lameness." The 
 form of a foot is changed by the influence of shoeing; and 
 unless the bearing of the shoe be accommodated to these 
 changes, to which the unceasing attention and skill of the 
 smith should be directed, fever will be the result, from con- 
 traction and unequal pressure ; to prevent which, the great 
 art is to consult the natural tread. 
 
 It is. the opinion of that clever writer, Mr. Goodwin, that 
 fever in the feet is often produced, in hunters, by their taking 
 high leaps on hard ground, or going fast over stones or flinty 
 ground ; also, by a chill occasioned by riding the animal into 
 water when heated. This is doubtless correct ; but, with 
 hunters, it generally proceeds from over-exitement of the 
 vascular system, from high food and fast work. Mr. Hinds 
 agrees in the opinion of Mr. Goodwin on this subject. He 
 says , " when we reflect upon the strict accordance between 
 the structure of the fore-feet and the hind, and then look over 
 and lament the numerous disorders that the first is liable to, 
 whilst the hinder one is comparativly free, it gives us reason 
 to pause. But, without entering into an elaborate investi- 
 gation of this difference as to health, I come to the conclusion 
 that we ouo-ht to attribute diseases of the feet to the excessive 
 
 O 
 
 heat of the vascular system, promoted by the great exertions 
 the animal is put to, and the rude concussion the fore-feet in 
 particular endure at every step; thus creating heat, and 
 attracting hither any evil humours that may afflict the body 
 
74 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 generally. He adds, " Time and hard work, and the heat 
 of the blood, occasion brittle hoofs and distortions, with nu- 
 merous disorders that attach to the foot generally, or belong 
 to the sole only." 
 
 I have mentioned more than once the inner sole. It 
 will be well for me to describe it. It is one of the flexor 
 tendons of the leg, continued to the bottom of the foot, cover- 
 ing the navicular bone. Sand-crack is a further disease to 
 which the feet of horses are exposed. As this happens in 
 consequence of the dryness and brittleness of the hoofs, if 
 stopping and soiling be properly attended to, there will be 
 little danger from this disease. It generally extends to the 
 sensible parts of the hoof; and can seldom be cured, if the 
 horse be kept in work. The first thing to be done is, to open 
 the crack with a drawing knife ; for it nearly invariably runs 
 obliquely under the horn; and to cut out every hollow 
 part completely, however far it may extend under the crust. 
 
 Every particle of horn that is hollow, or detached from 
 the sensible parts must be completely cut away, however 
 far it may extend under the crust. A solution of blue vitriol 
 should then be applied, and afterwards some tar ointment. 
 
 Should there be much lameness or inflammation in the 
 foot it should be poulticed for several days, and no shoe be 
 put on until an inch of new hoof appear above the crack. A 
 little blister ointment, just above the crack, often does good, 
 and tar ointment, on the crack and adjacent horn. The foot 
 for a considerable time, should be kept regularly stopped; not 
 with clay or cow-dung, but with tar ointment. This will 
 be absorbed through the horn, stimulate the secreting ves- 
 sels, and cause a plentiful effusion of that odorous vapour 
 which is constantly escaping from the bottom of the foot. 
 
 As an unctuous application, to render a hoof supple, and 
 which is very generally used in racing stables, Venice 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 75 
 
 turpentine, quarter of a pound, mixed in half a pound of 
 fresh hog's lard, is as good a recipe as can be desired. 
 
 While treating on the hoof, I think it will not be ill-timed 
 to give a short extract from Mr. Goodwin's excellent work 
 " on the Diseases of the Feet." " I have invariably ob- 
 served," says he, " where horses are turned out to grass, 
 during the dry and hot summer months, that, on bringing- 
 them up to be put into stable condition, their feet are in 
 much worse state than they were when they went out; dried 
 up, and so hard and brittle, that on the application of a 
 tool to bring them into a form fit to receive a shoe, the horn 
 breaks like a piece of glass ; and all the naturally tough and 
 elastic property is lost, so that it requires some months to 
 remove the bad effects. If it is necessary that a horse 
 should be put out of work during the hot and dry weather, 
 I prefer a large box, or shed, and soiling with green food ; 
 by which means two objects are gained : viz. all the in- 
 jurious effects of a drying wind or a meridian sun on the 
 hoofs are avoided ; which creates such an excessive evapo- 
 ration of the natural moisture absorbed into the horn from 
 within, that it not only becomes dry, hard, and brittle, but 
 the whole horny box tightens on the sensible parts, and fre- 
 quently produces great mischief. But, in a loose place, 
 moisture may be applied in any desirable way. The other 
 advantage of a shed or box is, that horses are sheltered from 
 the terrifying effects of flies and heat. Horses at grass are 
 much inclined to thrushes ; and, whether they have shoes or 
 tips, or are without either, it is necessary frequently to in- 
 spect their feet, and to remove all superfluous horn ; other- 
 wise the foot will grow out of all shape. 
 
76 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE CONDITION OE HUNTERS CONCLUDED. TREATMENT OF 
 
 COMMON INJURIES AND DISEASES. GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 PHYSIC, &C. 
 
 As I have said in my preface to this work, it was not my 
 intention to enter into the labyrinth of details of veterinary 
 surgery, because I was not sufficiently acquainted with them 
 in the first place to make such an attempt; and, in the second 
 there was no necessity, in assisting or instructing the sports- 
 man, that he should be wearied with, the study of so pro- 
 found an art. At the same time, he can scarcely be deemed 
 a sportsman who is ignorant of the common causes of dis- 
 eases in horses, or the equally common means of cure ; or, 
 what is far more desirable for him to know, the preservatives 
 against their attacks. As far as my experience and know- 
 ledge (gained by reference to the highest authorities upon 
 the subjects treated of) extend, I have endeavoured to sub- 
 mit, in the easiest and most comprehensive form, nearly all 
 that I consider necessary for the soundness, health, condition, 
 comfort, and well-doing of the hunter. Before, however, 
 quitting this favourite topic of mine, I shall add, by way of 
 conclusion, the simplest treatment for common injuries and 
 diseases'; as, although I strongly deprecate mere speculation 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 77 
 
 or working in the dark, I regard the calling in the assistance 
 of the proselyte of Esculapius upon every trifling loosening 
 of a screw, as unnecessary and extravagant. 
 
 There is no injury to which hunters are more liable, than 
 thorns in their legs and fetlocks, and stubs in their frogs. 
 As a matter of course, there is nothing in these cases that I 
 can urge as preventives ; but, as to the cure, there will be 
 no great difficulty. With thorns, the first object is extrac- 
 tion : but it is often difficult to discover the exact seat of 
 the poisonous barb ; and also, when discovered, it is fre- 
 quently far from easy to be got at. The knife and the lancet 
 should be used carefully, as the means of extraction ; for fre- 
 quently a wound may be made, without the least service 
 being performed. To encourage suppuration as much as 
 possible, by poulticing, is the safest plan ; and I have found 
 a large linseed poultice the quickest in drawing the pus. 
 Sometimes several gatherings of pus will be collected and 
 discharged, before the thorn will make its appearance ; it 
 having been deeply buried in the flesh. Until this appears 
 the poulticing must be continued ; and fomentations with 
 hot water will greatly accelerate the decrease of inflammation. 
 It has occurred that lameness produced by a thorn has been 
 mistaken for other causes, even by eminent professors of V. 
 S., and horses have been blistered and fired in consequence 
 of the error ; which has been proved, when too late, by the 
 thorn issuing forth some months after being seated in the leg, 
 or the foot. 
 
 Stubs and splinters are even more injurious to the legs 
 and feet of hunters than thorns. Many, indeed, are so con- 
 tused and lacerated by these multitudinous causes of lame- 
 ness, as to be of no further use. Nerves, ligaments, and ten- 
 dons become wounded, the treatment of which requires great 
 skill; and, to lose time in calling in the aid of the veterinarian, 
 
78 
 
 is to abandon the horse to destruction. Inflammation always 
 ensues from these wounds, and often of a most violent na- 
 ture; and the first step (after extraction, if it be possible) to 
 be taken, is, to foment and poultice the injured part, in order 
 to reduce it as speedily as may be practicable. 
 
 Sore backs may generally be prevented by proper care 
 and attention to the saddle. If it fits well, and the padding 
 be elastic, drying, beating and keeping the panels of them 
 clean after use, is all that is wanted. Some heavy weights 
 are, from bad seats, apt to wring the backs of their horses, 
 without the saddle being any way faulty; and the skin of some 
 horses is so tender, that it will gall with very slight pressure, 
 particularly when sweating freely. In the latter case, a sheep's 
 skin under the saddle will be found a palliative of galling fric- 
 tion; although it is far from being ornamental to the appoint- 
 ments of a sportsman; by the covert side. To wash such 
 backs with salt water, with a little alum mixed with it will 
 be found to harden the skin, and render it less likely to be 
 wrung. Upon lumps or a puff being discovered, when the 
 saddle is removed, fomentations with hot water should be 
 freely applied, and the clothes be kept oft' the part affected, as 
 the heat of them adds to the inflammation. When the skin 
 is broken, great care is necessary ; as it may soon become 
 confirmed sit-fast and fistula. Good detergent ointments 
 should be applied, and wash of Goulard water moderately 
 strong. 
 
 As a detergent of cleansing ointment, I think the following 
 as good as can be mixed: 
 
 Palm oil, ------- 2 oz. 
 
 Olive oil, 1 Ib. 
 
 Palm oil, 2 oz. 
 
 Solution of subacetat of lead commonly called 
 
 Goulard's extract, 3 oz 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 79 
 
 When sit-fast, which is a callous ulcer, takes place, the 
 knife, not unfrequently, is indispensable. This is a danger- 
 ous implement in unskilful hands, and therefore had better 
 be left to the direction of the V. S. in all cases where it is 
 required. 
 
 The disease in the wind of horses, commonly called 
 " roaring," is classed under many different heads. We hear 
 of whistling, wheezing, piping, high-blowing, and grunting ; 
 which are the various degrees of the complaint. 
 
 In " Percival's Lectures," this subject is ably and scien- 
 tifically treated ; and although, for my purpose, it is not ne- 
 cessary that I should enter into the particulars with so much 
 care, yet as the disease is very common with horses, I shall 
 give it more than ordinary consideration. 
 
 The causes are mostly inflammation, acute or chronic, in 
 the tracheal tube itself. Severe colds or inflammation of the 
 lungs, which produce much membranous inflammation, are 
 doubtless the most common causes of roaring; and therefore 
 should be guarded against as much as possible. The con- 
 stitutions of horses vpry like those of ourselves, and some 
 are more sensitive to cold and chills and the changes of tem- 
 perature than others. Such animals should be exposed as little 
 as possible to any violent weather, or sudden change of tem- 
 perature. 
 
 " A simple cold," says Mr. Hinds, " consists in slight 
 inflammation of the membrane that lines the nose, windpipe, 
 &c. ; as we find, in all other inflammatory disorders, varia- 
 tions in the symptoms occur, according to the previous con- 
 stitution, and its previous condition. For example: If two 
 equal animals be exposed to a chilly night air, that horse 
 which had performed a journey previously to turning out 
 would catch a cold for certain the other most probably 
 would escape : but, if. both had performed the same journey, 
 8 
 
80 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 and one of them laboured under the constitutional defect of 
 adhesion of the pleura, he would acquire the more malig- 
 nant cold, known as inflammation of the lungs; his less un- 
 happy mate, a simple cold. In proportion that the attack 
 may be more severe, the symptoms increase; as does the 
 danger. Passing the hand down the windpipe at the epi- 
 glottis, the animal will shrink ; he will soon evince difficulty 
 of swallowing, and refuse his food ; inflammation has begun. 
 
 As in that insidious disease consumption with us, there is 
 no cure for confirmed roaring. Quacks, at various times, have 
 sprung up like mushrooms, and impudently and ignorantly 
 sent forth some lauded panacea to cure the evil with magical 
 effect. Like all emanations from vulgar ignorance, how- 
 ever, these cures have vanished before practical inquiry, and 
 are now never heard of. There is an operation called 
 " bronchotomy ;" which consists of opening the larynx, and 
 cutting out the band or lymph which crosses the windpipe; 
 but the result is so uncertain, that, for a long period, it has 
 been discontinued, and very properly so. 
 
 Turning out hunters in the summer is another, and one of 
 the principal predisposing causes of this irremediable disease. 
 
 This is also Mr. PercivalPs opinion ; and a higher autho- 
 rity upon this particular complaint cannot be referred to. 
 
 He says, that " two un domesticated horses out of three, un- 
 der five years old, that are taken from cold situations, and 
 kept in warm stables, and fed upon the ordinary ration of 
 provender, will receive catarrh. But even domesticated 
 horses that are advanced in years, and that have been accus- 
 tomed to such changes, do not always escape, unless some 
 precautionary measures be taken ; for, hunters taken up from 
 grass in August or September, unless due attention be paid 
 to the temperature of the stable, and their clothing and regi- 
 men, are often the subjects of catarrhal attacks.'' 
 
OF THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 81 
 
 ( 'hronic cough is often the remains of a partially cured 
 cold, though no cough may have attended it in it first stage : 
 and chronic cough generally ends in roaring. 
 
 When a colt comes up a roarer, it is generally the result 
 of the termination of the strangles. The catarrhal affection 
 that accompanies strangles now and then, continues long 
 after the wound in the throat has closed up: leaves the laryn- 
 geal membrane thickened, and perhaps ulcerated; and thus 
 lays the foundation of this disease. 
 
 Extraneous substances lodged in the cavities leading to the 
 trachea may occasion roaring. Barriere gives a case de- 
 pendent on the lodgment of a piece of riband within one of 
 the nasal fossae; and Godine another, brought on by a dis- 
 placed molar tooth. These, of course, were accidental ob- 
 structions ; but the main causes are to be looked for in an ex- 
 extravasation, partial or extensive, of coagulable lymph 
 which, becoming organized forms a permanent obstruction. 
 When it is extensively spread over the larynx, it produces 
 wheezing: when it constringes the rirnaglottis, a whistling 
 sound is the consequence, of the kind often heard in our own 
 respirations under catarrh, or in the ordinary respirations of 
 some asthmatic persons. 
 
 In handling the throats of many old horses the larynx is 
 often found in such a hardened state that it is almost impos- 
 sible to, " cough " them. This ossification of the laryngeal 
 cartilages is not an uncommon cause of roaring : and a 
 similar state of the cartilages of the trachea is productive of 
 it also. 
 
 A very common cause of roaring' is a band of lymph 
 stretched across the tracheal tube ; or an internal ring, of 
 the same matter. These obstructions are sometimes so con- 
 siderable that the least exertion excites piping or roaring. 
 
82 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 In general cases, however, roaring is produced only when 
 forcible inspirations and respirations are made. It is pro- 
 duced by the one as readily as by the other. 
 
 Mechanical obstructions to free respiration may even- 
 tually be productive of roaring. The custom of tightly 
 reining in our carriage horses produces it very often ; and 
 Mr. Sewell thinks that using tight throat-lashes, or neck- 
 straps, may lead to it. In corroboration of which opinion 
 it may be recollected, that horsemen have a very general be- 
 lief, that crib-biting ends in roaring, in thick wind, or broken 
 wind. May not the tight collar-strap also tend to the first of 
 these affections ? 
 
 In Russia, where it is the custom to drive horses with their 
 heads curved into their breasts by cruelly sharp bits, there 
 are more horses afflicted with roaring, taking the numbers 
 that are used into calculation, than in any other part of the 
 world. The temperature there, is of course, to be taken into 
 consideration; and may, in consequence of the intense cold- 
 ness, have much to do with the disease. I cannot however 
 but think the impediment to free respiration, caused by this 
 mode of arching their throats so unnaturally, has greatly to do 
 with the predisposition. 
 
 The treatment must be regulated by circumstances ; but, 
 in the early stages, an attempt should be made to remove the 
 causes. Then, the attempt will often succeed. If active in- 
 flammation be going on, bleed and blister ; and if tumefac- 
 tion of the neighbouring parts have occasioned it, try to re- 
 duce them. Elevate the head as much as may be. Mr. 
 Sewell recommends a seton in the vicinity of the obstruction ; 
 which I think highly beneficial. Still, as I have before said 
 when roaring is confirmed, there is no cure whatever for the 
 disease. 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 83 
 
 In all cases when horses go blind, except the eye be 
 knocked or torn out by an accident, inflammation, occasioned 
 by external injury or internal disease, is the proximate 
 cause. 
 
 " The many diseases," says Mr. Percivall, " to'wnich the 
 eye of the domestic horse is obnoxious, compared in number 
 to the many set down by ophthalmic writers to the organ in 
 man, are certainly very few ; yet there is one among them 
 that has proved in all ages of veterinary surgery sojpestilen- 
 tial, and that, even at the present day, so obstinately pur- 
 sues its end in spite of all remedial measures, that this of 
 itself is a sufficient reason for us to become well acquainted 
 with the anatomy and physiology of the eye, and to pay more 
 than ordinary attention to it in a state of disease." The writer 
 here is alluding to " cataract." Now, there is nothing that 
 will remove cataract but a surgical operation ; and as the 
 natural lens must be destroyed in removing it, art cannot sup- 
 ply the deficiency. In short, it has been tried and conclu- 
 sively found to be impracticable : and will, therefore, it is to 
 be hoped, for the sake of humanity, never be attempted 
 again. 
 
 Mr. Percival, in speaking of this disease, adds, that 
 " cataract being almost invariably a sequel of inflammatory 
 action, and various other parts being at the same time like- 
 wise the seat of disease, it is rarely unaccompanied with 
 morbid alterations in other textures : in fact, it too often hap- 
 pens that there is a total disorganization of the whole globe. 
 Unless, therefore, we can perform miracles as well as opera- 
 tions, and restore all these altered parts to their pristine con- 
 dition, we had better never think of handling a cataract 
 knife." 
 
 In purchasing a horse, great care should be taken in exa- 
 
 8* 
 
84 
 
 raining the eyes. " In these inspections," observes the above 
 authority, " we should not depart satisfied with barely looking 
 into the organ : we ought to compare one eye with the other ; 
 mark the prominence of the membrana nictitans ; the trans- 
 parency and convexity of the cornea ; the pellucidity of the 
 aqueous humour ; the colour and brilliancy of the iris ; the 
 colour, figure, and size of the pupil ; the magnitude, black- 
 ness, and prominence of the corpora nigra ; and last, but 
 not least of all, repeatedly mark the activity with which 
 the pupil alters its dimensions, on suddenly emitting light to 
 the eye." 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to say that, for. so scientific an exa- 
 mination of this organ, a man must be truly eminent in the 
 veterinary art. But still with a little care sufficient may be 
 learned to know good eyes from bad, and those that may have 
 a tendency to become so. 
 
 I had a superbly shaped filly by The Colonel quite blind 
 with the near eye, and nearly so with the right ; and yet it 
 would have taken a tolerable judge to have discovered the 
 defects ; so perfect did both her eyes appear at even more than 
 a careless glance. The malady, unfortunately for me, was 
 constitutional in its origin, although local in the consequences. 
 
 The following are unfavourable symptoms of the eye, and 
 give note of the coming of this terrible disease : " A 
 sunken or gloomy aspect of the eye altogether, compared 
 with the other ; prominence of the membrana nictitans ; a 
 watery state of the eye; dimness of the cornea, particularly 
 around its margin ; dulness or discoloration of the iris ; cor- 
 pora nigra yellowish or spotty ; pupil smaller than the other; 
 perhaps hazy or milky, or containing a minute white speck 
 in its centre, which is incipient cataract." 
 
 I have said already, that this chief cause of blindness in 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 85 
 
 horses has its origin in inflammation. Like many other dis- 
 eases in horses, as in ourselves, this may be hereditary; and 
 I strongly advise never to breed by any stallion or from any 
 mare that has lost an eye, except a known (not asserted only,) 
 accident has occasioned the loss. Horses that are seldom 
 stabled, not kept on high food, and their vascular system 
 never excited with fast work, like cart horses, are seldom 
 afflicted with cataract; perhaps I might say never; for I 
 have riot heard of a case, except it was constitutional. 
 
 The artificial state in which horses are kept; the hot, and 
 sometimes ill ventilated stable; the over exertion and exited 
 state of their vascular system ; want of condition for the fast 
 work that they are put to ; taking them from a cold tempera- 
 ture, and placing them suddenly in a warm one ; are the lead- 
 ing and principal causes of inflammation which, in the sequel, 
 produce cataract. 
 
 It is truly unfortunate, and is almost conducive to despair, 
 when we see inflammation has seized the eye of a horse ; foi 
 although there are many remedies applicable to the disease, 
 yet few, very few, experience teaches us, will produce a 
 cure. Except the inflammation be caused by an external 
 injury, the chances are twenty to one that, in the end, the 
 horse will go blind. The effects, for a time, frequently yield 
 to the treatment; but they will generally return, disappear, 
 and return again ; and so on, until total blindness take place. 
 
 This, however, must not deter us from an attempt to com- 
 bat with the disease. Active physic should be given imme 
 d iately. Bleed copiously ; and let every means be adopted to 
 reduce the insidious inflammation. A seton in the cheek, 
 or a rowel in the jaw, is a safe issue for its escape; and a 
 few drops of laudanum in the eye will allay the irritation. 
 
 Fomentations with hot water, too, should be constantly ap 
 
86 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 plied. When this course has been strictly observed, and the 
 eye is lost notwithstanding, the consolation will be left, that 
 all has been done within the power of man to save it. 
 
 Not the least among the diseases to which horse-flesh is 
 heir, may be ranked the troublesome one of curbs. Hunters 
 are more subject to them than horses of another kind ; curbs 
 being for the most part created by violent exertion of the 
 hind legs, in carrying weight, at a rapid pace, through deep 
 ground ; and also from the effects of leaping. 
 
 A curb is an enlargement at the back of the hock, about 
 three or four inches below the point of the hock. It is either 
 a strain in the ring-like ligament which binds the tendons 
 down in their place, or in the sheath of the tendons ; oftener of 
 the ligament than the sheath. Any sudden action of the 
 limb, of more than usual violence, may produce it; and there- 
 fore horses are found to throw out curbs after a hardly con- 
 tested race, an extraordinary leap, a severe gallop over heavy 
 ground, or a sudden check in the gallop. Young horses are 
 particularly liable to them, and those that are cow-hocked; 
 as in the latter the annular ligament must be continually on 
 the stretch, to confine the tendon. 
 
 Being produced by inflammation, the cause must be re- 
 moved previously to getting rid of the effect; and this, it is 
 needless to say, is the visible swelling, varying in size, which 
 is called the curb. Formerly it was a general practice to 
 apply repellent lotions. Equal portions of wine, water and 
 vinegar afford an excellent application, as a lotion of this 
 kind. But generally speaking, I think it an unnecessary 
 preliminary. Cold mashes, a gentle dose of physic, alter- 
 atives, and a mild blister, repeated as often as circumstances 
 will admit, until the swelling disappears and the horse goes 
 sound, are the certain and most speedy measures to be taken. 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 87 
 
 Sometimes in very severe cases, the iron may be neces- 
 sary; but it never should be used until the repeated blistering 
 has been tried. 
 
 There are few complaints in which absolute and long-con- 
 tinued rest is more requisite than in a curb. An injury like 
 this leaves the parts very materially weakened; and, if the 
 horse be soon put to work again, the lameness will frequent- 
 ly return. No horse that has had curbs should be put even 
 to ordinary work in less than a month after the apparent 
 cure ; and even then he should very gradually resume his for- 
 mer habits. 
 
 Splents are harmless enough, when properly treated at an 
 early stage; but if neglected, and the horse is in the habit of 
 striking or catching them in his action, they will prove ex- 
 tremely difficult to be got rid of, without the application of 
 the absolute cautery. 
 
 A splent is a callous substance, or an insensible swelling, 
 which adheres to the shank bone, and, when it grows big* 
 spoils the shape of the leg. When throwing it out, a horse 
 frequently becomes lame; but that state of the bone which 
 causes the lameness seldom continues long, nor does it pro- 
 duce permanent lameness. The treatment formerly was to 
 bruise and puncture the affected part and then to rub some 
 blistering ointment into it. But, like many other antiquated 
 notions and errors of the old school in farriery, that mode of 
 treatment is never followed in the present age ; the blister 
 alone being the usual remedy- Lameness from a splent may 
 sometimes be removed by rolling a bandage of linen wet 
 with Goulard or saturnine lotion, round the leg, and keeping 
 it constantly wet. 
 
88 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 SATURNINE LOTION. 
 
 Superacetate of lead, - - - - - 1 oz. 
 Vinegar, .-.. .4 O z. 
 Water, - 1 pint, 
 
 A spavin is a bony excrescence, or crust as hard as a bone, 
 that grows on the inside of the hough. This is often not very 
 observable : but it occasions a peculiar kind of lameness, 
 \vhich cannot be mistaken ; that is, a quick catching up of 
 the leg, especially in trotting. The lameness diminishes, and 
 sometimes appears to go off, with exercise : but after resting 
 some time, the horse becomes very stiff and lame. The only 
 rernedy for this disease is firing, and blistering immediately 
 afterwards ; the blister alone being insufficient. But in cases 
 where the lameness has been considerable, and after a certain 
 time, these will be found inadequate for a cure. The horse 
 may then be deemed permanently lame. 
 
 A great deal of useless torture has been practised in the 
 attempt to eradicate this disease. It maybe taken for granted, 
 however, that, after an effective firing and good charges of 
 the blistering ointment, all that can be done has been done ; 
 and further torture inflicted is wanton cruelty. 
 
 Bog spavin is a milder form of the disease. Like the one 
 above described, it is a swelling on the inside of the hock 
 rather towards the fore part ; the large vein, which is so 
 conspicuous on the inside of the leg, passing over it. It de- 
 pends upon a distention or rupture of the membranes which 
 form the synovial cavity, or bursa mucosa, through which the 
 great flexor tendon passes. The swelling is soft and yield- 
 ing to the pressure of the finger ; but rises again as soon as 
 the pressure is removed. Sometimes there is a swelling on 
 t^e outside of tjie Jiock also ; and in that case, the fluid, or 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 89 
 
 synovia, which it contains may be forced from one to the 
 other. It is generally produced by hard work, or violent exer- 
 tion for a short period. It often exists, however, in a slight 
 degree, without occasioning any inconvenience ; and then it 
 is better to leave it alone : but should it create lameness and 
 stiffness of the joint, severe corrosive blistering will generally 
 remove the cause ; and if not, the iron must be applied, as a 
 last resource. 
 
 Thorough-pin is very like Bog or blood spavin in effect, 
 and may be treated in precisely a similar way. Many old 
 hunters have this disease in the hock. If it does not inter- 
 fere with their work, it is better to leave it alone. 
 
 Windgalls are soft, yeilding, flatulent tumours full of cor- 
 rupt fluid or synovia, which come upon each side of the fet- 
 lock joints. Why they should have been originally called 
 windgalls, I cannot say ; except from a false supposition that 
 they were inflated with air, instead of being filled with matter. 
 They seldom appear in legs formed of the best materials ; 
 and lameness is but seldom the result from them. Blister- 
 ing, firing, and rest, are the means of cure ; but where no in- 
 convenience is felt these are better dispensed with. To keep 
 the legs bandaged is advisable. 
 
 Strangles is the only innate disease to which the horse is 
 subjected. Every one, more or less, is afflicted with it, at 
 an early stage of his existence, generally speaking. The 
 treatment of it is very simple. As the essence of the disease 
 consists in the formation and suppuration of the tumour under 
 the jaw, the principal, or almost the sole attention should be 
 directed to the hastening of these processes. A few cooling 
 medicines, as nitre, emetic tartar, and, perhaps, digitalis, 
 should be given, according to the severity of the attack. 
 The part where the strangles appear may, if the tumour does 
 
90 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 not suppurate so'quickly as may be desired, be actively blis- 
 tered : but this is not generally requisite. Bran mashes, very 
 loose and cold, cut grass, and tares, should be liberally sup- 
 plied ; which will keep the bowels gently open. In cases 
 of great debility, not unfrequently the consequence of this 
 disease, a small quantity of tonic medicine, a camomile and 
 gentian with ginger, in doses of a couple of drachms, may be 
 administered. If there be much fever, and evident affec- 
 tion of the chest, which should carefully be distinguished 
 from the oppression arid choking occasioned by the pressure 
 of the tumour, it will be proper to bleed. 
 
 Previous to leaving the treatment of the common injuries 
 and diseases to which the horse is subjected, I shall state the 
 means to be adopted when the kidneys are seized with in- 
 flammation. This is a very common disorder ; and is fre- 
 quently caused by riding or driving a horse immoderately, by 
 straining the loins : but they may become inflamed in conse- 
 quence of peritonseal inflammation of the bowels. The symp- 
 toms of the disorder are, a constant desire to make water ; 
 and the small quantity only which is discharged being dark 
 coloured or blo,ody. There is great stiffness of the hind parts 
 generally more observable in one leg than in the other. 
 The horse often stands straddling or wide, as if endeavour- 
 ing to make water; evincing painful and ineffectual efforts. 
 This appearance often leads the groom to think that it is a 
 stoppage, and that a diuretic is necessary : but the fact is, that 
 the coloured or bloody urine is so stimulating, or acrimonious, 
 that the bladder contracts violently in order to force out the 
 smallest quantity that gets into it. 
 
 This disorder may, like most others, happen in various 
 degrees ; but still the treatment is the same. It sometimes 
 occurs, however, that the urine becomes foul and stimulating, 
 
ON THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS. 91 
 
 from high feeding. In this case the bladder will contract 
 upon a small quantity of urine; and the urine may be rather 
 high coloured, like beer, or turbid, like whey ; and the horse 
 may strain a little in voiding it: but this is very different 
 from those distressing symptoms which attend inflammation 
 of the kidneys ; and it is unaccompanied with loss of appetite* 
 or any degree of fever, which is always present in inflam- 
 mation of the kidneys. When the urine becomes thus stimu- 
 lating, some cold mashes and an infusion of" linseed is a good 
 drink for a horse. Grass, vetches, nitre, and, indeed, any 
 thing of such a relaxing and cooling influence, may be ad- 
 ministred with a beneficial effect. But When there is con- 
 firmed inflammation, it is necessary to let blood freely, with- 
 out delay; and to open the bowels with a clyster of warm 
 water and a strong dose 1 of castor oil. The loins should also 
 be rubbed well with some warm embrocation, Such a's harts- 
 horn and oil, with a little oil of turpentine ; and a fresh sheep- 
 skin, the flesh side under, should be placed across them. 
 The same regimen should be observed in this as in the 
 milder form of the disease. 
 
 Nitre, - * -- - - .- .- - 4 dr. 
 
 Carbonate of soda, - * * * - -Ido. 
 
 Or Chalk, - * * ; - - - 2 do. 
 
 Mixed for one dose. 
 
 This powder, given twice a-day for two or three successive 
 days, and keeping the horse chiefly on cold sloppy mashes 
 when his urine is only thick and turbid, and there is a slight 
 difficulty in voiding it, will be found efficacious. 
 
 Powdered resin, - * * - - - 2 dr. 
 
 Levigated antimony, *..*-*- .8 do. 
 
 Chalk, - 2 do. 
 
 Nitre, - * < - - - . . 3 do 
 
 Mixed for one dose. 
 9 
 
92 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 This is a more powerful dose ; and may be given as frequently 
 as the former, in cases of much difficulty in voiding the 
 urine, and where there is no necessity for the more active 
 measures before stated. I am inimical to the fleam, except 
 in cases where there can be no doubt as to the efficacy of its 
 use. 
 
 If these powders appear to disagree with the stomach, 
 they should be discontinued; and the cordial diuretic will, in 
 all probability, act as a rectifier. 
 
 CORDIAL DIURETIC BALL. 
 
 Hard soap, 4 dr. 
 
 Turpentine, ----...4 do. 
 Ginger, ------- -l do. 
 
 Opium, - - - do. 
 
 With powdered caraways enough to form the ball. 
 
 Diuretics should not be given so as to operate upon the horse 
 in work ; as he may want to stale, and, being prevented from 
 so doing, great mischief may arise. From neglecting this 
 precaution, and from their frequent and immoderate use, the 
 kidneys are often materially injured, as well as the bladder. 
 
 I have now given, as far as I think is requisite for the in- 
 struction and assistance of the sportsman, all the principal 
 subjects connected with The Hunter. In the simplest lan- 
 guage that I could use, and in the most comprehensive form 
 that I could devise, I have (with the assistance of the authori- 
 ties referred to) treated the various matters under conside- 
 ration, in their respective places; and, from the hour of his 
 birth to his sinking in the vale of honourable years, I trust, 
 and believe, not a detail of importance has been allowed to 
 escape my research and. observation. 
 
THE AGE OF HORSES. 93 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE AGE OF HORSES. 
 
 IF there were no visible effects by which the age of horses 
 could be ascertained with certainty, it is quite clear that 
 there could be no such prizes as " produce stakes." The no- 
 torious frauds lately attempted in the Running-rein, Blood- 
 stone, and other cases, prove beyond a doubt what men would 
 say and swear to in such matters. We should continually 
 have three-year-old horses winning as two-year-old, and four- 
 year-old horses as three-year old. These " wretched frauds," 
 as they were properly termed by the judge in the Orlando 
 trial, would be but little short of an every-day occurrence. 
 By the way, I should much like to witness the expression 
 of certain visages, if, by some talismanic power, the age of 
 a few living horses could be learned. There can be no rea- 
 sonable doubt whatever, that many stakes have been carried 
 off by horses far more advanced in the vale of years than 
 the qualification admitted. This description of swindling has 
 met with its success as well as its defeat: and althongh, from 
 recent discoveries, public suspicion is awakened, I have no 
 hesitation in saying, that both results will take place again. 
 
 The horse, if humanly treated, will live to a great age. 
 The best time of his life, provided he has not been rattled and 
 over-weighted in, his infancy, is from five to ten years old ; 
 although there are many instances of horses being as good as 
 
94 
 
 ever, to a much later period of life. I possessed a horse 
 which I rode when a child, so small and puny that a servant 
 had to hold me on the pig-skin ; and I rode this same animal 
 fifty-four miles in eight hours, when I was twenty-six years 
 of age; a lapse of time, between the two events, of twenty 
 years: the horse being then in his twenty*ninth year, This 
 is an extraordinary instance of a horse lasting; but many of 
 my friends remember " George, the old chestnut/' 
 
 The age of a horse may be discovered by certain marks 
 in the front teeth of his under jaw, until he is eight years old, 
 about which period they are generally worn out. Between 
 the second and third year, a colt begins to change his sucking 
 or colt's teeth, as they are termed, for permanent teeth, which 
 are larger, and of a different form and colour. The sucking 
 teeth are small and of a delicate white. When a colt is 
 three years old, or between the second and third year, he 
 changes his two front teeth above and below. Between the 
 third and fourth year, the two next are changed ; and be- 
 tween the fourth and fifth year, the two next or corner teeth 
 are changed. About the end of the fourth year, or a little 
 later, the tushes appear. Mares have seldom any tushes. 
 
 At five years old the horse has a full mouth of permanent 
 or horse teeth and the corner teeth are those by which the 
 age is ascertained after that period. They have a remarka- 
 ble hollow or shell-like appearance when they first come up; 
 but by the time the horse has completed his fifth year, they 
 have acquired some size, and look more like the other teeth. 
 There is a cavity on their upper surface, at this period, of a 
 dark or black colour. At six years old the cavity is much 
 diminished, and at seven it is still less. At eight it has dis- 
 appeared ; or, if it remains, it resembles the eye of a bean, 
 tushes at five years old have two concavities withinside, 
 
THE ACS OF HORSES. 05 
 
 converging upwards, and terminating in the point of the 
 tooth. At six, one of these concavities is lost; that is the 
 one next the grinder. At seven, the other is diminished, 
 but not quite gone. At eight, it is generally gone, but not 
 always. After this age, the tush gets more round and blunt. 
 These are the changes by which the horse's age is deter- 
 mined ; but they are subject to variations, and there is no 
 certain method of ascertaining the age of a horse after six. 
 
 The length of the teeth is no criterion whatever ; nor can 
 the countenance be depended on, until the horse becomes 
 old and gray. 
 
 The general signs of age, unconnected with the teeth, are 
 easily distinguishable. The head grows lean and fine ; the 
 hollow over the eyes sinks deeper ; the cheeks become lank ; 
 the gums and soft palate pale and shrunk ; gray hairs make 
 their appearance in various places, more particularly over the 
 eyes and about the face. The neck becomes thin and fine ; 
 the withers get sharp, and give an appearance of increased 
 length and obliquity to the shoulder. The back sinks ; the 
 quarters assume a more blood-like turn, and seem to lengthen. 
 Tumours of all kinds, spavins, splents, windgalls, &c. be- 
 come in part or wholly absorbed. The legs feel sinewy and 
 free from puff, though they may evince instability and weak- 
 ness. It is not often that we meet with horses with these 
 effects of time and long servitude. Horses are generally 
 worn out long before they appear. 
 
 I have heard some excellent judges doubt whether the 
 state of the mouth be an infallible test of the age of a horse, 
 at any period of his life after two years old. It is well known 
 that the mouths of horses vary in appearance. Some have 
 them fuller than others at the same period of life ; and the 
 teeth of horses differ greatly in their nature. Treatment, too, 
 
 9* 
 
96 
 
 has much to do with the appearance of the mouth. A horse 
 kept on hard meat for a considerable period, and one kept 
 on soft or green food, will exhibit a very material difference 
 in the teeth. The former will be more worn, and have an 
 older effect than the latter. 
 
 These remarks apply to horses called " aged." The age 
 of a horse can be ascertained to the greatest nicety by his 
 mouth, until he has completed his fifth year. After this 
 period I would not take upon myself to say, that an error 
 might not very easily be committed. But between two, 
 three, and four years old, the capacity must be worse than 
 ordinary, with a little practical knowledge, that could not de- 
 pide the age of a horse. 
 
BOOK II. 
 
 ON HUNTING AND HOUNDS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A SLIGHT COMMENTARY ON HUNTING AND HOUNDS. 
 
 MEN who go to the covert-side, " trimmed like younkers 
 prancing to their loves," for the sole purpose of riding and 
 showing themselves, know little about hounds, and care less. 
 So as their patience is not wearied with a long find, and the 
 pace is quick when " the varmint" is unkenneled or whip- 
 ped from the gorse, they take little farther interest in the pack 
 " that make the welkin answer them." Now, although a 
 few of the Goths sneer at the elegant and neat appointments 
 of the gentleman, as he presses toe in stirrup, and looks as 
 particularly dressed, and his toilet made with as much care, 
 as if he were about to enter a drawing-room, I could never 
 join in the expression of contempt for such adornment of the 
 person. We have heard innumerable anecdotes related of 
 the roughness of our sporting ancestors ; not in reference to 
 the peculiarities of their wardrobes alone, but also to the want 
 of refinement in their phraseology. But no such roughnesses 
 
98 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 in the present day are regarded as indications of gentle 
 blood. 
 
 Nimrod relates the following anecdote of one of the old 
 school. " The late Mr. Forrester of Willy Hall, in Shrop- 
 shire, who hunted that country for many years, gave his 
 coverts, when far advanced in life, to a pack of fox-hounds 
 set up in his neighbourhood by some farmers. Having rid- 
 den out one day to see them, he was asked how he liked 
 them ? c Very much, indeed,' replied the veteran : l there 
 was not one d d fellow in a white-topped boot among 
 them.' " 
 
 This may be all very well, as an incentive to a smile ; but 
 I have no hesitation in saying, that " the white tops " of the 
 age we live in could, without the most trifling exertion, show 
 the dark-brown and mahogany ones their heels. Men ride 
 both bolder and better than in those days when the fox was 
 disturbed in picking his early break-fast off a nice young 
 rabbit, and before the lark had shaken the dew-drops from 
 her wings. And this is easily to be understood. The pace, 
 no one disputes, is very much increased ; and horses, to live 
 well with hounds, must be equal to it : for it is one thing to 
 be with them, and quite another to be after them. A father, 
 ambitious that his hopeful heir should occupy the woolsack, 
 and who once indulged in the fond hope that the present 
 chancellor was airing it for the future head of the family, 
 remarked, shaking his sage head, " My son follows the 
 law ; but I fear that he will never overtake it." To be 
 mounted upon a thorough-bred flyer in the condition in 
 which a horse is brought to the post, and to ride him at 
 racing pace " o'er hill and dale, o'er moor and mead." 
 taking every thing that it may please Heaven to send, with- 
 out a moment to weigh the probability of breaking one's neck 
 
ON HUNTING AND HOUNDS. 99 
 
 at any yawner or rasper that chance may present, requires 
 both bolder and better riding than jogging after a gorged fox, 
 with the slow hounds of former times, when it occupied 
 "hours "to kill him. lam not going to enter upon the 
 subject as to which method afforded the most sport, being 
 not sufficiently grizzled with age to judge by experience of 
 those times of old; but I wish to show, that my white-topped 
 brothers in the field have not become the milk-and-water, 
 effeminate things, unworthy of the name of sportsmen, which 
 the sneers of gentlemen of the old school might occasion- 
 ally lead the uninitiated to suppose them to be. These 
 gentlemen of antiquated notions are apt to curl their upper 
 lips at the revolution effected in hunting. But whether their 
 riding to covert at sunrise, wearing down their fox by noon, 
 drinking three bottles per man, and becoming oblivious of 
 their sinful commissions and omissions as the earliest cock 
 mounted his perch to sleep, was more desirable than Young 
 England's rules, too well known to need description, I shall 
 leave as a matter for the nice consideration of speculators. 
 
 I can see no objection whatever to the' refined taste 
 evinced in " the pomp aud circumstance " attending the 
 chase ; and I greatly admire a well-equipped sportsman. In 
 my humble opinion, there should be as much care bestowed 
 upon his appointments as upon those of a soldier going on 
 duty. But, if I am an advocate for attention being bestowed 
 upon his outward man, I am far from being a backer of that 
 dandy he-haw nondescript, who rides to covert in his gingerly 
 bit of pink booted and spurred, knowing and caring no more 
 about hounds and hunting than a man-milliner. This kind 
 of watering-place lion, who patronizes the hunt that he may, 
 in riding in and out. attract the admiring gaze of "the gals," 
 derives no more pleasure from fox-hunting than a monkey 
 
100 
 
 does from blistering his jaws with hot chestnuts. He 
 professes to be an ardent admirer of the sport, for ''fashion 
 sake;" but in reality feels no more delight, as the gallant 
 hound opens on the drag, than if he howled from a tin-kettle 
 being tied to his tail ; and, perchance, not quite so much ; 
 for, this description of sport he might possibly understand. 
 
 It is not for such mock sportsmen that the Sportsman's Li- 
 brary is intended. For them it will have no interest. It is 
 for the assistance of the real sportsman, as a book of reference, 
 and the instruction of the zealous lyro in sporting matters, 
 that these pages are designed. I may therefore, be allowed, 
 for the benefit of the latter, to enter into such minutiae regard- 
 ing the subjects coming under our notice, as I may consider 
 necessary for his information. 
 
 As in the case of the hunter, I shall commence with the 
 breeding of the Fox-hound. Although the stag-hound, har- 
 rier, and beagle, will be noticed in turn ; yet, in this particu- 
 lar, the same rules apply. It will be needless, therefore, to 
 repeat them. 
 
 The same observations apply to the breeding of the hound 
 as to the breeding of the horse. Great care should be taken 
 that there be no constitutional defects in the stock from which 
 the progeny is to be derived. An old dog should not be put 
 to an old bitch ; and all are to be rejected whose points of 
 symmetry are not good, and whose characters are, that they 
 are rioters, babblers, and skirters. 
 
 The points of a hound are, head small in proportion to 
 his frame; neck thin, chest deep, legs very straight : his feet 
 should be round, not large; his breast wide, back broad, 
 shoulders back, elbows in, and quarters deep. The muzzle 
 should be long ; but I dislike what may be called a pointed 
 nose. 
 
ON HUNTING AND HOUNDS. 101 
 
 Nowhere does the fox-hound arrive at such perfection as 
 in England. The climate is most congenial to his nature ; 
 and when taken to either more southern or more northern 
 latitudes, he degenerates, and quickly loses the qualities he 
 possesses in this country. Somerville says, 
 
 In thee alone, fair land of liberty, 
 Is bred the perfect hound, in scent and speed 
 As yet unrivall'd ; while, in other climes, 
 Their virtue fails, a weak degenerate race. 
 
 In the remotest period of our history, hunting is mentioned 
 as the principle diversion of our forefathers ; and it forms a 
 somewhat singular exception to the laws of mutability, which 
 appear to govern all things beneath the moon, that, notwith- 
 standing the changes of laws, customs, usages, religion, go- 
 vernments, habits, occupations, and of every thing of every 
 kind connected with the inhabitants of Great Britain, there 
 is no time when the ardour for the chase abated. Instead 
 of slackening, it seems to have descended with increased 
 vigour to the present day. 
 
 Dio Nicasus, in speaking of the inhabitants of the north- 
 ern parts of this island, says, that they were a fierce and bar- 
 barous people, who tilled no ground, but lived upon the food 
 they obtained by hunting, and by pillage of the southern dis- 
 tricts. 
 
 After the expulsion of the Danes, and during the restora- 
 tion of the Saxon monarchy, the sports of the field still main- 
 tained their ground. Edward the Confessor, who was more 
 suited for the cloister than the throne would join in no secular 
 amusement but the chase. This, however, he took great 
 delight in, and "loved to follow a pack of swift hounds in 
 pursuit of game," says William of Malmsbury, " and to 
 cheer them with his voice. ' y 
 
102 THE SPORTMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 William the Conqueror, and his two sons who succeeded 
 him, were greatly devoted to the chase ; and increased the 
 restrictions concerning the killing of game. The right of 
 hunting in the royal forests was confined to the king and 
 his favourites. To render these coverts more extensive, and 
 to make new ones, whole villages were depopulated. 
 
 King John, the lying dastard, was particularly attached to 
 the sports of the field, and was seldom without a falcon on 
 his wrist. By way of payment, in lieu of money, he used to 
 receive horses, hounds, and hawks, for the renewal of grants, 
 fines, and forfeitures, belonging to the crown. 
 
 Edward III. took so much delight in hunting, that even 
 at the time he was engaged in war with France, and resi- 
 dent in that country, he had with him sixty couple of stag- 
 hounds, and as many for hunting the hare ; and every day he 
 amused himself with hunting or hawking. 
 
 James I. preferred the amusement of hunting to hawking 
 or shooting. It is said of this monarch, that he divided his 
 time between his standish, his bottle, and his hunting. The 
 last had his fair weather ; the two former, his dull and cloudy. 
 
 I might quote innumerable passages in the poetical and 
 prose writings of the last three centuries, proving that this 
 favourite pastime has lost nothing of its relish, but, on the 
 contrary, is more generally practised. To return, however, 
 to the subjects of more immediate interest and importance. 
 The Talbot is stated to be, and there is no doubt whatever of 
 the truth of the assertion, the original stock from which 
 every kind of hound has been bred. This majestic animal, 
 now becoming extinct, and as regards his pristine beauty 
 and noble powers of strength and endurance, I believe, 
 quite so, was used by the ancient Britons in the pursuit 
 of the larger kinds of game, with which the country at one 
 
ON HUNTING AND HOUNDS. 103 
 
 time abounded. Rut these becoming scarce as civilization 
 progressed, and the plough becoming an implement more in 
 vogue than the spear and cross-bow, it was necessary to get 
 fleeter dogs to run down the game in wide, open districts, 
 which took the place of dense woods and forests. The tal- 
 bot was therefore crossed with lighter dogs, for the purpose 
 of increasing his speed. And thus it is, that, in a long suc- 
 cession of years, and by the greatest skill, care, and manage- 
 ment, we have hounds adapted, in size, pace, and power, to 
 every description of game that we pursue. 
 
 It must consist with the memory of many now living, that 
 hounds of the present day are a very different kind of animal 
 from what hounds were, not longer ago than a quarter of a 
 century. Then, a larger, heavier, and slower hound was in 
 use, with dew-lapped jowl, and long pendulous ears. This 
 was what was called the southern breed ; which, in fact, ap- 
 proached nearer to the original stock of the talbot ; and, al- 
 though by no means fast, this hound possessed exquisite sense 
 of smelling, and his cry was melodious in the extreme. Al- 
 though quick enough for our ancestors, who knew nothing of 
 railroads, and were content to travel in heavy drags by easy 
 stages, the southern breed was discovered to be not fast 
 enough for the increasing pace of the age. And so, by de- 
 grees, the breed was crossed, till at length the stamp of hound 
 was obtained which now leads us like skimming clouds be- 
 fore a gale, and scarcely gives time for echo to throw back 
 the challenge of his tongue. 
 
 By the many it is supposed that the animal we call a fox- 
 hound is designed by nature to hunt foxes exclusively ; but 
 this is a popular error. The hound, from his own natural 
 instinct, (and this applies to every kind,) will run any thing 
 with scent that will flee before him. It is from tuition alone, 
 10 
 
104 
 
 by being entered at and blooded to a particular description 
 of game, cheered to pursue it, rated and flogged when he 
 hunts any other, that the hound acquires the qualities which 
 belong to the class for which he is designed. No one yet 
 saw a puppy, in his first rudiments of education, but what 
 would hunt rabbit, hare, fox, or any thing that he might 
 chance to find; or, the sooner that he is strung up on the first 
 convenient branch, the better: for it is easy to stop him when in 
 error; but it is quite impossible to instil the dash and spirit 
 of hunting into him, by any artificial means. I like to see a 
 wild puppy, ready to tear his eyes out through the gorse, at 
 the first glance of the scent of a coney. I then know that 
 there is the right stuff in him ; and if the steel wants temper- 
 ing a little, time, patience, and perseverance will effect the 
 desired object. But, if I see a tame-looking, timid wretch, 
 slinking about the outskirts of a covert, and taking no notice 
 whatever of hares or rabbits that may bolt under his nose ; 
 my mind is made up at once, that there is no cure for him but 
 the halter. 
 
 February and March are the best months for breeding ; as 
 late puppies seldom thrive. After the bitches become big 
 with young, they should be no more hunted; nor, indeed, per- 
 mitted to remain longer in the kennel. The mothers must be 
 kept well, on a liberal supply of flesh, meal, and milk ; or do 
 not expect the litter to thrive. The puppies should not be 
 weaned until they are well capable of taking care of them- 
 selves ; and when they are so, some purging medicine should 
 be given them twice or thrice during the first week, on alternate 
 days, and plenty of whey on the intermediate day. Should 
 a bitch have a small litter, and another can take her puppies 
 without distressing her own, it will enable the former to be in 
 work again quickly. She should, however, be well physicked 
 
ON HUNTING AND HOUXDS. 105 
 
 first, and her dugs should be rubbed twice a-day, for a week, 
 with brandy and water ; or with brine, which I have found 
 efficacious in drying up the milk. 
 
 Whelps are liable to the distemper; the common disease 
 to which all dogs are more or less subject. This very fre- 
 quently makes great havock among them, at their walks ; and 
 therefore a greater number should be bred than are wanted 
 to keep up the complement of the pack. Besides, those 
 who breed the greatest number of young hounds, are sure to 
 have the most perfect packs ; as such a course affords the best 
 choice in drafting them. 
 
 Young hounds should be fed twice a-day, as they seldom 
 take kindly to the kennel-meat at first; and the old ones are 
 certain to prevent their getting their fair allowance, even 
 should they feel inclined to take it, if they are not fed sepa- 
 rately. When they answer to their names, and are on terms 
 of intimacy with the huntsman, they should be taken out, a 
 few at a time, with their attendants on foot; as they are 
 awkward at first, and will not like to follow a horse. At 
 their entrance, they cannot be encouraged too much. It is 
 quite time enough to begin to rate and chastise, when they 
 love a scent and know the difference between right and 
 wrong. Steady old hounds should be taken out with the 
 young ones, as instructors; and but small coverts and furze 
 brakes be drawn, as the extensive ones will give trouble in 
 getting them out again, and the object at first is to teach them 
 obedience to the halloo. When their appetites are sufficiently 
 whetted to enjoy a scent, and they run improper game, they 
 should be stopped and brought back; and while a hound 
 obeys the rate, he must never taste the thong. Too many 
 old hounds should not be kept. Those that have hunted five 
 or six seasons should be drafted, to make room for younger 
 
106 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 and more capable ones. At the same time, if it were not for 
 the expense of the arrangement, no young hounds should be 
 taken into the pack the first season. When the season is 
 over, the best of "the greens" are to be taken into the pack; 
 and the old worn-out hounds drafted from it. 
 
 With regard to the size of the hound, I like neither a large 
 hound nor a small one ; (I am speaking of those designed 
 for fox-hunting :) but, so long as his shape may be good, size 
 is a secondary consideration. A level pack that is, unifor- 
 mity of size has a much handsomer appearance than one 
 composed of direct opposites. As hounds too should run 
 together, like a body with many heads, it is scarcely possible 
 that they can do so, if their shape and size vary to a very 
 great extent. I have seen, however, some excellent sport 
 with hounds not remarkable for uniformity of size ; and yet 
 their running was sufficiently even to pull down their fox 
 in superlative style. A pack, considered in a collective 
 body, go fast in proportion to the excellence of their noses, 
 and the head they carry. The pack that can run a given 
 distance in the shortest time may be said to go fastest ; though 
 the hounds taken separately might be considerably inferior 
 to others, in point of swiftness. 
 
THE KENNEL. 107 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE KENNEL. KENNEL MANAGEMENT, &C. 
 
 THE condition, health, and preservation, of the hound de- 
 pends as much upon his kennel, as those of the horse depend 
 upon his stable. As in the case of the latter, the ornamental 
 construction signifies nothing ; but dryness, fresh air, and, 
 above every thing, cleanliness, are of vital importance. So 
 indispensable is the latter virtue, that no continuance of con- 
 dition in hounds, and, consequently, excellence in the field, 
 can be had without it. Hounds are by nature hateful of filth ; 
 and, as if aware of its baneful effects, will never dung near 
 \vhere they lie. Hounds, like all other animals confined in 
 numbers together, are more liable to diseases than the same 
 Animal in a state of unrestrained liberty. Frequently, under 
 the best and most judicious management, they are attacked 
 by various complaints ; and therefore it behoves all whose 
 duty it is to attend to "the house at home," to lose sight of 
 no preventive of the assault of disease. 
 
 It is quite clear that, unless the kennel is so constructed 
 that it can be kept dry, free from damp, well ventilated, and 
 a good supply of water be furnished, no attention of the feeder 
 or kennels-man is sufficient to keep the hounds healthy. 
 
 Perhaps in England there are not two kennels alike, either 
 in architectural design or the space occupied by them. To 
 say therefore, from any precedent, what the form or dimen- 
 sions of a kennel should be, is not in my power ; but this I 
 
 10* 
 
108 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 can say, that the kennel should be constructed with a view 
 to the health of its inmates, and in accordance with the 
 number of hounds designed to be maintained. Those who 
 become possessed of kennels, generally keep them in the 
 form in which they fall into their hands : but such as erect 
 new ones should be particular in selecting a proper site, as 
 regards the dryness of the soil, the facilities for obtaining 
 plenty of good water, and protection from cold, cutting winds, 
 and exposure to the heat of the sun at noontide. Under the 
 lee of a thick, sheltering wood, or at the base of a hill, fre- 
 quently may be found nice shady and protected spots for 
 building a kennel. 
 
 In large and regularly hunted packs, two kennels are indis- 
 pensable for the well-being of the whole. When there is 
 only one, it can but seldom be cleaned in winter ; and the 
 hounds are in a comfortless state from dampness so long as 
 it remains so. In saying that the size of the kennel should 
 be in accordance with the number of hounds designed to be 
 maintained, I was referring, with all charitable intent, to the 
 outlay : for a kennel, for the preservation of the health and 
 condition of hounds, can scarcely be too large. I have seen 
 one that might be deemed unneccessarily, not injuriously so, 
 out of the many that I have visited ; and I remarked at the 
 time, seeing that every pail of water used had to be pumped 
 from a well some thirty or forty yards from the outside, that 
 if there had been less expenditure in bricks, flags, and mor- 
 tar, and greater in obtaining an easier and more generous sup- 
 ply of the limpid element, a decided improvement would 
 have been effected. 
 
 The best constructed kennel, taking it in every point of 
 view, that I have seen, is that belonging to His Grace the 
 Duke of Rutland, at Belvoir castle ; although there are 
 
THE KENNEL. ' 109 
 
 others upon a grander scale. The superb edifice of the Duke 
 of Richmond at Goodwood, cost no less a sum than thirteen 
 thousand pounds, in its erection. His Grace was his own 
 architect and builder ; and the magnificent design, and the 
 perfection of its arrangements, show how capable he was of 
 accomplishing his task. 
 
 The distribution of the building is in five compartments : 
 two of them thirty-six feet by fifteen ; and three more, thirty 
 by fifteen. In each of these are openings at the top, for the 
 admission of external air when necessary : and stoves, to 
 qualify the air when too cold. There are supplies of water, 
 and drains into a tank of great depth below, full of rain 
 water; from the surface of which, to the rise of the earth, is 
 eleven feet : so that no unpleasantness arises from stench ; 
 and the whole can be occasionally cleared off by drains to 
 more dependent depths and dung pits, where it becomes 
 contributory to the purposes of agriculture. Round the 
 whole pavement, five feet wide, airing yards, places for 
 breeding, and other conveniences make a part of each wing. 
 To produce a uniformity of elegance, neatness, and perfec- 
 tion, the huntsman and whipper-in have each a parlour, 
 kitchen, and sleeping-room, appropriated to their own par- 
 ticular purposes. 
 
 The Duke of Bedford's is an immense establishment, upon 
 a scale of too great an extent for particular description; as it 
 includes tennis court, riding house, &c. c. In one stone- 
 fronted building of two hundred and sixty-six feet in length, 
 there are stalls for thirty-six hunters, and eleven loose boxes 
 for sick or lame horses. The kennel is in length four hun- 
 dred and five feet; having the boiling house in the centre, 
 with feeding rooms adjoining, and a granary behind. On the 
 right of the centre are apartments for two kennel-keepers, two 
 
110 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 long lodging-rooms for the hunting hounds; with flues run- 
 ning along the wall, to preserve an equal temperature in the 
 seventy of the winter season ; spacious courts to each, fur- 
 nished with a fountain in the middle, for the hounds to drink 
 at ; and water cocks fixed at proper distances, to cleanse the 
 pavement when it may be required. Adjoining to these, are 
 seven hospitals for sick and lame hounds, with yards to 
 each. On the left, are divisions for litter, straw, and stores 
 of any kind ; with eleven apartments for bitches and puppies, 
 and yards to each. There are, also, eleven of a similar de- 
 scription, for bitches in pup; and a large division for bitches 
 at heat. In the front, is a reservoir of water which sup- 
 plies the fountains and different cocks in the several yards 
 within. Behind the whole, is a large airing ground, flesh- 
 house, and all requisite conveniences. The huntsman's 
 dwelling is a handsome building adjoining. The number 
 of hunting hounds kept in the kennel, is usually from sixty 
 to seventy couples. 
 
 Without, however, holding up these costly and superb 
 establishments as the standard to be followed, I have merely 
 borrowed a description of them, to show the perfection 
 that can be arrived at, when money is no object, and the 
 design is from the experienced eye of genuiue sportsmen. 
 The essentials in a kennel, for the health and condition of 
 hounds, may be recapitulated shortly in these words; cleanli- 
 ness, warmth, ventilation, dryness, good water, and sufficient 
 room for the number of hounds to be maintained. 
 
 Next to the structure of the kennel, the management of 
 hounds when there, becomes a matter of great consideration. 
 Whatever the means and appliances may be, unless the 
 feeder can be trusted for faithfully performing his particular 
 duties, they will be of little avail. He should be indefatigably 
 
THE KENNEL. Ill 
 
 industrious, punctual in his attendance, humane, sober, and 
 proud of having his hounds in a state always fit for the in- 
 spection of his employer. I think, as in the case of a groom 
 with his horses, unless there be a pride felt in getting and 
 keeping the animals that the feeder has under his care into 
 praiseworthy condition, there is little chance of his doing his 
 duty with credit. In a very great degree the health and 
 preservation of the hounds depend upon the constant atten- 
 tion of the feeder. Their organs of smell, or, at least, the 
 exquisite parts of the sense, depend upon their condition ; 
 and unless their noses be kept free from the contaminating, 
 foul, and unwholesome stench of a badly kept kennel, no 
 excellence can be expected in the field. The absolute ne- 
 cessity, therefore, for the very nicest care in keeping the ken- 
 nel sweet and clean, cannot be too strongly impressed upon 
 the mind of the feeder. Unless he evinces a disposition 
 strictly to observe this rule, he is not at all fitted for his 
 office. 
 
 Two persons should always be in attendance at feeding 
 time ; and these should be the huntsman and the feeder ; as 
 hounds require to be fed in accordance with their state of 
 flesh and condition. Some, too, are more voracious than 
 others, and will require twice the quantity that is sufficient 
 for the less greedy, to look and work well upon. It is the 
 huntsman who should discriminate between these opposite 
 descriptions ; in want of which attention, the pack will never 
 be of equal appearance. When any of the hounds are seen 
 to be low in flesh, and poor feeders ; or when, as very often 
 will be the case, they are observed to be kept under by the 
 old and master hounds, they should be drafted, and permitted 
 to feed without restraint by themselves. 
 
 Boiling the flesh, mixing the meal, getting it ready by the 
 
112 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 time fixed by the huntsman, should, of course, never be ne- 
 glected. Mr. Beckford states, that his feeder, who was a 
 good one, and of much experience, mixed equal quantities of 
 oat-meal and barley-meal ; boiled the oat-meal for half an 
 hour ; and then added the barley-meal, without boiling it ; 
 and mixed both together. His reason given for boiling one 
 and not the other was, that boiling made the oat-meal thick, 
 and the barley-meal thin ; and that, when he fed the hounds 
 with the latter only, he, in consequence, never put it into the 
 copper, but mixed it up with the scalding liquor in a proper 
 tub, or hogshead, kept for the purpose. 
 
 Besides the mere keeping the kennel in a fit and proper 
 state, and preparing the food, the feeder has other duties to 
 perform : although it is one of the huntsman's to render him 
 assistance. After the hounds return from hunting, their feet 
 should be examined, to see if they have received injuries 
 from thorns or flints ; in which case they should be fomented 
 with hot water with some bran in it ; and afterwards with 
 cold vinegar and water, or water with some salt and alum 
 in it. 
 
 In some kennels, there are tepid baths, in which the 
 hounds have a dip after their return from their work. In 
 the Duke of Beaufort's kennel, there is one. The tepid bath 
 greatly tends to the comfort and refreshment of the hounds, 
 provided there are means to have the lodging-room warm 
 for their reception afterwards : otherwise it is far better to 
 let them roll and lie in plenty of clean straw, without having 
 the bath. 
 
 It formerly was a custom, to shut hounds up after their 
 return to the kennel, for two or three hours, previously to 
 feeding them. Such a practice, however, has become quite 
 obsolete ; and well it may be ; for a greater absurdity was 
 
THE KENNEL. 113 
 
 never practised. As I remarked in the case of the hunter, 
 when his work is done, the sooner the animal is rendered 
 comfortable, and is left in quiet to repose, the better ; and 
 this cannot be effected until he be fed. The meat should be 
 ready for feeding by the hound's return ; and it should be 
 given to them immediately, or as soon as they have passed 
 the examination of their feet, and had (if they are to have it) 
 their warm bath. 
 
 I am as great an advocate for the use of warm water in 
 the kennel, as I am for its application in the stable. Wash- 
 ing hounds I am quite certain is the readiest method of re- 
 covering them from fatigue, and getting rid of stiffness and 
 other ills to which their fast work render them liable : but, if 
 they must be turned into a cold, damp lodging-house after- 
 wards, washing is much better omitted. When their appetite is 
 satiated, they can enjoy their rest undisturbed; and the sooner 
 they are enabled to do so, the better will it be for them. 
 
 Mr. Beckford is of opinion that hounds poorer than the rest 
 should be fed again; and, if they are off their appetites, they 
 cannot be fed too often. Those hounds which become too 
 fat, should be drafted off, and not permitted to fill them- 
 selves. 
 
 All- hounds, more particularly young ones, should often be 
 called over in kennel ; which renders their names familiar 
 to them, and teaches them that excellent quality, obedience. 
 This lesson should be given at the time that they are best 
 prepared to receive it; and -that is at the hour of feeding. 
 To keep the kennel as free from filth as possible, hounds 
 should be let into the airing ground after feeding; in order 
 that they may empty themselves, and that an unnecessary 
 accumulation in the kennel may be prevented. 
 
 To prevent mange, morbidity of the blood, and cutaneous 
 diseases attendant upon this state, only a small measure of 
 
114 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 substantial food should be given during the hot months, 
 when hounds do not work, compared to what is necessary 
 in the severity of the hunting season. Flesh must be given 
 with a sparing hand ; or the mange will, in all probability, 
 make its appearance. Plenty of vegetables, boiled in the 
 meat copper, once a-week, is a general practice in the ma- 
 jority of kennels; and very conducive to the health of hounds. 
 A pound or two of sulphur is, also, occasionally added ; and 
 that is a fine preventive of the diseases of the blood in the 
 summer season. 
 
 There are different opinions concerning the best and most 
 economical food for the maintenance of hounds, and the 
 method of preparing it. Perhaps the causes of this varia- 
 tion may be discovered in the particular experience, whim, 
 caprice, or judgment of the parties concerned : but the prin- 
 cipal articles upon which hounds subsist are oat-meal and 
 barley-meal, horse-flesh, greaves, raspings, and paunches. 
 There can be no doubt, after fair trial, that the two meals 
 act much more profitably and advantageously in a mixed 
 state, of nearly equal proportions, than when either is given 
 alone ; and there cannot be a question about the impropriety 
 of boiling the barley-meal. This should be scalded only, in 
 the liquor; while the oat-meal should be boiled in it. 
 
 When the huntsman returns in a state similar to that of 
 his hounds, weary, fatigued, and flat, with the steel of his 
 strength arid courage spent, it is not to be supposed that he 
 is in a condition, physically or mentally, to take upon him- 
 self the active duties in the kennel ; but he should see that 
 they be strictly performed. He is responsible to his master 
 for their fulfilment ; and there should be no deputy overseer 
 between him and the feeder. 
 
 In kennel management, too, the eye of the master will be 
 
THE KENNEL. 115 
 
 found of very great assistance in keeping the arrangements 
 in a proper state. Indeed, unless servants, however well 
 disposed they may be, find that they are censured in their 
 neglect, and praised on being found attentive, the per- 
 formance of their duties, perhaps imperceptibly to them- 
 selves, will become slovenly, and but little pride will be felt 
 even in their proper fulfilment. The most humble as well 
 as the highest occupations in life have their tributaries to 
 ambition ; and frequently a kind word of approval or a smile 
 of satisfaction, from a prized master, is an ample reward to 
 a worthy servant, for more than ordinary exertions. 
 I shall conclude this chapter with a few directions how 
 
 TO BLEED A DOG. 
 
 A dog may be conveniently bled by the jugular or neck 
 vein, with a fleam, or with a common lancet: but the latter 
 is much to be preferred. A ligature being put round the 
 lower part of the neck, and the head being held wp r the vein 
 will swell and protrude itself on each side of the windpipe, 
 about one inch from it. It will, however, be necessary to 
 cut the hair away previously, if very thick ; after which the 
 puncture can be easily made with a lancet, the operator 
 leaning over the dog. Nothing is necessary to stop the 
 bleeding, but to remove the ligature ; nor is any pin, plaster, 
 or bandage for the orifice, requisite. When circumstances 
 render it necessary to let blood immediately,, and a regular 
 operator is not present ; or when the amateur is called upon 
 to bleed his own dog suddenly, as in the field when the 
 means of venesection by the neck are not at hand ; an ear 
 may be punctured, or an incision- made on the inner side of 
 the flap of it ; choosing, if possible,, the course of a vein for 
 11 
 
116 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 the puncture : but avoid passing the instrument through the 
 ear. In desperate cases, the tail may be cut ; but when 
 this is done, it is better to cut off a small piece merely, than 
 to make an incision; for when this is injudiciously done, the 
 whole tail may mortify. 
 
 The quantity of blood drawn must be regulated by the 
 size of the dog. From a very small one two ounces, or 
 less, may be sufficient ; from a middling-sized dog three or 
 four ounces ; and from a large dog, five, six, seven, or eight 
 ounces; according to the size and strength of the patient, 
 and the nature of the disease he labours under* 
 
DUTY OF A MASTER OF FOX-HOUNDS. 117 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE DUTY OF A MASTER OF FOX-HOUNDS. THE HUNTSMAN, AND 
 WHIPPER-IN. 
 
 I CAN by no exertion of my imaginative powers, fancy 
 the expression of the features of many an M. F. H. whom 
 I have chanced to meet with in my sporting rambles, as he 
 glances at the heading of this chapter. 
 
 " The duty of a Master of fox-hounds !" I think I hear 
 him repeat. " Egad ! but it may be briefly and readily 
 summed up;" and, while speaking, he extracts a well-filled 
 purse (provided that he has not been a wearer of his blush- 
 ing honour for many seasons,) and empties its contents, to 
 the last shilling, upon the table before him. " There," con- 
 tinues he, " that's the duty; and about the only duty, indis- 
 pensable for my performance ; and so long as I continue to 
 shell out liberally, there will be little fault found with my 
 mastership." 
 
 There is great reason to believe the supposition to be 
 entertained by innumerable worthy and honest folk, that the 
 Master of Hounds is, figuratively speaking, a common joint, 
 or a joint in common, which every body has a right, not 
 only to cut up on all occasions, but to come at again when- 
 ever an excuse presents itself. If the local race fund is in 
 want of replenishment, the Master is about the first victim 
 singled out for a subscription to head the list. Should the 
 
118 
 
 select committee of the visiting society find their funds fall 
 short, to him a deputation is appointed, to solicit his pro- 
 verbially generous aid. Should Scroggins lose his donkey, 
 his cow, or his pig; or should Mrs. Scroggins feel that 
 some coals and blankets might materially add to the com- 
 fort of her family, now on the eve of an increase ; the Master 
 is the resource. And then the quantity of poultry that is 
 victimized by predatory foxes, the Master being applied to 
 for ample reparation ! Great Jupiter knows the countless 
 flams that have to be answered for, in this great item of the 
 sins and transgressions of frail and erring humanity! How 
 often is the solitary chick or duckling magnified into the 
 loss and sweeping abstraction of entire broods ! Frequently, 
 indeed, is the abstraction of the tough old turkey, whose 
 age has left her the bereaved mother of scores of fatted 
 victims sacrificed at the shrine of Christmas, represented as 
 the loss of the best and largest in the flock! The duck, too, 
 found dead and crumbling into dust (the poor thing died of 
 the cramp, in addition to an irritating attack of the pip) is of 
 course a martyr to Reynard's errors and want of respect 
 for the laws and rights of property. And thus it is, framing 
 the occasion in accordance with the demand, that the Mas- 
 ter of Hounds is appealed to, in every shape, form, and 
 manner. 
 
 He must be a gentleman without experience of the mani- 
 fold annoyances that are part and parcel of the distinction, 
 who lays the flattering unction to his vanity that its draw- 
 backs are few. In addition to his being considered a public 
 bucket for every body within the ring-fence of his country to 
 dip into, there are other little matters connected with the 
 honour, not without their influence on the debit side of the 
 account. However, to the point of considering " the duties 
 of a Master of Fox-hounds." 
 
DUTY OF A MASTER OF FOX-HOUNDS. 119 
 
 In the first place, he should be popular. Now, this per se 
 is often a very difficult and very expensive attribute to pos- 
 sess. The man whose study it is to please the many, has a 
 task of no easy description; and yet, unless a Master can 
 accomplish it, he can neither expect a subscription sufficient 
 to meet his expenses, preservation of foxes, nor any thing 
 like an extent of country. I should here state, that I am 
 alluding particularly to the Master of " a subscription pack;" 
 for it must be obvious that if a gentleman hunts his own 
 hounds, without receiving subscriptions, he is not open to 
 the same difficulties, and is not so dependent upon his 
 powers of pleasing every body. At the same time, he who 
 possesses the enviable distinction of being "the head of the 
 hunt," is far from being independent of his capacities of ap- 
 plying what the Yankees call " soft sawder ;" for there are 
 no pains, penalties, or inflictions for setting gins ; and land- 
 owners and farmers are not compelled to permit twenty, or 
 five-and-twenty, couples of hounds to draw a covert in their 
 possession, because a fox may be supposed to be ensconced 
 within its precincts ; neither are they obliged, by any written 
 or unwritten law, to allow a hundred or two of hors.es to 
 gallop over their land, and to break down their gates, rails, 
 and fences. At the same time, if the proper means be 
 adopted, such is the love and spirit for the chase, that ninety- 
 nine out of every hundred will gladly consent to the hunting 
 over their lands, and reck little or nothing of the fair injuries 
 that may be occasioned. 
 
 And now we shall see what these means and appliances 
 are. In the foremost rank, stands civility and general cour- 
 tesy to the field. That is one of the chief rules to be ob- 
 served by a Master, if his object be to show and enjoy good 
 sport. We have heard many curious stories related of Mas- 
 ters of the old school, provocative of mirth, more from their 
 
 11* 
 
120 
 
 want of refinement than their wit, and from roughness of 
 bearing towards any body and every body : but the days for 
 uncouth manners and hard language have passed ; and that 
 is an affront now, which formerly vs r ould have been received 
 as a good joke. Not a great many years since, it was the 
 settled opinion, that if a man was a fox-hunter he necessarily 
 must be a swearing, drinking, reckless fellow : but " we 
 change and others change;" and thus it is that the world 
 becomes newly fashioned. 
 
 I remember being out with a well-known Master, of the 
 sort I am speaking of, when, as was his custom, he lost his 
 temper on his hounds losing their fox. Anathemas, male- 
 dictions, and oaths flew around upon every man, thing, and 
 circumstance within hailing distance. The huntsman, un- 
 happy wight, got more than his usual share ; and, after being 
 damned to a pretty considerable extent, he said, with a rueful 
 countenance, " What am I to do, sir?" 
 
 "Damn ye!" returned his irate master, scratching his left 
 ear, as if in want of a plea of justification; "why don't ye 
 damn me again?" 
 
 I would not mention the name of my friend for the con- 
 tents of the best mine in all Peru ; but because I abstain from 
 doing so, I trust the authenticity of what I am about to add 
 will not be questioned. Although very wealthy, he professes 
 to be the Master of a subscription pack : but I know that he 
 does not receive sufficient to pay for the meal which his 
 hounds consume ; and when I was with him on the day I 
 am alluding to, I saw a fine large dog fox suspended by the 
 neck to the branch of a tree in one of the best coverts that 
 he draws. It may be said, "Then why does he not throw 
 up the hounds?" The answer is, that he would as soon 
 throw up his life. 
 
 My conviction is, that this state of affairs arises in conse- 
 
DUTY OF A MASTER OF FOX-HOUNDS. 121 
 
 quence of giving his tongue license, and offending those on 
 whose aid and good-nature so much depends. He says that 
 "it is a want of spirit;" and that he does not " meet with 
 support, on account of the bad breed in the country." If this 
 be so, the spot must be an isolated one ; for throughout old 
 England, the land of stout hearts and well-strung thews and 
 sinews, the love of hounds seem to be as innate as the love 
 of roast beef and plum-pudding; and who will deny that the 
 latter is an innate affection ? 
 
 To discountenance unfair riding in the field, and unneces- 
 sarily injuring fences, is a duty that a Master owes to the 
 farmer; and if recompense should be given for damage which 
 may be unavoidably occasioned, it should be done with a good 
 grace, and a spirit of liberality, but not of extravagance. It 
 cannot be expected that farmers will preserve foxes, if they 
 are to be seriously injured by them. 
 
 Occasionally, perhaps often would be better, to pay a visit 
 to the kennel, will be of very great advantage. And first, 
 being well acquainted with the duties to be observed there, 
 the Master should permit no neglect to pass unnoticed or un- 
 censured. 
 
 To observe a quiet demeanour in the field is one of his 
 passive accomplishments ; for if he be noisy, the example 
 renders the field so : and nothing is more likely to prevent 
 good sport, by rendering the hounds disobedient to the hunts- 
 man, making them divide, and overrun their fox, than a set 
 of bawling, hallooing fellows shouting from all quarters of 
 the compass. 
 
 If the Master interfere with the huntsman's office, others 
 will think that they have a right to do so. In addition to 
 this, a huntsman, if he be worthy of his office, ought not to 
 be interfered with in the field. It is his business to know the 
 proper method to be adopted in hunting hounds ; and if he 
 
122 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 be not acquainted with it, he is not fitted for the duty that 
 he undertakes. Advice is, for the most part, a boon most un- 
 graciously accepted ; and considering that it so often comes 
 in the shape of a reproof, the wonder need not set us all 
 *' a-gape." It has seldom fallen to my lot to hear a sugges- 
 tion given to a huntsman in the field, but that either he was 
 fully aware of the fact, or that it was a palpable error, to 
 follow which would be to commit himself. 
 
 If a servant does not please his master, let him be told so, 
 and the why and wherefore, when the blood is cool. Hear 
 what he has to say in defence, and be impartial in your judg- 
 ment ; not obstinate in your own conceit. 
 
 In fixing the meets, there should be no favour shown to 
 suit a pai'ty, so as to create jealousy. This part of the duty 
 of a Master should be done with even-handed impartiality ; 
 and for ihe purpose ; not for the gratification of a whim, caprice, 
 nor even the convenience of any particular member of the 
 Jiunt. I have frequently heard the remark, *' Oh yes! the 
 fixture is made there, just to suit so and so's convenience ;" 
 but this feeling is more frequently expressed when the man- 
 agement of hounds is confided to a committee. Then it is 
 tjiat the >yant of the concentration of power is found, and a 
 division of opinion leading to the very essence of bad rule 
 and confusion. Rare, indeed, is it that hounds are even ren- 
 dered a degree better than a positive disgrace to the duties 
 required of them, when there is a committee for their govern- 
 ment. 
 
 To return, however, to the Master, with whom I have 
 nearly arrived at a halt. The leader in the establishment, 
 towards whom the humblest menial connected with it should 
 look, with submission to his suggestions, in the full confidence 
 that they are right, should be a thorough sportsman. If he 
 be not that, his distinction will sit uneasily upon him ; and, 
 
DUTY OF THE HUNTSMAN. 
 
 123 
 
 far from being conducive to his pleasure, it will frequently 
 be a worrying cause of annoyance, and his management a task 
 of irksome labour. 
 
 I must here observe, nevertheless, that if a gentleman be 
 fitted for the office ; and study, observation, and experience 
 will render him so; there is no appointment, perhaps, more 
 gratifying than the mastership of a crack pack of fox- 
 hounds, with an extensive country well-preserved, and 
 ample funds to meet the expenses. 
 
 The qualities to be desired in a Huntsman may be de- 
 scribed in a very few words; at the same time, it will be 
 my particular duty to enlarge upon their details in succes- 
 sive order. He should be possessed of a good, robust con- 
 stitution, iron nerves with the toughness of wire, activity of 
 body, quickness of apprehension, a ringing, musical voice, 
 and a good ear. 
 
 In my observations on kennel management, I stated what 
 is requisite to be done in his capacity there (the superin- 
 tendence of the whole, and his responsibility for the proper 
 general course to be observed on every occasion;) and, 
 therefore, I shall confine myself to those things that he 
 ought to do, and to those things that he ought not to do, in 
 the field. 
 
 Although it is a received maxim that it is safer to take 
 time by the forelock, and to be a few minutes before is often 
 the means of success; yet, at the place fixed as the meet, 
 the huntsman should never be a second in anticipation of the 
 hour named. He may be as punctual as he can be: but it 
 is better to be rather behind time than before it. Previously 
 to his leaving the kennel, it should be decided what course 
 he is to take, and the coverts that he is to draw in succes- 
 sion. 
 
 Some countries, or, to be particular, parts of the country 
 
124 THE 
 
 assigned as the limits of the hunt, may require more hounds 
 than other localities, frpm the variation of the size and 
 thickness of the coverts. A huntsman should consider this, 
 previously to his going into the kennel to draft hounds; and 
 also the number of young hounds he may venture to draft 
 with older ones. The larger the coverts to be drawn, the 
 greater number of old steady hounds will be required ; for 
 the difficulties that must necessarily present themselves 
 should be reduced as much as possible, by having but a few 
 young hounds in the pack. It should be remembered, how- 
 ever, that unless the young hounds be hunted frequently, 
 they cannot become proficient in the art of pulling down a 
 fox, any more than a child can be taught to spell without 
 an opportunity being given of learning the alphabet. 
 
 In drawing the coverts, if it be practicable, the huntsman 
 should commence with that which is farthest down the 
 wind; and so draw up the wind, from covert to covert, 
 until he finds, When this work is being performed, he 
 should cheer his hounds: but there is no necessity for 
 making a very great noise; as, perchance, a halloo may 
 not bp heard when of the very greatest consequence. It is 
 not at all unusual for huntsmen, when their hounds are 
 drawing or are at fault, to make so much din themselves as 
 be to capable of hearing nothing else. This is a great and 
 often a fatal error; and it cannot be too strongly impressed 
 upon the minds of huntsmen that hallooing cannot kill a fox, 
 and may be the indirect means of losing him. Upon leaving 
 the covert, the same objection does not arise. A huntsman 
 may then, if such be the bent of his inclination, stretch his 
 lungs, and make the regions far and near ring to the very 
 echo. Let him blow his horn like a Triton, and cry 
 " For'ard !" to the tail hounds, provided the fox be found, as 
 long and as loudly as he pleases. There is one good quality 
 
DUTY OF THE HUNTSMAN. 
 
 that I have observed in these noisy gentlemen : their ten- 
 dency to "kick up a row" generally proceeds from an exu- 
 berance of animal spirits and heartiness ; and when they 
 possess this spur to action, " activity " is sure to be one of 
 their redeeming virtues. A slow huntsman is a sad damper 
 to hounds; and unless they have a high, burning scent, and 
 require no assistance in killing their fox, it is, in the graphic 
 language of a modern philosopher, " a horse to a hay-seed '' 
 that they lose him. Without a question, activity is the first 
 indispensable requisite in a huntsman. The want of it no 
 judgment can compensate ; for very frequently hounds re- 
 quire to be helped: and as they should at all times be kept 
 forward^ it is quite impossible that this can be effected by a 
 slow huntsman, who invariably is himself behind. He should 
 be ready to proffer aid to hounds the moment they are at 
 fault. A huntsman, occasionally, will be thrown out of his 
 reckoning : but this will be a rare occurrence, provided he 
 possess a perfect knowledge of the country* Such a know- 
 ledge will be a- very great help to him; and if he does not 
 possess it, from want of a sufficiently long acquaintanceship, 
 very great allowance ought to be made. 
 
 A huntsman's place is to be close to his hounds ; and un- 
 less he possesses nerve to ride straight, aend is well mounted, 
 it is quite impossible that he should be at his post, in a fast 
 and long run, save by an accidental " nick in." One, there- 
 fore, naturally timid, or whose fire is expended by age, 
 should be shelved ; but the latter,, at least, must not be left 
 to draw his pocket blank, when this measure becomes ex- 
 pedient^ 
 
 One of the most common faults in huntsmen is, the undue 
 haste with which they make their casts the instant hounds 
 are at fault. Time should always be allowed .the hounds to 
 make their own cast; an-d vevy frequently, if this be given, 
 
126 
 
 they will hit off the scent themselves. Instead of this, 
 hounds are rattled away, the very moment they come to a 
 check ; a wide cast is made ; and, perhaps, at last they are 
 brought back to the very spot whence they were taken, to 
 try at last what they can accomplish by their own sagacity. 
 Nothing can be more inconsiderate than this; for the scent, 
 which might have assisted them before, may now be evapo- 
 rated. However, judicious casts are of the very greatest 
 importance, when hounds are at fault: but there should be 
 no undue hurry in making them. 
 
 " Let them alone," I heard one of the best sportsmen living 
 remark, "is the first rule in a good huntsman's category." 
 
 I am no advocate for lifting hounds. It is an unsports- 
 manlike practice. There are some, however, whose object 
 is to kill as soon as possible, and in any form, so long as it 
 is not "a chop." These slaughterers may, cap in hand, 
 spur hard, and ride down the fox, and boast of the unfair and 
 ignoble death: but a sportsman would scorn such a proceed- 
 ing. He wishes to see the fox fairly found, (not shaken from 
 a bag;) fairly run, and fairly killed; and then the " whoo- 
 whoop !" thrills his nerves and makes his blood leap through 
 his veins with pleasure. To all rules, however, there are 
 exceptions; and lifting hounds is not always improper. 
 Hounds will naturally tire on a cold scent, when stopped by 
 a flock of sheep or other impediments of a similar character; 
 and, when they are no longer able to get forward, will often 
 try to run the heel. It is useless to allow them to pick a 
 cold scent through sheep. The fox is not adapting his pace 
 to theirs ; but is running miles, while they are running, per- 
 haps, scarcely as many furlongs. He may thus gain a dis- 
 tance which cannot be retrieved; and, therefore, to lift 
 hounds through such difficulties, is not only justifiable, but 
 part of the duty of a judicious huntsman. It behoves him 
 
DUTY OF THE HUNTSMAN. 127 
 
 always to encourage hounds to hunt when they cannot run ; 
 and to prevent their unnecessarily losing time by hunting too 
 much when they might run. Still, there should be no un- 
 warrantable hurry, preventing hounds making their own cast, 
 when they come to a check. 
 
 To a beaten fox, hounds may be lifted ; for when Reynard 
 has shot his bolt, and his steel is entirely spent, it is impos- 
 sible for him to show further sport. He may, by some artful 
 manoeuvre, by creeping into an earth, or gaining the top of a 
 thick hedgerow, and lying up there, or by some such ways 
 and means, escape the jaws of his pursuers, and disappoint 
 their greedy stomachs of the well-earned morsel : but although 
 it is a duty that a fox owes himself, to prolong his life to the 
 longest span within his power, yet hounds require blood ; and, 
 to be disappointed when tired with a long run, and after 
 having fairly entitled themselves to it, is prejudicial to their 
 courage. 
 
 When a cast is made, it should be perfect and complete 
 one way before the huntsman tries another. Time is con- 
 sumed by going backwards and forwards : the scent is get- 
 ting cold by the delay, and the difficulty of hitting it off' 
 thereby increased. On making a forward cast which is in- 
 effectual, the huntsman should return as fast as he can to try 
 another. Some come slowly back ; not thinking, in all pro- 
 bability, that the fox may then be running many miles ahead, 
 and that every second at check is increasing the space be- 
 tween him and the hounds. 
 
 On bad scenting days, it is more especially necessary that 
 the huntsman should be near his hounds, to help them for- 
 ward. Foxes will run the roads, when they are dry and 
 hard, in large coverts ; and if hounds be at fault, they should 
 not be turned too soon, nor until the huntsman is certain that 
 the fox has not gone on. 
 12 
 
128 
 
 In a country where there are strong earths, a fox that 
 knows the country, and tries any of them, seldom fails to try 
 the rest. A huntsman may take advantage of this: they are 
 certain casts, and may help him to get nearer to his fox. 
 
 Wide casts are not killing ones, with a tired fox and tired 
 hounds. Let the hounds be never so long in recovering the 
 fox, they should do it, and hunt him out foot by foot. 
 
 Where foxes are plentiful, care must be taken that hounds 
 do not run the heel: for it not unfrequently happens, that 
 hounds hunt the wrong way of the scent better than they can 
 the right, when one is up the wind and the other is down. 
 
 When a fox is "tally'd" away, the huntsman should get 
 forward with the bunch of hounds that he may have with 
 him: the others will soon join them, when their tongues 
 announce that they are on the scent. Let him, however, 
 lift the tail hounds, and get them forward as fast as possible ; 
 for it is the very glory of sport to see the whole pack settle 
 to their fox, at the burst, like a flock of pigeons skimming 
 the air in one solid and compact body. 
 
 When hounds are picking along a cold scent, on unsoiled 
 ground, they should be let alone: but when they are at fault 
 with such a scent, the cast should be made slowly and cau- 
 tiously. With a good scent, a quick cast may be made; 
 and with a cold one, slow and sure is the rule to be ob- 
 served. If hounds, however, are making a good and regu- 
 lar cast, trying for the scent as they go, not a word should 
 be spoken to them : it cannot do any good; for all that can 
 be required of them is being performed, and any interference 
 may probably make them over-run the scent. 
 
 When hounds are at check, the huntsman should keep an 
 eye to the tail hounds: they are least likely to over-run the 
 scent ; and he may see by them how far they brought it. 
 In most packs there are some hounds that will show the 
 
DUTY OF THE HUNTSMAN. 129 
 
 point of the fox, and, if attended to, will direct his cast. 
 When such hounds follow unwillingly, the huntsman may 
 be certain that the rest of the pack are running without a 
 scent. 
 
 Huntsmen that are well adapted for the peculiar countries 
 that they have been used to, often find themselves at a loss 
 in new ones; particularly when casts are to be made. In large 
 and open enclosures, wide casts are invariably necessary: 
 but in a woodland and enclosed country, they should be 
 more confined. 
 
 A huntsman always likes to have the whole of his hounds 
 turned after him when he makes a cast: but it is a common 
 error, which has permitted many a fox to escape. The 
 more that hounds spread at fault, the better; so long as they 
 are in sight or hearing. Many a skirting hound has hit ofF 
 the scent, which an obstinate huntsman has endeavoured to 
 prevent, by casting the wrong way. 
 
 It has been alleged by an eminent authority upon hunting, 
 that " the heading a fox back at first, if the covert be not a 
 large one, is oftentimes of service to hounds ; as he will not 
 stop, and cannot go off unseen." I must think that the 
 chances of chopping him, upon his being headed back, never 
 entered the thoughts of this scribe. No, no. When the 
 fox breaks, let us hope no imprudent, because too hasty, 
 "tally-ho" will head him back again. Let him get well 
 away, and the hounds get well settled to him. 
 
 All hounds, good, bad, and indifferent, go fast enough 
 with a good scent. It is to get them forward with a cold 
 one, and to keep them pretty close to their fox, that test the 
 capacities of the huntsman. In truth, with a high burning 
 scent there is no hunting required. Hounds must go; and 
 all that is to be done is, to keep close to them until they run 
 to earth or pull the fox down. 
 
130 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 When hounds flag, from a long day and frequent changes, 
 it is necessary that the huntsman should animate them as 
 much as he can. He must press them forward and keep 
 them on ; for it is not likely, in this case, that they should 
 over-run the scent. At these times the whole work is done 
 by a few hounds ; and the huntsman should keep close to 
 them, to cheer and assist them in trouble and difficulty. 
 
 The many chances that are against hounds in fox-hunting 
 (such as the changing of foxes, their being coursed by curs, 
 Jong checks, cold hunting on tainted ground, the dying 
 away of the scent, an unruly field riding over it, rattling 
 too close behind hounds up the lanes and roads, and thus 
 driving them on to over-run the scent; for high-spirited 
 hounds will seldom stop when horses are galloping close to 
 their sterns,) render it imperative to keep them as near to 
 the fox as possible. If this be done, difficulties may easily 
 be conquered : but when the distance is great, they frequently 
 become insuperable. 
 
 If hounds in covert have a brace or more foxes afoot, and 
 are divided into separate companies, the huntsman had bet- 
 ter take away with the first fox that breaks. The ground 
 will soon become tainted, and no good can be done by 
 remaining there. 
 
 When a fox has been headed back on one side of a covert, 
 and a huntsman knows that there is not any body on the 
 other side to view him ; the first fault that his hounds come 
 to, let him cast that way, lest the fox should have broken 
 covert ; and, if he has not, the huntsman may still recover 
 him. 
 
 I may now observe, by way of a finish to my remarks on 
 the duties appertaining to the office of a huntsman, that on 
 no account whatever is he to draft a tender-footed or lame 
 hound. A hound not in a fit state to run, cannot be of much 
 
DUTY OF THE WHIPPER-IN. 131 
 
 service to the pack ; and taking him out may occasion him 
 a long confinement afterwards. 
 
 The Whipper-in, although-a step below the dignity of a 
 huntsman, is of as much, if not more, importance in hunting 
 a pack of fox-hounds than the huntsman himself. He should 
 not only be as fully capable of hunting them; but his appre- 
 hension should be as quick and his judgment as good. Upon 
 him depends the discipline and steadiness of the pack ; as the 
 huntsman should seldom rate and never flog: and, upless 
 hounds are steady and obedient, I would as soon see as 
 many yapping pug dogs thrown into a covert. 
 
 Various, indeed, are the ways that a whipper-in may give 
 proof of his genius. He may stop the tail hounds, and get 
 them forward ; he can clap to an earth that may be known to 
 be open, to which the fox may be pointing. He may keep 
 him off his foil, and frequently assist the hounds most mate- 
 rially ; provided he has the powers of discriminating between 
 that which will assist and that which will hurt them. 
 
 Previously to making the attempt to stop the hounds, the 
 whipper-in should get well to their heads, and, as this is 
 generally very fast work, he ought to be well mounted, in 
 order to be able to accomplish it satisfactorily. 
 
 I remember seeing, upon one occasion, a pack flying up 
 the wind, running heel, while the first and second whips were 
 endeavouring in vain to get to their heads ; and for more than a 
 mile this race continued. At last the whips stopped them ; 
 but not in time ; for the scent, beaten as the fox was, to 
 within a handful of seconds of his death, had become so cold 
 that the hounds could not hunt him an inch. The Master 
 searched his vocabulary for expressive terms, and swore many 
 a round oath at his servants: but the fault centered in his ill- 
 conditioned screws ; not in his servants. 
 
 Rating behind, when hounds are to be stopped, is of no 
 
 12* 
 
132 
 
 use. They will not mind it ; and, in my opinion, it frequent- 
 ly increases, instead of checking their speed. When a hound 
 is to be punished, he should first have the whip, and then be 
 rated ; as he will naturally avoid the thong, upon receiving 
 intimation that his fault has not escaped notice. 
 
 Young hounds must be kept in very great subjection. No- 
 thing can be done with them unless they fear punishment ; 
 and, when deserving, it is the duty of the whipper-in to ad- 
 minister it with justice, but not with barbarity. 
 
 I have heard of periodical floggings being given in the 
 kennel, for no committed faults whatever: but I trust the 
 report of such shameful cruelty is mere fabrication. 
 
 A whipper-in sometimes will rate young hounds before they 
 commit the offence, seeing that they are about to do so. 
 This may and will prevent their rioting, or whatever fault it may 
 be, on this particular occasion: but they will be just as ready 
 to begin, the next opportunity. It is better to let them quite 
 alone until he sees what they would be at, and then deal out 
 the discipline in accordance with the degree of the offence. 
 Whether a riotous young hound runs little or much, is of small 
 consequence : it is the blood only that signifies ; which in 
 every kind of riot should carefully be prevented. 
 
 If a hound obeys the rate, he must not be touched with the 
 thong : but if not, he should be taken up immediately and 
 flogged severely. I abhor cruelty : but, even for the sake of 
 humanity, a hound should be hit hard ; as it prevents chastise- 
 ments being often required. There are hounds like some men 
 I was going to add " women " but politeness forbids and 
 children, more riotous than others, and requiring severer mea- 
 sures for their subjection. Such hounds should be taken out by 
 themselves, on the days they do not hunt, and properly drilled. 
 If this method will not make them steady, no other can ; and 
 the rope is the only alternative left : but, in nineteen times 
 
DUTY OF THE WHIPPER-IN. 133 
 
 out of twenty, it is a trial between the whipper-in and the re- 
 fractory dog ; and I would back the former, at ten to one, if 
 he be firm and patient. 
 
 A whipper-in should never put the pack into confusion, 
 and run the imminent risk of riding over some of them, by 
 galloping into the midst of hounds, for the purpose of adminis- 
 tering punishment. He should wait his opportunity to single 
 out the hound, and then flog and rate him. It is one of his 
 principal duties, to lift the tail hounds : and in this a good 
 and efficient servant is of the very greatest use in fox-hunting. 
 He must occasionally, too, get forward himself, when the 
 huntsman is not with the hounds ; and now it is that his 
 capability for hunting them will have an opportunity of de- 
 veloping itself. No excuse, except that a dense fog prevails, 
 or hounds run into darkness, is admissible, for his not bring- 
 ing every hound home. A Master may sometimes be in- 
 formed that his whipper-in thought a lost hound was forward, 
 when he was left behind, or that he got off unseen ; and such 
 like excuses may be offered. But the reply to one and all is, 
 "You have no business to think; you should know whether 
 all your hounds are forward or not; and, as to getting away 
 unseen, what are your eyes and ears for?" 
 
 " Forward " is a good and necessary halloo from the 
 tongue of the whipper-in ; but it should not be so continually 
 in his mouth as it generally Is. It is his natural desire, as 
 well as the principal part of his duty, to get hounds forward ; 
 but he should never use this halloo until a fox be found. Ob- 
 serving this, the hounds will always fly to it. In getting 
 hounds out of covert, or into it, other halloos may be used ; 
 such as, " Get away," or " Get to him," &c. 
 
 Hounds never have the same affection for the whipper-in 
 as they have for the huntsman ; the former being the stern 
 minister of punishment : but it is necessary that they should 
 
134 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 be well acquainted with him in a more friendly position; and 
 therefore he should be admitted into the kennel daily, for an 
 exchange of civilities. Huntsmen, frequently, are jealous of 
 the whipper-in ; they look upon him as a successor, and 
 therefore do not readily give him admittance there. How- 
 ever, this is for the Master to have an eye to. 
 
 I have been speaking of the whipper-in ; not thinking it 
 worth while to notice the second, should there be two in the 
 establishment. He is, generally speaking, as ignorant of the 
 duties of a whipper-in, as a recruit, fresh caught, is of those 
 of a soldier. All that I shall observe concerning his duties, 
 is, that he must neither cheer nor rate a hound, but when 
 quite certain of the correctness of the measure ; and never 
 get forward, as long as a single hound remains behind. 
 
RIDING TO HOUNDS. 135 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 A FEW HINTS UPON THE METHOD OF RIDING STRAIGHT TO 
 HOUNDS. THE STAG-HOUND, HARRIER, AND BEAGLE. 
 
 IN submitting these few hints upon the most approved 
 method of riding to hounds, I am not going to make a futile 
 attempt to teach the art of equestrianism ; for it would be as 
 impossible, through the medium of written instructions, to 
 teach a man how to ride as how to swim. A few sugges- 
 tions, however, may not be without use, and I hope will be 
 received in the spirit in which I give them. 
 
 There are few novices who have not experienced a mis- 
 adventure similar to that which I am about to relate ; although 
 it may not have been, like mine, at their debut. 
 
 It was not, strictly speaking, the first time of my being at 
 the covert side ; but it was on that adventurous and momen- 
 tous morn when, ere the first cock threw his challenge on 
 the breeze, to warn the owl to her hollow in the cankered 
 oak, and to rouse the dozy rook from his perch on the tower- 
 ing elm, I stood in my maiden " bit of pink," dressed from 
 top to toe in all that becomes a fox-hunter. It was very 
 cold ; and yet never did my blood feel warmer than now, as 
 I wafted a vow, (before a looking-glass that compassed every 
 barley-corn of my form and figure,) in a breathless mutter, to 
 do such deeds this day that the oldest in the field should 
 yield, in judgment, the palm to me ; and the most daring, 
 
136 
 
 the laurel and the brush. Be it remembered, however, that 
 the razor, laid on the table at hand, had not yet had its edge 
 blunted by my beard. 
 
 Arrived at the furze brake, and just as the hounds were 
 thrown into it, I fancied that my girths were somewhat slack: 
 and I dismounted to get a pull at them. At this moment, a 
 fox broke. The " tally-ho, " came clear and ringing from 
 the first whipper-in, stationed at the further end of the covert. 
 " For'ard, for'ard !" hallooed the huntsman ; and every hound 
 flying to the cheer, away they went, with their heads up and 
 sterns down, as fleet as swallows skimming through the air. 
 
 My horse, young and ardent like myself, fretted to join the 
 chase ; and, to show his impatience, began to plunge and to 
 rear. This retarded my movements ; and, to convince him 
 that I was equally impatient at any thing that tended to de- 
 tain me, I gave him a stroke with my whip. 
 
 "Now then, young gentleman," shouted a gallant old 
 colonel, the character from whom I drew, as faithfully as I 
 could, to the life, my " Old English Gentleman ;" " Now 
 then," repeated he, sweeping past me, " you'll never see any 
 more of them, if ye don't come along." 
 
 The struggle now became furious between me and my 
 hunter. I tried with desperation to throw myself into the 
 saddle ; but the continued plunging of the horse prevented 
 my accomplishing it: and his rearing, as may be supposed, 
 was in no degree abated by my angrily jerking him by the 
 bridle and applying the whip vigorously. At length I ma- 
 naged to scramble upon his back ; but not a horseman was 
 in sight ; not a sound was to be heard. I stretched my eyes 
 and strained my ears in vain, to catch intelligence of the 
 course that I was to take. The country being wide enclo- 
 sures of pasture, I could not even learn by the tracks, except 
 for a very short distance where the land was soft, where the 
 
RIDING TO HOUNDS. 137 
 
 hunt had passed. In the belief, however, that the fox was 
 pointing to a large covert, in the direction that he had taken 
 at the burst, I lifted hard towards it ; hoping that I should 
 "nick in." On my road thither, I espied four labourers at 
 work in a fallow field. " Have you seen the hounds?" in- 
 quired I. " Yes, zur," replied they simultaneously. " Which 
 way did they go ?" " That way, zur," replied the quartette, 
 stretching out their dexter arms in precisely the four opposite 
 corners of the compass. 
 
 Dispirited and miserable at my untoward luck, I turned 
 the head of my horse towards home ; and if I wept on my 
 road thither, it was known to myself only. 
 
 Well ! this was an early lesson, the fruits of which lasted 
 without the remotest chance of being forgotten, to " get well 
 away " with hounds, and to be prepared at all points pre- 
 viously to hounds being thrown off. If girths are to be 
 tightened, stirrups shortened, curbchains slackened, or, in 
 short, if any alteration is to be made in any thing connected 
 with yourself or your horse, it should be done in time, and 
 plenty of it to spare. 
 
 Every body, who knows the least about fox-hunting, is 
 aware how essential it is to get well away with hounds at 
 the burst. If there be any thing like a distance to be made 
 up at the beginning, to get close to hounds, and what sport 
 is there in being out of sight and out of hearing of them? 
 remember that it must be done greatly at the expense of your 
 horse. He has not got, what is called, his "second wind ;" 
 and if pressed at first, he may be run to a stand-still, par- 
 ticularly if not in first-rate condition: and it must greatly 
 tend to take the steel out of him, in any case; which may be 
 found sadly detrimental in a fast and long run. In order, 
 therefore, to gel a good start, you should place yourself in 
 such a position, by the covert side, as- to be able to get away 
 
138 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 with hounds, let the fox break at what point he may. Occa- 
 sionally such a position is selected, as that, if the fox breaks 
 at a particular spot or corner, you may head the whole field 
 at the burst ; but nothing can be more likely to throw you 
 out than this, as you think, very cunning mamfiuvre. You 
 should be careful not to take a too forward place, talk loudly, 
 nor imprudently " Tally" the fox, before he gets clear of the 
 covert, so as to head him back. Any such proceeding evinces 
 a superlative "greenness" in your character as a sportsman. 
 
 Recollect, that if a fox runs up the wind when found, and 
 afterwards turns, he seldom, if ever, turns again. This may 
 be of use to you, in getting away with him; particularly if 
 by any accident you have been left in the rear and have to 
 lift hard. 
 
 There is a vast deal of difference, between riding despe- 
 rately across country, without any judgment at all, and riding 
 boldly with. I have seen some horses beaten by the former 
 kind of riding, long before the latter mode has even taken a 
 sob of distress out of others ; and it is needless to say which 
 has lived to the finish. 
 
 A timid rider, I can scarcely imagine capable of really 
 enjoying the sport of fox-hunting. His fears must, necessa- 
 rily, be so constantly awakened, that they cannot but drown 
 the pleasurable and healthy excitement of this, as Sheridan 
 Knowles calls it, "ecstasy of motion; " and I am quite as- 
 sured that a nervous horseman is far more likely to get into 
 difficulties and to meet with accidents, than one who faces 
 obstructions reasonably to be met. I have heard of men 
 " riding at every thing that it might please Heaven to send ;" 
 and so I have of people " throwing themselves from the apex 
 of the Monument ;" but I am happy to say that these ma- 
 niacs were no acquaintances of mine. Courage and reck- 
 lessness are acknowledged to be as dissimilar as the elements 
 
RIDING TO HOUNDS. 139 
 
 of fire and water. Now, he who would ride with safety 
 and pleasure to himself, and to the admiration of observers', 
 will endeavour to distinguish between riding as if life, limb, 
 and horse-flesh were of no value, and creeping about the 
 lanes and roads, craning over turnip hurdles, and enacting 
 the part which any venerable lady of three-score and ten 
 might perform equally well, with the aid of a pair of spec- 
 tacles. Let him feel his stirrups, fortify his heart, and ride 
 like a gentleman and a sportsman. 
 
 To ride over a gate, when you can easily throw it back 
 upon its hinges, or to take any totally unnecessary leap, is 
 any thing but to show your judgment. Remember " the race 
 is not always to the swift;" and that, in a long run, it is 
 next to a certainty that you will have as much leaping as the 
 most rapacious can desire. If you " take liberties " with 
 your horse, he will not last as long as you may require him ; 
 and, although you may look well in the " first flight," and 
 for a time, yet, when those who nursed their nags give you 
 the " go-by," later in the day, and at the time when the* 
 genuine sportsman shows in front, you will feel, in the ex- 
 plicit language of an eminent stable-boy, " as if you had 
 been split up the back, and all the pride and conceit taken 
 out of you." 
 
 In getting over heavy ground, you should endeavour to 
 ease your horse as much as possible. Let your eyes be on 
 the look-out for a headland, ridge, or road, on which you 
 can make better play ; and tighten your reins, while the 
 trouble lasts. The lost distance must be made good on a 
 better course. 
 
 When a horse is " blown," turn his head from any thing 
 like a leap of magnitude. It is quite impossible that he can 
 take it with any degree of safety ; and the attempt is a foolish 
 risk of some deplorable result. 
 13 
 
140 
 
 THE SPORTSMAN S LIBRARY. 
 
 After having cleared a fence, or barrier of any kind, into 
 an enclosure, look instantly for the best place for your next 
 leap ; and, having fixed upon it, keep your horse as straight 
 as an arrow towards the spot, and never swerve. A great deal 
 depends upon your keeping the head of your horse in a direct 
 line with his quarters, in taking a leap ; for, if you pull him 
 either to the near or to the off side, the chances are greatly 
 in favour of his sending you to bite the ground in company 
 with himself. 
 
 I have seen many unseated at their leaps, from checking 
 their horses at the moment of taking them. At this junc- 
 ture, you should keep a steady hand, but by no means a 
 slack rein. The curb, however, should not be felt; and the 
 horse must have his head given him. All this can be 
 managed without riding with loose reins ; as keeping a horse 
 together often prevents his "knuckling," upon landing from 
 his spring. 
 
 In " tailing hounds," you must be careful not to get unne- 
 cessarily close to their sterns. In that case, you may ride over 
 them, particularly when they come to a sudden check; and 
 it is impossible to know, even when the scent is a burning 
 one, when this may not happen. 
 
 When a horse has " shot his bolt " in hunting, punishment 
 is of no avail. In a race, the spur and whip have often 
 landed a winner, by half a head, who, without them, would 
 have been a loser by a much greater distance. But in 
 hunting, there are no such precise limits fixed for the horse 
 to exert his noble powers of speed and strength in ; and vic- 
 tory is never the question of a nose or a neck. If, there- 
 fore, your horse evinces symptoms of being run to a stand- 
 still, either from the killing pace, the condition of the ground, 
 or, what is worse still, his own want of condition ; pull him 
 up, and reserve him for a future day. He might, perhaps, 
 
STAG-HUNTING. 141 
 
 be urged to do a little more : but it would be the act of a 
 butcher to force him ; and the cruel deed would be followed, 
 in all probability, by either his death, destruction, or being 
 unfitted to go to hounds again that season, except in the 
 knacker's cart. 
 
 Previously to making the attempt "to ride straight to 
 hounds," you should be well acquainted with your horse. 
 This can only be gained by having seen him go in good 
 form, or by proving by degrees that he possesses the capa- 
 cities of so doing. To purchase, however, a horse, that 
 you know nothing whatever about, because he may be de- 
 scribed as " a perfect hunter," and to mount him with the 
 resolve to test his merits to the claim at once, is a truly 
 break-neck proceeding. A friend of mine purchased " a 
 perfect hunter" at Tattersall's ; and, taking the warranty to 
 be as true as the sun, determined to try him a bat with the 
 Royal Buck-hounds. Within ten minutes of the commence- 
 ment of the run, my friend's right thigh was fractured in 
 two places, although one of the best riders in England. The 
 horse swerved at a common hurdle, and fell upon him. 
 
 In speaking hitherto of hounds and of hunting, I have 
 confined myself exclusively to what belongs to the pursuit 
 of the Fox ; that there might be no confusion or miscon- 
 ception as to this chief of our national sports. But I shall 
 now, that there be no void in my original design, to notice 
 every description of legitimate sport, proceed to lateral 
 branches. 
 
 If it were my province to carp at any description of sport, 
 I should begin to find fault with and satirize Stag-hunting. 
 However, I shall not dwell upon such sport as the uncarting 
 of a half-tamed brute, to be "run into" in a turnpike road, 
 recarted, taken home, and reserved for another similar bit of 
 " a cockney spree." Others may see grand sport in the ar- 
 
142 
 
 rangement. I never could ; and, except the stag-hunting 1 
 have witnessed with the Devon and Somerset stag-hounds, 
 where the antlered monarch of the wild is uproused from 
 his lair in his native woods, I would as soon see a fatted 
 calf worried to death by bull-dogs, as such a libel upon 
 " sport." 
 
 Stag-hunting, with the exception I have mentioned, 
 scarcely deserves to be ranked under the head of the chase, 
 any more than shaking down a miserable wretch of a bagged 
 fox merits the title of fox-hunting. There is no hunting in 
 either instance. The unhappy wretches are brought cap- 
 tives to the spots appointed for the beginning of their mar- 
 tyrdom ; and are then run into, killed, or lost, as the twenty 
 chances to one against the latter event coming off may be 
 directed by the Fates. 
 
 The hound that is now in vogue for this purpose is very 
 little different in breed from the fox-hound. The last ori- 
 ginal pack of stag-hounds in this country, such, at least, as 
 were used by our ancestors, hunted the wild red deer on 
 the extensive moors in Devonshire, Cornwall, and Somerset- 
 shire, about a quarter of a century since. These were sold 
 to go into Germany, from the want of spirit to keep them 
 up ; and now the same kind is used that may be seen in the 
 royal kennel : a cross between the old English southern 
 hound and the fleeter fox-hound, grafted upon the blood- 
 hound. Such is the perfection to which practical breeding 
 is reduced, that a breeder, by judicious crosses, can either en- 
 large or diminish the stature and strength of his pack, in the 
 course of three or four generations. 
 
 The Beagle is the smallest of the dogs of the chase which 
 go under the general denomination of hound. For the 
 beagle I entertain the very greatest admiration. In my 
 opinion, he is the very description of hound for chasing the 
 
THE HARRIER. 143 
 
 hare; and no other, save the gaze-hound (corrupted into 
 gray-hound,) who trusts alone to his speed for a few seconds, 
 is fitted in size, pace, and strength, for hunting this timid 
 but fleet animal. The Harrier, so called, is generally too 
 fleet, too big, and too strong, for allowing the hare to show 
 sufficient sport. He is too near the stamp of a fox-hound ; 
 and is more than a fair match for puss, although occasion- 
 ally a hare may be found to afford a run little less strong 
 than a good dog fox. This, however, is of rare occur- 
 rence ; and the hare is generally either killed or lost in a 
 few minutes, when a pack of modern harriers ring their 
 tongues at her scut. Indeed, from the crosses that have 
 been made, to get this hound speedy, he is now quite equal, 
 and very often superior, to the fox-hound, in pace. Ori- 
 ginally he was generated in a double cross between the 
 small beagle, the southern hound, and the dwarf fox-hound. 
 Now, however, he approaches far nearer to the hound 
 bred exclusively, and designed by size and powers, for hunt- 
 ing the fox. 
 
 There are, however, various harriers produced by crosses 
 in breeding, dictated by knowledge and experience, and de- 
 pending on the kind of country they hunt in, and the wish 
 or fancy of the owner of the pack; all of which are a great 
 alteration in the blood. If the object be, as for the most 
 part it is now, in every description of sport, to kill quickly, 
 the harrier is the hound capable of bringing about this result 
 in less than one-third the time that the little beagle is in 
 effecting it; and this I imagine is the cause of the beagle 
 being superseded by the harrier, and now so little used in 
 the chase. 
 
 The harrier has neither the dash nor the spirit of the fox- 
 hound : he cannot face the furze brake like him: and there 
 are situations where he is too weak ; being ill suited for low, 
 
 13* 
 
144 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 swampy, and marshy lands. The southern hound seems to 
 be best calculated for such localities. For large, open 
 countries, where hares will run remarkably strong and 
 straight like foxes, harriers will show good sport: but they 
 are ill adapted for close woodlands; being both too fleet for 
 the purpose, and too sensitive in getting through strong 
 fences. 
 
 On no account should harriers be permitted to hunt foxes; 
 although it is by no means an uncommon practice to let 
 them do so, in the event of "the varmint" jumping up by 
 accident. The high scent that a fox leaves, his direct run- 
 ning, and the completely different style of hunting, is pro- 
 ductive altogether of a very great injury and disservice to 
 harriers. 
 
 To return, however, to the beagle. Ladies, and gentle- 
 men frosted by time, are the only " exclusives " allowed by 
 the code of strict propriety to ride after beagles. Men of 
 strength, health, and sound sails to hold the wind, should 
 stretch their best legs foremost, and run on foot after the 
 merry pack. It will add years to life, and drive away 
 every tendency to disease, ills, and aches, from the toe to 
 the head. I do not mean, however, that disorders are to 
 lodge in the caput, and thus only make a change in the 
 locality: a clear ejectment will be effected. 
 
 Beagles, to be very choice, can scarcely be bred too small. 
 The standard of perfection is considered to be from ten to 
 eleven inches; and the latter should be the maximum height. 
 Although far inferior in point of speed to the harrier, the 
 sense of smelling is equally, if not more, exquisite in the 
 beagle. In pursuing the hare, too, he exercises indefatigable 
 vigilance, energy, and perseverance. Every winding and 
 double is traced by him with a degree of exactness which 
 must be seen to be enjoyed and justly estimated; and his 
 
THE BEAGLE. 145 
 
 cry " loads the trembling air " with unequalled music. No- 
 thing can be more melodious and beautiful than to hear the 
 pigmy pack open at a hare; and if slow, comparatively 
 speaking, in running her, should the scent be good, she 
 stands but little chance of escape from them in the end. 
 Their slowness, however, in these fast times, is the principal 
 reason of their being almost totally discontinued in packs ; 
 and of their being seldom to be met with now, beyond a 
 few couples, used in some of the counties in England, to 
 ensure a find in coursing, or to drive rabbits from large and 
 thick coverts. 
 
 The only packs of Beagles that I know of, are those be- 
 longing to His Royal Highness Prince Albert, Lord Winter- 
 ton, and the Rev. Mr. Honeywood. I was informed that 
 the Prince offered a large sum for the pack belonging to 
 Mr. Honeywood ; but that it was respectfully declined. 
 Greater perfection could not be arrived at, than in that 
 beautiful pack of pigmies. Not one exceeds ten inches; 
 and they are as level as a pack of cards ; the colour, through- 
 out, being pure white. It is quite beyond credence the num- 
 ber of hares they kill in the course of a season. When run- 
 ning with a good scent, they might be imagined to belong to 
 the fairy Queen ; so small, fast, and handsome are they. 
 
BOOK III. 
 
 SHOOTING. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE DETONATING SYSTEM. GUNMAKERS. AND THE CHOICE 
 
 OF A GUN. 
 
 Now that flint guns are extinct, it would be useless for me 
 to dwell for one moment on a comparison between the merits 
 of the detonating system and the antiquated "tinder-box," 
 which experience, that best of judges, has consigned to obli- 
 vion. If not in every way inferior to the percussion gun, it 
 is quite conclusive of the question, that the flint has been 
 abandoned, from the balance being so much in favour of the 
 detonating : to this, therefore, I shall exclusively refer. 
 
 In speaking of the mechanical parts of a gun, I shall con- 
 fine myself to that which should be familiar to the sportsman ; 
 and not weary him with details, perfectly useless except to 
 the gunmaker; for it is not to be supposed that sportsmen 
 generally take greater interest in the boring of barrels or the 
 fabricating of locks, than in the stitching of their saddles and 
 bridles. So the work be done, and done well, the how is a 
 matter of little moment. 
 
GUNMAKERS. 147 
 
 In the first instance, I must direct the attention of the tyro 
 to the choice of a gun for general puposes. This is a matter 
 of the very greatest importance ; as, although good shots may 
 be made with a bad piece, it is to be expected that many 
 must be spoiled by it. It is not my purpose to puff any par- 
 ticular maker of guns: but I think it a duty to mention the 
 names of those whom I have found to be as good as, if not 
 better than, any other makers coming under my notice. 
 
 The London makers have a knack of turning up their 
 noses at Westley Richards, and talk about his guns being 
 " Birmingham manufacture." It is quite true that they are 
 so, and he professes them to be no more. I should like to 
 know if the London tribe, in saying that their guns are Lon- 
 don manufacture, tell the like truth, the whole truth, and 
 nothing but the truth. I have shot with Westley Richards' 
 guns for a considerable period ; and I consider that there is 
 no maker of the day superior to him. Lancaster, also, ranks 
 deservedly high. For a season, I shot with one of his side- 
 primers ; and, although an ingenious invention, I do not like 
 it, nor indeed any of the improvements, so called, so well 
 as the cock and nipple. 
 
 Lancaster's machine for the finish of barrel-boring is per- 
 fection, and could emanate only from an exceedingly clever 
 man. It is some time since I saw it ; and when I did so, it 
 was quite as a stranger : but he took great pains to explain 
 to me the properties belonging to the invention ; and I was 
 quite satisfied that his assertion of his capability of making 
 any given number of guns to shoot alike was perfectly correct. 
 During the reign of the immortal Joe Manton, Mr. Lancaster 
 was known only as a barrel-finisher ; and as his work did not 
 comprise the engraving and browning, many of the trade took 
 the credit of his skill. If there are makers equal to Lancaster, I 
 
148 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 am quite certain that there is not one entitled to rank before him. 
 Purdey also turns out as fine work as any living maker. I 
 will not make any envious distinctions, while giving a short 
 list of eminent gun-makers whose fowling-pieces I have for- 
 merly possessed, or now have ; but the best gun that I ever 
 put to my shoulder was made by Purdey. I had a gun made 
 by John Egg, son of the eminent D. Egg; and that was a 
 very good one. I have now mentioned the names of the dis- 
 tinguished makers whose guns I can recommend, from a long 
 acquaintance and constant trials of their excellence. It must 
 be remembered, however, that these artists make a sensible 
 impression on fifty guineas, for a specimen of their handicraft ; 
 a sum which a young sportsman may not always be willing to 
 part withal. I shall therefore mention the name of another 
 maker, whom t know to be good, and whose habit at present 
 (I say at present; for I have no doubt that the time is not far 
 distant when there will be an ascendant price) is to charge 
 twenty less, for a highly-finished and good gun. This is 
 John Blissett of High Holborn ; than whom a better judge of 
 what should be, from the nose of the barrel to the heel plate, 
 I do not think exists. I gave him thirty guineas for one of 
 his best double guns, in case, and every thing complete ; 
 and I do no more than common justice in saying, that it was 
 as good as a man could wish to pull the trigger of. 
 
 In a subsequent page of this volume, an alphabetical list of 
 the London gunmakers will be found : but I must say that, 
 in addition to those already named, there are many others of 
 equally deserved celebrity ; such as Messrs. Moore, John Man- 
 ton, a son of the celebrated Joe, Nock, Smith, Wilkinson, &c. 
 In selecting the few particularly mentioned, I have confined 
 myself to those, as I have before said, whose guns I have 
 shot with, and can therefore answer for. 
 
 It is one of the common errors with young sportsmen, to 
 
CHOICE OF A GUff. 149 
 
 like crooked stocks and light guns; than which nothing can 
 be more prejudicial. In speaking of the weight and gauge, 
 J am alluding to a double-barrelled detonating gun for the 
 general purposes of shooting, and not for particular or excep- 
 tional ones. 
 
 The length of a stock must depend upon the length of arm 
 or reach ; as one man can bring a gun readily and with ease 
 to his shoulder, which another could not get there. In 
 choosing a gun, therefore, as much care should be taken in 
 having the stock fitted to the shoulder as in adapting the 
 sleeve of a coat to the length of the arm ; but, in all cases, 
 the stock should be as straight as possibly can be managed 
 with ; as a crooked one keeps the nose of the gun down- 
 wards, and thus throws under the object. When a stock 
 well-adapted to the shoulder is found, it should be kept as 
 a pattern for any other that may be required: or its dimen- 
 sions should be registered. 
 
 The barrels should be at least thirty or thirty-one inches 
 in length ; and I think the latter most desirable, as it is a 
 very great fallacy to imagine that short barrels shoot as 
 well as long ones. I remember a friend telling me that he 
 possesed an old flint gun, and wishing to apply it to covert 
 shooting only, he had the barrels cut shorter, and found it to 
 throw the shot better than in its former state. Similar ex- 
 periments have been tried with the like success ; but this 
 was in consequence of the barrels being improperly bored, for 
 a long calibre ; and therefore the length, instead of being a 
 very great assistance, was a serious impediment. Unless 
 the bore be in proportion to the length, such must be the 
 result. 
 
 The barrels should be fourteen guage; a smaller one not 
 permitting the charge to ignite before a portion of it is driven 
 from the barrel. 
 
150 
 
 It is generally supposed that the quicker the explosion, the 
 greater the force that must accompany it. This is a mis- 
 take ; as has been proved beyond a question by experiments, 
 and as I flatter myself I shall have little difficulty in show- 
 ing. It is obvious that the force is derived from the pow- 
 der; and if, as has been clearly shown by the machine invent- 
 ed by Mr. Wilkinson of Pall Mall, the detonating fire may 
 pass through an entire charge of fine powder without igni- 
 ting more than one half, the force must be materially lessened 
 by too rapid an ignition. In this particular, ignition by the 
 flint possessed an advantage, by giving time for the powder 
 to burn ; and there can be no doubt that the force of the flint 
 guns was much greater in proportion than that of our deto- 
 nating ones. Inventions have been rife, to obtain a quicker 
 and more direct ignition ; whereas we clearly require one to 
 retard it. Mr. Wilkinson invented what he was pleased to 
 call " a counter-parabolic breeching," in order to obtain the 
 desired end. I read his pamphlet, explanatory of its merits^ 
 with attention ; and I considered it emanating from a man 
 not only ingenious, but whose ingenuity might very likely be 
 turned to considerable advantage. I have had no opportu- 
 nity of trying this high-flown "counter-parabolic breeching," 
 as it was christened : but I cannot help thinking that the re- 
 tarding, or counter action, would be very likely to give a 
 man's shoulder an unpleasant kick. 
 
 A light gun is by no means adapted for the detonating 
 power. The recoil is so much greater than with a flint, 
 that additional melal is necessary to withstand it; and the 
 wear and tear is so much increased by the force applied, 
 that, unless there be sufficient substance, the gun will quickly 
 be worn out. About seven and a half pounds should be 
 the minimum, and eight and a half pounds the maximum 
 weight of a gun, I proceed to give a few instructions con- 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 151 
 
 cerning the choice of the locks. About the first thing that 
 a man does when a gun is placed in his hands for inspec- 
 tion, is to try the springs of the locks ; and I have little hesi- 
 tation in saying that, although not an infallible test of its 
 general merits, any person who has had a first-rate gun in 
 his possession may invariably know, by the feel of the locks, 
 whether it be a genuine and highly-finished production. 
 These, when the cock is brought gradually up, should glide 
 with the touch and have an easy and smooth action. If 
 there be a harsh, grating, and unpleasant feel, there is not 
 the work that there should be in a good lock. I am not 
 partial to the mainspring being unnecessarily strong ; but I 
 would rather have it too strong than too weak ; and a nice 
 sharp click, when the scear catches the tumbler, is music to 
 my ear. 
 
 The regulation of the trigger is a matter of the very 
 greatest importance; although it so often escapes the atten- 
 tion of even experienced sportsmen. If it goes too hard to 
 the pull, the nose or muzzle of the gun becomes lowered by 
 the action, and the charge is thrown under the object; and 
 if it be too light and tender, there is danger of the gun going 
 off before you intend that it should. Filing the notch, 
 where the scear catches the tumbler, either deeper or the 
 reverse, will easily remedy the defect : but it requires a nice 
 hand to perform the operation. 
 
 As in the case of the stocks to your guns, all your triggers 
 should be alike ; that is, should pull an equal weight. No- 
 thing is so likely to throw a sportsman far out of his reckon- 
 ing as a great variation in the pull of his triggers. Purdey's 
 best double guns average about four pounds : but the near 
 trigger is set a trifle under this; as the right-hand trigger, 
 being farther off, will bear a greater pressure, although not 
 an apparent one to the finger. This makes the two pull 
 14 
 
152 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 equally. It is a good plan to have a hook with a spring, 
 called a trigger steelyard; as it may be always known by 
 this when, from wear and tear, a trigger pulls more or less 
 than it should do. 
 
 The Nipple is a very small, but a very important article 
 in the gun. It formerly used to be placed perpendicularly : 
 but it is now the rule to slope the nipples; and, although 
 not quite so convenient, in placing on the caps, the present 
 practice is safer, in the event of an accident occurring, by 
 either a particle of the copper flying from the cock, or by 
 the cock being blown back and the nipple out. The eye is 
 not then so immediately in contact. The hole in the nipple 
 is frequently supposed to be scarcely capable of being too 
 small; and I have heard a few, who have even grown gray 
 in the service, express a belief that much safety depends 
 upon the nipple being contracted. All things when worn 
 out should be cast aside; and nipples form no exception to 
 the rule : but the danger of blowing the cock back, from a 
 large hole in the nipple, may always be prevented by having 
 a strong and good mainspring. Some nipples are formed 
 on the outside like a screw, for the purpose of better securing 
 the caps : but this collects dirt and rust ; and it is far better 
 to have them perfectly plain; for, if the caps fit well, as they 
 should do, they will keep on quite as well as if the nipples 
 were grooved. 
 
 The CocA-, or striker, should, when upon the nipple, cover 
 it so completely that none of the copper from the exploded 
 cap can escape from its grasp- Many an eye has been lost, 
 in consequence of the neglect of this ; although since the uni- 
 versal use of the stout copper caps, which yield to the blow 
 in four equal divisions, few accidents are now heard of. 
 But, when those wretched thin " French caps " were so often 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 153 
 
 , and the detonating system less in vogue, accidents of 
 this kind were very frequent. 
 
 As an instance of the danger attending the use of thin, 
 cheap, copper caps, I shall relate what befel a gentleman 
 residing in the north of Devonshire, as told me by himself. 
 His eldest son had just returned from shooting, bringing his 
 gun into the house, loaded. The father, who had a great 
 objection to this unsafe proceeding, took the gun from his 
 son's hands, for the purpose of drawing the shot and firing 
 off the powder. At the time of taking the gun, it was on 
 the half-cock. Previously to inserting the rod into the left- 
 hand barrel, the gentleman put both the cocks upon the 
 nipples. While in the act of drawing the wadding of the 
 near barrel, the right-hand one exploded, shattering the 
 trigger finger into atoms ; and the charge grazing his fore- 
 head. Now, the only way to account for such an accident 
 is this; for my friend is an old and experienced sportsman, 
 and cannot be mistaken as to the position in which he had 
 placed the cocks: The striker was not fairly down upon the 
 head of the cap; but had lodged upon the side of it, from not 
 being properly placed on, or not fitting, the nipple. A jar 
 or a slip caused the cock to descend, when the butt was 
 placed upon the ground ; and the cap, being " a French 
 one," was too thin to bear the slight concussion. If it had 
 been a strong, thick cap, there could have been no such 
 lamentable result. 
 
 Many protections have been invented, to save the eye 
 from the flying particles of the cap: but none are so effectual 
 as a sloping nipple, with a strong, thick copper cap, and a 
 deep concave-headed cock to cover it. 
 
 A Vent-hole should be in every detonator; otherwise, the 
 gun is sure to recoil most painfully when it has been shot 
 
154 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 with ten or a dozen times ; although I cannot deny that it 
 may shoot somewhat stronger without one. 
 
 The Ram-rod should be thick. Not only is strength 
 thereby gained in this indispensable accompaniment, the 
 accidental splintering of which has very frequently occa- 
 sioned the loss of a good day's sport: but the loading is 
 rendered more easy. The common worm at the end is 
 much better than the one made like a screw ; as the latter 
 soon becomes useless from wear. 
 
 The Sight should be very small. If one be made unne- 
 cessarily large, it is worse than useless, by its being an 
 impediment to the eye. Except for those in the rudiments 
 of sporting, taking deliberate aim at unsuspecting sparrows, 
 the sight is of little advantage; and will be quickly uncared 
 for, when the novice has acquired the art of bringing his 
 gun to bear quickly upon the object. I have seen sights 
 little less than horse-beans; and, when my attention has been 
 drawn to them, I have wished that the maker had an incura- 
 ble carbuncle of the same size upon his nose, decreed to last 
 as long as his mortal span might be extended. Colonel 
 Hawker, in his " Instructions to Young Sportsmen," dips 
 into the mechanical particulars of gun-making much farther 
 than I intend to go ; as he boldly asserts that " he gave the 
 immortal Joe Manton a few capital wrinkles, if he was not 
 the inventor of copper caps." I am not disposed to enter 
 the lists with the gallant Colonel ; although I am vain enough 
 to believe that I should do so under considerable advantage : 
 as he evinces, in his retorts upon his critics and plagiarists, 
 a want of stoutness of hide ; whereas I defy the heaviest 
 cudgel that ever thwacked the untanned quarters of an ass. 
 However, trusting to his generosity that he will not dub me 
 " one who compiles for so much a sheet, and who 'knows 
 something less than nothing about ' field and flood,' " I shall 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 155 
 
 insert a few lines of his great work, which I really think 
 should have been entitled " THE GUNMAKER'S PRECEPTOR," 
 instead of " INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUNG SPORTSMEN," upon the 
 ELEVATION of a gun. The Colonel observes, " As a proof 
 of my original argument in favour of Joe Manton's eleva- 
 tion, my readers need only observe how universal it has 
 now become with every gunmaker in, and even out of, the 
 kingdom. It would be therefore a waste of time to reprint 
 my former arguments in support of it, particularly as I 
 may substitute, in place of them, something new on the 
 subject. 
 
 " By further discoveries, I have pretty well proved that all 
 of us sportmen, the whole trade, and even Joe himself, have 
 been somewhat in the dark about the precise degree for this 
 elevation ; and this is perhaps the reason why many quacks 
 have fancied that short guns will kill the farthest. They talk 
 nonsense : but still the short guns have often shown off best 
 in the field. Why is it ? because the gunmakers regulate the 
 elevations to shoot well to the bull's eye ; whereas they ought 
 to shoot above the bull's eye ; and THE LONGER THE GUN, THE 
 HIGHER MUST BE THE ELEVATION ! Let this be placarded as 
 a golden rule for every sportsman and every gunmaker in the 
 kingdom. Let me state a proof of this. I ordered a gun 
 some time ago, fourteen gauge and two feet ten barrels; and 
 selected Charles Lancaster as indisputably one of the best 
 makers (I should give offence perhaps if I said the best maker) 
 now in London. This gun shot beautifully ; but no better 
 than my two feet eight barrels! 'Now then, sir,' said many 
 in the trade, ' won't you be convinced that your extra two 
 inches are superfluous ?' At first I began to, what is vulgarly 
 called, ' draw in my horns :' but I soon discovered what was 
 the matter. A two feet ten gun, with the rifle no more ele- 
 vated than a two feet eight gun, invariably puts the body of 
 
 14* 
 
156 THE SPORTMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 the charge under the mark, at all distances beyond about 
 thirty-five yards. I therefore had this gun botched up, for 
 mere experiment, with more elevation ; and then there was 
 not a detonator in my possession that stood any chance with 
 it. This was merely giving enough elevation, supposing the 
 object to be within point-blank range , and stationary or going 
 straight on. But, when we consider that all objects above forty 
 yards are so far beyond point-blank range, that, if the gun is 
 not kept well up, the shot will fall from its own gravity ; that 
 a long snap-shot is always at a rising, and not at a straight- 
 forward-going bird ; and that, if a good shot misses through 
 being nervous, it is almost always because his left hand drops 
 as he flinches ; we should rarely err, by somewhat over-ele- 
 vating our guns. I never perhaps should have proved this, 
 but with experiments with large coast-guns ; which as I be- 
 fore observed, like large telescopes, bring things to light; 
 and, by means of being fired, sometimes, on water as smooth 
 as a looking-glass, give a decided evidence of all the effects 
 that are produced in gunnery. With regard to elevation in 
 proportion to length, the late General Shrapnell frequently 
 observed to me what has here been said ; and so has the 
 Baron de Berenger, who showed me a very clever scale on 
 elevations : and therefore it would not be fair in me to pub- 
 lish one ; as, by so doing, I should more or less have to copy 
 the sketches of the Baron. Enough of this dry subject : so 
 now let the gunmakers, and many sportsmen, recollect, that 
 up to the latest period there has still been something for them 
 to learn ! How contemptible therefore is it for any man to 
 fancy his works perfection ! Now, I dare say the gunmakers 
 will tell you they knew all this before ! If so, then, why 
 have they not profited by it ?" 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 157 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHOICE OP GUNS. THE 
 
 LOCKS, &C., &C. 
 
 HITHERTO I have been speaking of a gun for the general 
 purposes of shooting : but there are particular descriptions of 
 sport for which other kinds of guns are better suited or are 
 absolutely necessary. For shooting exclusively in covert, 
 shorter barrels than I have mentioned will be far more handy 
 and convenient ; and, as a long shot will very rarely be re- 
 quired, the not throwing the lead to a great distance is of 
 minor consideration. I think, for this object, barrels twenty- 
 eight or twenty-nine inches are of sufficient length ; and the 
 weight of the gun need not exceed seven or seven and a 
 half pounds. 
 
 A Duck gun, I am not alluding to the stanchion or punt 
 gun, can, without a doubt, be obtained from Westley Rich- 
 ards better than from any other living maker. The London 
 makers are not capable of turning out a heavy piece, of fifteen 
 or seventeen pounds weight. They can manage one of much 
 less weight, say under fourteen pounds ; but even in this their 
 gun is frequently more pleasing to the eye than useful in the 
 rough work for which it is destined. 
 
 A duck gun can scarcely be too plain. Fancy work about 
 it is as ridiculous as the placing a gold band round a " sou'- 
 wester "would be. The stock should be substantial ; and the 
 
158 
 
 rule that I have before referred to, about its being straight, 
 does not apply to this description of gun. It should curve 
 materially ; as this not only lessens the recoil, but, in holding 
 out so great a weight, it is impossible to drop the head with 
 the same facility as in bringing a light piece to the shoulder. 
 The butt should be very broad. This tends to save the 
 shoulder from contusion ; and a heelplate is quite unneces- 
 sary, as it is sure to become unsightly from rust, immediately 
 upon being used. Instead of the looking-glass polish which 
 may occasionally be seen on the stocks of the metropolitan 
 makers, paint, and a little varnish over it, will be found more 
 attractive in appearance, after the gun has been a few times 
 in use, and a preservative against the cracking influence of 
 the salt water. It is a good plan to have the grasp, or as the 
 gunmakers call it, " the grip" whipped with waxed-end, 
 like the handle of a cricket bat ; which is also an assistance 
 in lessening the jar; arid nothing that will tend to do this 
 should be lost sight of, 
 
 The length of the barrels to be used without a rest must 
 depend in a great degree upon the kind of gun used : but 
 whether a thick short barrel be used, which is more easy to 
 manage, or one of greater length, a great weight, and even 
 equal weight of metal is necessary ; for nothing will effi- 
 ciently check the recoil of a duck gun but metal. The short 
 thick gun cannot kill so far as the long one ; but the latter, 
 when carried to an extreme, is very inconvenient in bringing 
 to the shoulder, although a better aim may be obtained by it 
 when there. As in most things, the happy medium is the 
 best to be observed, for all purposes ; and barrels from forty- 
 four to forty-eight inches, I am of opinion, are better than 
 those that are either shorter or much longer. I am speaking 
 of a gun to be used without a rest ; for, with a rest, the bar- 
 rels can scarcely be too long, if the bore be in proportion. 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 159 
 
 I have known Lancaster's and Long's side-primer strongly 
 recommended for duck guns, in preference to the cap. I 
 have not tried either for mine : but the common percussion 
 having pleased me much better for my fowling-piece, than 
 Lancaster's primer did, I have the same cock and nipple to 
 my duck gun as to others, and I have found no reason to 
 wish for an improvement. 
 
 The object of a duck gun is to kill at long distances, 
 by carrying double the charge required for a piece of com- 
 mon size, closely and with effect. The weight of the metal, 
 the calibre, and length of the barrels, enable us to accomplish 
 this, by using large shot with the same advantage with which 
 Nos. 6 and 7 may be fired from an ordinary gun ; and thus 
 an object may be killed at a much greater distance, and, in 
 the case of a flock of birds, many of them may be brought 
 down. 
 
 With regard to the weight of the duck gun, it must de- 
 pend on the charge designed for it to carry. If intended to 
 carry three ounces of lead with effect, it should not be less 
 than twelve pounds, and need not exceed fourteen : to carry 
 four or five ounces, its weight should not be less than eigh- 
 teen, nor exceed twenty pounds. 
 
 The Stanchion, or Punt gun designed to be fired into flocks 
 of wild-fowl, from a swivel, should be from seven to nine 
 feet in length of barrel ; seventy to eighty pounds in weight ; 
 and the calibre, from an inch and a quarter to an inch 
 and a half bore, in proportion to the length and weight just 
 named. It is needless to say that, for the immensely heavy 
 charge fired from a stanchion, it should be substantial in 
 every way, more especially in the forging of the barrel. 
 
 Unless the boat to be used be a large double-handed punt, 
 which will safely float a gun of one hundred and ten or one 
 hundred and twenty pounds weight, the ignition must be 
 
160 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY, 
 
 through the medium of the common flint ; for the recoil is so 
 great from the detonator, that a stanchion of eighty or ninety 
 pounds will not bear it. When the detonator is used, the 
 side-primer is deemed the best; but as I never fired a stan- 
 chion except by the flint, I cannot answer for the assertion, 
 from any experience of my own. 
 
 Colonel Hawker, to whom may be yielded the first step 
 on the ladder of this branch of our sports, has treated wild- 
 fowl shooting, generally and particularly, at such a length 
 that there is nothing left for me or for any body to add. Any 
 thing that I could suggest would of necessity, from his per- 
 fect skill and long-tried experience, be but a repetition of 
 what he has already published. As I have not found the 
 pleasure that many of my acquaintance have, in the labour 
 and chilling miseries of paddling a punt in shore, in " night's 
 murky darkness," towards the ooze where the watchful flock 
 may be feeding, to blaze among them, trusting to the fickle 
 goddess for many or few, I am not capable of saying so 
 much from my own knowledge upon this subject, as one ex- 
 pressly professing to teach " the young idea how to shoot," 
 might be supposed capable of doing. It is not my province 
 tq carp at the taste of my fellow sportsmen, however different 
 it may be from my own ; and I mention the cause of my 
 inability to teach duck shooting, merely by way of justifying 
 myself in referring to the much superior skill and greater 
 experience of another. 
 
 Jn his excellent work on guns and shooting, Colonel Haw- 
 ker opcupies 3 very large space with the pursuit of wild-fowl. 
 Indeed, this seems to be the corner-stone in his superstruc- 
 ture. I shall, therefore, while on this subject, quote two or 
 three of his pages, as the want of the information they con- 
 tain might cause a void in my own. The Colonel, while on 
 t}ie subject of the stanchion, says, that " As guns to carry a 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 161 
 
 pound of shot at a time are now to be constantly seen on al- 
 most every part of the coast, as well as in most of the fen 
 countries, the very few men who formerly had them, are now 
 surrounded by rivals; and therefore, in order still to keep the 
 lead, some of them have had recourse to using guns that 
 carry from one pound and a-half to two pounds of shot. 
 The recoil, however, from these guns is so tremendous, that 
 most of the men who used them have met with some acci- 
 dent or other, and are therefore giving them up. The de- 
 sideratum then is to accomplish this, with no more recoil, or 
 risk of accidents, than there is with other guns ; and thus to 
 have an advantage over the host of ordinary gunners. 
 " The plan that I have adopted is as follows; 
 " A pair of barrels, put together so as to fire two circles, 
 each one partly eclipsed with the other ; the one ignited byjoer- 
 cussion, and the other by a flint ; by which means the trifling 
 difference of the two separate modes of ignition makes such an 
 immense difference in the recoil, as to reduce it to a mere no- 
 thing in comparison. The proper way to do this, is to put 
 the barrels together, so that the cylinders are parallel to each 
 other; by which of course they become far apart at the muz- 
 zles. The eclipsed part of the circles, when the two barrels 
 are fired together, puts into the paper at least a fourth more 
 shot than any one barrel could be made to do ; and the enor- 
 mous weight of metal not only gives additional strength to the 
 double discharge, but also to either barrel when you fire them 
 separately, which of course ymi have the option of doing ; 
 and therefore you are never obliged to discharge an extra 
 pound of shot in waste, as with the huge single guns before 
 alluded to. Moreover, the gun, an my plan, cuts two united 
 lanes through the birds, instead of wasting half the shot in the 
 water and in the air ; which is the case when the charge is 
 contained in one large circle. In shortj this plan, as it were, 
 
162 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 forms a kind of oval, to suit the shape of the object ; and 
 thus, at the moment that one part of the birds are being 
 killed by the detonator, the others are just conveniently open- 
 ing their wings for the flint barrel, though they have not time 
 to rise ; because I have here eased the recoil, and got the bar- 
 rels together so as to do the business point blank. 
 
 " The mode of easing the recoil is by means of a long loop, 
 worked on, between and under the barrels; and the swivel- 
 pin going through a slider, on which rests the whole weight of 
 the gun. The space within this loop, (about eight inches,) 
 with exception of an inch and five-eighths that is taken up by 
 the slider, is filled with a spiral spring, which has a play 
 of rather more than two inches ; and if it had four or five 
 inches of play, I should think it would be all the better.) 
 Consequently, before any jar can take place, to interrupt 
 the point blank delivery of the charge, the shot has left the 
 gun ; which is afterwards brought forward again, by the re- 
 action of the spring. The loop should be made of horse- 
 nail stubs, and forged on to the barrels. Mine is not so ; 
 therefore if this part fails, the fault lies with the late Mr. Ful- 
 lard, and not with me. Suppose this was to give way, 
 which would be almost impossible, if done as it should be, 
 then you have a ring in the stock, (all of which, except a 
 moveable butt is of ca?mon metal,) with a reserve rope that 
 takes up the recoil immediately. 
 
 " No plan that I had ever before seen was worthy of being 
 compared to this ; and in every possible way I have tried 
 both the gun and punt." 
 
 Ji Pigeon gun, or one used for the express purpose of trap 
 shooting, should have a large gauge ; as the larger the bore 
 and charge, the wider the circle of the shot. I never was, 
 and never shall be, a u trap shot;" for I see no sport in 
 slaughtering in so tame and spiritless a manner. However, 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 163 
 
 as some of my readers may require a gun of this description, I 
 shall not pass it over without a few words upon the choice 
 of it. As a matter of course, the wider the circle of shot, the 
 weaker the blow of the charge ; and as a pigeon, to fall with- 
 in bounds, is a bird well known to require to be hit hard, the 
 calibre must not be so large as to scatter the shot in too wide 
 a circle. As the means of avoiding the two extremes in this 
 branch of shooting, I think twelve gauge the best. 
 
 Particular attention should be paid to the stock of a pigeon 
 gun. It is scarcely possible to err in having the stock as 
 straight as can be managed with ; the majority of birds missed 
 from a trap being so in consequence of shooting under them; 
 and nothing is so likely to occasion this as a crooked stock. 
 
 As a man is very likely to be' nervous when exhibiting 
 before an assemblage, backing his skill and betting against 
 it, I advise him to be more than ordinarily particular in the 
 pull of his trigger. As his finger may not feel quite under 
 his control, when he may most require it, I think the trigger 
 had better be set a trifle heavier than those he may be in the 
 habit of pulling. At any rate, it should not be the gravity 
 of a hair lighter. 
 
 The grasp or " grip" in this gun, as, indeed, in all others, 
 except those heavy metal pieces used in duck shooting, should 
 be cut away as much as possible, consistently with the strength 
 absolutely necessary ; as this gives a pleasant hold. The 
 same rule applies with regard to the balance of the gun : but 
 as greater nicety is required in pigeon shooting than in the 
 field, it may be well to draw particular attention to this essen- 
 tial regulation : for, if the gun be in the smallest degree top- 
 heavy, it is certain to shoot under ; and a pigeon hit on the 
 rump seldom counts in the number killed. In proportion to 
 the weight of the gtfn, the maker must adapt the lead ; so 
 that on holding it across and flat on the hand in balancing it, 
 15 
 
164 THE 
 
 the shooter may find a sufficient equilibrium to cause the gun 
 to rest steadily there. 
 
 In my humble opinion it is not possible to have guns, of 
 every description, too plain. The work in every part, from 
 the muzzle of the barrels to the heel-plate, should be good, 
 sound, and highly finished ; but scroll-guards, silver mount- 
 ings, and such-like fanciful, foreign gingerbread, and useless 
 accompaniments, are unworthy of the English sportsman's 
 use. 
 
 The locks of all guns should, like the works of all watches 
 designed to keep time and be of service, be strong and well 
 finished ; and as the proof must be rather in the wear than in 
 the examination of them, I shall merely say, to avoid dis- 
 appointment, go to a respectable maker, whom you can trust 
 for turning out work creditably to himself and satisfactorily 
 to you. 
 
 A lock consists of a " Mainspring" by which the tumbler 
 is worked with the cock ; the " Scear" which catches the 
 tumbler for half or whole cock, and which, being pushed up 
 by the trigger, lets the striker down upon the nipple : the 
 " Tumbler " which is the centre-piece of the lock, moving 
 with the striker: " Tumbler-screw" the screw which fastens 
 on the cock : the " Scear- sp ring 7 " which presses the scear 
 and holds it in the notches of the tumbler for either half or 
 whole cock : " Chain or Swivel," which is a little catch sus- 
 pended from the neck of the tumbler to receive the end of 
 the mainspring: u Hammer -spring " on which the hammer 
 is moved ; and " Hammer -bridle " the part in which the tail 
 of the hammer works : (I need scarcely say, that I am alluding 
 to the lock of a flint gun as well as a detonator, inasmuch as 
 I have mentioned that for single stanchions of seventy or 
 eighty pounds, the flint is better adapted than the detonator:) 
 "Bridle" consisting of a polished piece of steel, which caps 
 
CHOICE OF A GUN. 165 
 
 the tumbler, and afterwards receives the scear-screw: " Jaws" 
 the lips of the cock which hold the flint : " Side-nail" the 
 screw that fastens on the lock. 
 
 The mechanical names for the remaining principal parts of 
 a gun are : u False-breeching" where the ends of the breech- 
 ings hook in, before the barrels can be laid in the slock ; 
 " Bolts" the pieces of steel which fasten the barrels into the 
 stock ; " Chamber " the principal tube in the breeching ; 
 " Ante-chamber," the smaller tube leading from the breeching 
 to the touch-hole ; " Break-off," the part where the breech- 
 ing hooks into the false breech; " Lock-plate" is the plate 
 to which the lock is attached ; " Loops" are the eyes to the 
 barrel which receive the bolts that fasten in the stock ; 
 " Guard" the bow which protects the triggers ; " Nipple" 
 that which holds the percussion cap, and on which it is ex- 
 ploded by the cock ; " Heel-plate" the plate with which the 
 butt is tipped ; " Cup," the concave at the top of improved 
 breeching; " Rib," the strip on which the ramrod slides; 
 " Pipes " loops in the barrel to receive the ramrod ; " Sight," 
 the dot of gold or silver on the nose of the barrel ; " Top- 
 piece" groove or elevation, along which is directed the aim ; 
 " Fence" part between cock and pan on which the solid 
 cock is received ; " Trigger-plate," the plate in which the 
 triggers work ; " Trigger-springs," the springs which keep 
 the triggers always against the scear; " Worm," the screw 
 at the end of the ramrod ; " Cap," the covering for the 
 worm. 
 
 These are the proper titles for the principal parts of a gun. 
 To a sportsman they should all be familiar. 
 
166 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY, 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 LOADING A GUN.- POWDER AND SHOT. ^-CARTRIDGES. 
 
 WADDING, &C. 
 
 ONE of the best shots that I ever saw in the field used 
 equal measures of powder and shot, shooting with an ounce 
 and a quarter of the latter. I invariably charge with this 
 weight of lead, but use a somewhat less measure of powder. 
 
 I am now speaking of the common detonating fowling- 
 piece. Before putting in the powder, the cocks should be 
 put down upon the nipples; otherwise the powder will, in 
 ramming it, be forced out of them. The gun should not be 
 held too perpendicularly, but at an angle of about 45: and 
 in forcing down the wadding, it should not be done with a 
 jerk, or unnecessary violence, as the ram-rod is likely to be 
 splintered by such a proceeding. The caps should be put 
 on last. This ensures safety, when your hand must of ne- 
 cessity be immediately over the charge ; but your head never 
 need, and never should be. 
 
 I have known some who, if years and constant practice 
 were sufficiently instructive, ought to have known better, 
 squib a little powder out of their barrels, and snap off a 
 couple of caps, previously to charging the gun for use. No 
 absolute injury can be ascribed to the blazing off a little 
 powder, unless it may tend to make your young dogs wild 
 at the commencement, and startle perhaps your unsuspecting 
 
POWDER A\O SHOT. 107 
 
 neighbours : but wasting your caps, without any powder, 
 drives the detonating gas into the barrels, which creates 
 rust ; for, when the gun is loaded, the flash of the detonating 
 powder never enters the barrel at all. Snapping the cocks 
 upon the nipples, without caps, will, most likely, give your 
 gunmaker a job, by breaking the striker or the nipple. 
 
 In putting your gun aside loaded, you should take the 
 caps off; not only on account of the danger in leaving them 
 on, which is a sufficient reason in itself, if the gun be left in 
 a situation where it is possible to be trifled with, but the 
 springs must be either left straining at half cock, or the 
 cocks let down; and then there is a very great likelihood of 
 the powder in the nipples becoming jammed into a paste. 
 The place where a gun is kept, should be entirely free from 
 damp: but more especially so when the gun is loaded; and 
 then, with fresh caps, there is no danger of a miss-fire. 
 
 Except for large punt guns, the powder should be very 
 finegrained; and it cannot be too dry. It should be new, 
 too; for with age it loses strength; and unless it be power- 
 ful, it will not be effective in a long shot. 
 
 11 When but an idle boy," I lost a capital day's shooting 
 entirely through using old powder; and my grievous loss made 
 a lasting effect on my memory. 
 
 When the proper stuff, gunpowder is concocted of pure 
 ingredients, properly proportioned, and well mingled ; and 
 when possessing these qualities, and kept dry, the fault, in 
 the greatest number of instances, if fault there be, u lies be- 
 hind the trigger." To heat a couple of plates, and, first of 
 all taking care that no small cinder is attached to them which 
 might explode the whole, to shake the powder from one to 
 the other, is both a good and safe method of drying it. I 
 have heard of baking it in ovens, and such like "skying " 
 modes: but gunpowder is not a slow-burning material, and 
 
 15* 
 
168 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 mus not be treated as such if accidents are to be avoided. 
 To preserve the strength of powder, after being dried, it 
 should be well corked from the air, in canisters. 
 
 There may be powder as good ; but I am quite certain that 
 there is none better, for sporting purposes, than that made by 
 Messrs. Curtis and Harvey, at Hounslow. I have shot with 
 it for a long time, and I believe nothing can be an improve- 
 ment upon it. 
 
 Doubtful as the assertion may seem, the size of grain of 
 the powder should be proportioned to the size of the gun, and 
 the range for which it is required, as the wadding must be to 
 the calibre. Small or fine grained powder shoots weak be- 
 yond a distance of fifty or sixty yards, and signally fails in 
 large guns ; especially on salt water, or in damp weather. 
 If a punt gun be charged with fine powder, and left for one 
 night, the probability is that it would hang fire in the morn- 
 ing. Coarse cannon powder is the best for duck guns: but, 
 in using it, care must be taken to regulate your charge by 
 weight; as the grains are so large that a common flask top 
 would contain as much vacuum as powder, and therefore you 
 might have not more than half the quantity required. 
 
 For an unusually long range, and a large heavy gun, there 
 is no powder so good as the coarse, unglazed, cannon 
 powder : but for a light, common fowling-piece, it should be 
 fine ; and if unglazed, so much the better : for it is never so 
 strong or so quick, when this unnecessary process has been 
 gone through ; and I believe it not in the smallest degree 
 more impervious to damp. 
 
 When a gun recoils violently, it is in consequence of the 
 weight of shot being more than the calibre and metal of the 
 gun wjll allow. The powder has nothing whatever to do with 
 it. If, therefore, you find your piece recoil forcibly, when 
 clean and in order, (and most guns wiU give your shoulder 
 
POWDER AND SHOT. 169 
 
 intelligence of neglect,) you should reduce your weight of 
 lead. There is nothing more likely to render a man nervous, 
 and put him out of confidence, than the dread of a severe 
 blow, upon the pulling of his trigger. This anticipation is 
 far from being agreeable ; and it is next to impossible to shoot 
 with comfort, if you expect your nose to be knocked into 
 your eye, a finger or two lacerated to the bone with the trig- 
 ger, and your shoulder bruised from a deep black to the 
 diversity of colours in the rainbow. 
 
 It is by no means unusual to see a man choose the size of 
 the shot in correspondence with the size of the game or bird 
 that he is going to shoot at ; when it ought to depend rather 
 on the gauge of the gun ; for it is not the particular size of 
 the pellet, but the velocity with which it is driven, that does 
 the business. 
 
 There can be no objection to the use of large shot in cer- 
 tain kinds of shooting; and a hare, a rabbit, or a duck, will 
 take a severer blow than a partridge ; but for every kind of 
 shooting, when you mny wish to be prepared for a pheasant 
 down to a John Snipe, No. 6 will fill your bag, and give you 
 more success than any changeable plan you may adopt. 
 
 To give an instance of what varying the size of your shot 
 may do, I shall relate a laughable occurrence that befel a 
 young friend of mine, not forty-eight hours previously to my 
 recording it in this page. There were a few ducks reported 
 to have dropped within a short distance from his home. 
 Charging his best double barrel with No. 4 he sallied forth, 
 bent upon their destruction. In crossing a moor towards the 
 narrow stream in which report stated the ducks were to be 
 found, a couple of snipes flapped from the rush. Bang, bang! 
 roared his piece ; but the fleet-pinioned birds threw back a 
 triumphant "scape" and winged away, long after every pel- 
 
170 
 
 let of No. 4 had spent its force in the air. Assigning the 
 magnitude of the pellets as the cause of his missing, and in 
 the belief that he should find more of the puzzling and quick- 
 winged snipes, he loaded with dust shot. Scarcely, how- 
 ever, had he put caps upon his nipples, when a fine mallard 
 rose within easy range. At the broadside poured into him, 
 he merely increased the speed of his departure. Now, sup- 
 posing there to be no fault behind the trigger, No. 6 would 
 have brought down all three of these birds ; whereas by 
 charging with shot for a particular purpose, which the Fates 
 decreed to be frustrated, the whole of them escaped. 
 
 If large shot be used with a small gun, it will fly wide and 
 scatter irregularly. The calibre being ill adapted for the shot, 
 the charge cannot leave the barrel in a body; and a small ob- 
 ject may easily escape, or be so slightly wounded from a 
 single pellet, that the bag is none the heavier; for, as I have 
 before said, the execution does not depend upon the size of the 
 shot, but on the velocity with which it is thrown. 
 
 The advantages of using small shot are many. In the 
 first place, the circle of the charge must be thicker ; for the 
 pellets become increased in number as the scale of their size 
 is decreased. To one ounce of No. 4, for instance, there are 
 one hundred and seventy-seven pellets; while, to a similar 
 weight of No. 6, the regulation standard, there are two hun- 
 dred and eighty. It must be perfectly obvious, too, that 
 the chances of at least hitting your game are greater, from 
 the density of the circle, than if it were full of voids and 
 blanks. The shot, also, lies more close and compact; and 
 will, in ninety-nine instances out of every hundred, hit an 
 object in the same manner at the same range; whereas, if 
 disproportioned to the calibre of the gun, it will not do so 
 twice in the same given number of times. 
 
 While on the subject of shot, I may mention that it is 
 
POWDER AXD SHOT. 171 
 
 quite possible to use too small. Dust shot, for example, is 
 too small, except for butter-flies; No. 9 being sufficiently 
 small for any thing besides. 
 
 Large shot, from guns of a large gauge, will kill game 
 cleanly at distances that it would be absurd to attempt with 
 the same shot from small and contracted calibres. At the 
 latter end of the season, therefore, when by an accident only 
 you can expect to get near your birds, it is a good rule to 
 use a large and long single gun, and load with No. 3 or 
 No. 4. I do not mean to deny that large shot from a small 
 gun may not occasionally bring down your game, at a range 
 which shot of a less size would have failed in reaching with 
 effect: but it will be far from conducive to filling the bag; 
 and many fair and easy shots will be missed, in the unequal 
 and scattered circle that such a mode of charging must of 
 necessity make. 
 
 I have said, that I generally shoot with an ounce and a 
 quarter of shot, but that my measure of powder is somewhat 
 less. I also stated, that a capital sportsman of my acquaint- 
 ance used equal measures of powder and shot. I do not, 
 however, mean to allege that either of these modes is a pre- 
 cedent from which there should be no deviation. On the 
 contrary, the quantity of powder and shot for shooting in 
 the field, should depend on the way in which a gun throws 
 the charge, as well as the weight of metal. For instance, 
 if a gun be a close shooting gun, it will bear less shot and 
 more powder than a piece with a tendency to scatter the 
 charge. I have a gun by Egg, that drives the shot for forty- 
 five yards little less closely than an ounce and quarter bullet 
 would flv. With this piece, in order to distend the circle, 
 I use a bumper of powder from the top of my flask ; and 
 thus the measure is rather, but very little, more than that of 
 my lead. If I were in the habit, as many are, of loading 
 
172 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 with an ounce and a half of shot, I should reduce it, instead 
 of increasing the quantity of my powder. But as I think the 
 ounce and quarter as little as ought to be used in any gun, 
 I am obliged to add to my powder instead of reducing my 
 shot. 
 
 In order to know to a certainty how a gun carries, ex- 
 periments should be made at varying distances, at sheets of 
 paper. You can then regulate your charge in accordance 
 with the proved necessity of so doing ; and you will discover 
 that, although guns may be equal in gauge, length of barrel, 
 and weight of metal, it does not follow that they will shoot 
 alike. I believe, as I have said before, that Lancaster can 
 make any given number to shoot alike. I am not, however, 
 speaking of any particular maker, or kind of guns; but of 
 the generality of them. 
 
 By far the greater number of even accomplished and ex- 
 perienced sportsmen do not pay sufficient attention to the 
 loading of their guns. If they would only reflect, that how- 
 ever good and direct the aim, in many instances the game, 
 to their astonishment, escapes, they would be induced to 
 remove the true cause of their discomfiture, by regulating 
 the charge to the capacity of their guns. The rule should 
 be, not to take for granted what a gun ought to have from 
 its calibre, length, and weight ; but it should be tested, and 
 then the proper charge never deviated from. 
 
 Unglazed shot is to be recommended as well as unglazed 
 powder, although on a different account. A gun will not 
 become foul nearly so soon when the shot is unglazed. And 
 as this process is quite useless, except to give a brighter and 
 cleaner appearance to the pellets, the sooner it is discounte- 
 nanced the better. 
 
 The following is a list of the number of pellets to AN 
 
 OUNCE of 
 
POWDER AND SHOT. 
 
 173 
 
 PATENT DROP SHOT. 
 
 AA 
 A 
 
 B B 
 B 
 
 1 
 2 
 
 40 
 50 
 58 
 75 
 82 
 112 
 
 135 10 
 
 177 
 218 
 280 
 341 
 600 
 984 
 1726 
 
 MOULD SHOT. 
 
 L G 
 M G 
 
 S G 
 
 9 
 11 
 
 SSG 15 
 
 S S S G . 17 
 
 In shooting wild-fowl with the common duck gun, the 
 best shot to use is K', for generally they are so wary that it 
 is quite impossible to get a fair cut at them ; and as they will 
 fly a long distance even when stricken mortally, there is no- 
 thing like this stinging pellet to bring them down. For the 
 stanchion of seventy or eighty pound barrel, that will throw a 
 pound of shot and burn two ounces of powder, No. 1. is the 
 most effective size, and will rake the flock in a sweeping 
 circle. 
 
 After many experiments and repeated failures, Eley's car- 
 tridge has become a truly useful invention for the sportsman. 
 At one time there was so much uncertainty with regard to 
 the way in which it would reach the object, that it became 
 quite out of use ; as there was just as great a likelihood and 
 rather more, of its " balling" to the end, as of its dispersing 
 the shot. This difficulty, however, which threatened destruc- 
 tion to the speculation, has been surmounted ; and now these 
 cartridges, for game late in the season, and for wild-fowl 
 shooting in the day-time, or, indeed, for all long shots, are 
 
174 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 exceedingly valuable. I do not recommend the use of the 
 cartridge for general shooting. It carries much too closely 
 for a bird within a short range : and the chances are, that it 
 will either knock the game to pieces, or miss the object alto- 
 gether, at any distance under forty yards. 
 
 The " Blue " cartridge is the best for ordinary purposes, 
 and the " Red " for extraordinary. If it be too large for the 
 gun, roll it hard ; and if a shade too small, ram a wadding 
 over it. Wadding on the powder will drive the cartridge 
 with much greater force, and is by far the best plan to 
 adopt. 
 
 There are several kinds of Wadding dubbed with the title 
 of " patent," and many of them very good. Westley Ri- 
 chards, Purdey, Lancaster, and others, have sent forth their 
 respective " wrinkles ;" and all have found their patrons. 
 The wadding from the makers I have named is anointed with 
 a mercurial preparation, which keeps the gun much cleaner, 
 and more free from lead, than wadding cut with the common 
 punch out of pasteboard. Metallic wadding is becoming ob- 
 solete, and very properly ; for to many barrels they have 
 proved extremely injurious ; and they never keep the powder 
 air-tight nor the gun so clean as an elastic substance. 
 
 Greater force is required, in ramming down the shot, than 
 the powder, with the same stiff' and tight wadding. This is 
 easily accounted for by the air finding vent from the nipples, 
 notwithstanding the cocks being down upon them ; which it 
 cannot do, when the powder is rammed in. It is quite Ne- 
 cessary that the powder should have a tight and flat wadding 
 over it: but there is no reason that the shot should have 
 great resistance to its escape. Indeed, so long as it lies firm 
 and compactly, and there is no vacuum between it and the 
 powder the object of the wadding is attained. A hole in the 
 centre of the wadding intended for the shot, or indentures 
 
CARTRIDGES. 175 
 
 round the edge, will permit the air to escape, obviate the 
 risk of breaking your ramrod, and facilitate the operation of 
 loading, 
 
 I do not advise using different wadding for the powder and 
 shot ; as keeping them separate would give trouble, and the 
 respective waddings might by mistake be placed in wrong 
 positions. I merely suggest how the resistance may be over- 
 come. I have known different colours for the wadding recom- 
 mended. This certainly would prevent mistakes : but dif- 
 ferent pockets would be required to contain them ; and I think 
 a little patience and gentle force will suit better than two kinds 
 of wadding. However, if a tyro cannot refrain from splinter- 
 ing his ramrod extravagantly often, he had much better try 
 the pierced or indented wadding for his shot. 
 
 If you cut your own wadding, it should be done from paste- 
 board for a fourteen gauge ; and the larger the calibre, the 
 thicker the board should be. For a sixteen bore, I think com- 
 mon card the best ; although, as it is very thin, it should fit 
 the barrel tightly ; more especially in a double gun, as the 
 charge in one barrel has to encounter the effect of the explo- 
 sion of the other. 
 
 It is a safe method to ram the charge in one barrel afresh, 
 after reloading the other barrel which you have let off'. By 
 this you will avoid the very great danger of having a vacuum 
 between the powder and shot, caused by the explosion of the 
 discharged barrel ; and also the annoyance of losing the whole 
 or part of the shot, from the displacement of the wadding 
 
 covering it. 
 
 You should be particular in having the punch suited to the 
 calibre of your barrels. If either too large or too small, it will 
 give you much unnecessary trouble. ..If too small, you can 
 rectify the punch, by grinding it down a little : for all punches 
 taper to the edge, and can easily be made to cut larger. 
 16 
 
176 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 CLEANING A GUN ; THE BARRELS AND LOCKS. SHOT-POUCH ; 
 
 SHOT-BELT; POWDER FLASK; NIPPLE PROBE, &c. 
 
 NOTHING tends so much to preserve a gun as keeping the 
 barrels, locks, and every part of it, clean, and entirely free 
 from rust. In using your gun, too, there is a great comfort 
 when it is in perfect order ; which cannot be enjoyed if the 
 barrels are leaded, the lock-springs harsh and squeaking, and 
 the outside sprinkled with rust. 
 
 The cleaning, in the very best possible manner, is a very 
 simple operation ; so simple that to many it must appear need- 
 less to occupy with it the smallest space in this volume. But 
 some may find a reference to the proper method not altoge- 
 ther unprofitable ; and I therefore shall not pass it over as a 
 subject worthless of note. 
 
 The barrels should, in the first instance, be washed with 
 cold water; as the foulness occasioned by the powder is 
 more readily removed by cold than by hot water. If hot 
 water be used when the gun is extremely dirty, the heat is 
 likely to make the dirt adhere to the barrel. After the cold 
 water has been applied, hot should be used in a similar man- 
 ner ; and either tow o*. rag will do equally well for the pur- 
 pose. I have known tow objected to, on account of the 
 danger that may occur in leaving any of it in the chamber : 
 
CLEANING A GUN. 177 
 
 but, like many other u may-he's," I never thought this one 
 worthy of a thought. 
 
 If it should be considered too much trouble to apply both 
 cold and hot water, then hot is to be preferred ; for, although 
 it may not more effectually clean the barrels, yet for efficiently 
 drying them, which is of the greatest importance, it will be 
 found decidedly preferable to cold water. 
 
 As washing only will not remove the lead, after having 
 used the cleaning rod well with the cloth, or tow, or the 
 spunge, which is always to be found in every well appointed 
 gun-case, place the wire brush on, in lieu of the softer ma- 
 terial, and, in clean hot water, draw the rod up and down 
 vigorously. This, in a very few seconds, will remove every 
 particle of the cloying lead. There is no fear of the brush 
 injuring the barrels. Brass, of which it is, or ought to be, 
 composed, is softer than iron ; and, therefore, there is no 
 possibility of injury from the friction. 
 
 When the barrels are clean and wiped dry, an oiled rag 
 should be passed down them. But there should be nothing 
 like a large quantity of oil left in the interior, as it will create 
 foulness, and, probably, be forced into the nipples, upon 
 loading, and occasion a miss-fire. 
 
 On the outside of the barrels, oil should be rubbed ; and 
 a little on the lock-plates, cocks, guard, heel-plate, and even 
 over the stock, will do good, and make the piece look fresh 
 and " in condition." 
 
 Some guns absolutely require cleaning oftener than others ; 
 and those of the smallest gauge will be found to lead and 
 become foul much sooner than those of a large calibre. To 
 say, therefore, how often a gun should be cleaned, is impos- 
 sible ; but, as a rule from which there should be no deviation 
 whatever, the gun should never be allowed to become very 
 foul. It has been said, and I am aware of no objection to 
 
178 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIP.RARV. 
 
 the allegation, that not more than twenty rounds should be 
 fired from any barrel without the process of cleaning ; and I 
 think even if half the number have been blazed out of it, 
 there will be no harm in driving a pint or two of water 
 through it, previously to its being again used. 
 
 If a gun has been put aside after two or three shots have 
 been fired from it, there is no necessity for washing out the 
 barrels ; but they may be wiped out with dry tow or cloth. 
 At the same time it should be remembered, that if there be 
 any thing like an accumulation of dirt, it will be forced into 
 the breechings by this dry process ; and, therefore, it will 
 only do when the gun has not been used sufficiently often to 
 render it leaded or foul. 
 
 When tow is used it must be applied sparingly, and not in 
 a large thick knot. Should a wedge of dry tow, from care- 
 lessness, stick fast in the barrel, do not begin to haul and tug 
 to no effect : but pour a little oil into the barrel, or some hot 
 water ; and either will speedily free the rod. 
 
 A lock never requires to be taken to pieces, except when, 
 from wear or accident, it has become damaged. For the 
 purposes of cleaning, the works can be got at without dis- 
 secting them ; and to wipe well every part with dry cloths 
 and a little brush, and apply good sweet oil to the tumbler 
 and scear, with a general touch over the springs, is all that 
 is requisite. 
 
 A sportsman, however, more particularly if he be going 
 where it is impossible to obtain the assistance of a gunsmith, 
 should not only be supplied with extra springs to his locks, 
 and extra nipples, and tools whereby he can make the neces- 
 sary repairs; but he should be capable of doing the job him- 
 self: and then he need neither dread an accident occurring, 
 nor be dependent on others for remedying it. 
 
 I need not enter into the way in which a nipple is to be 
 
CLEANING A GUN. 179 
 
 replaced. The common nipple-wrench, which is in every 
 gun-case, is of itself sufficiently explanatory. But the re- 
 placement of springs is a very different affair, and requires a 
 little skill and management. I shall, therefore, enter into 
 the details with some degree of particularity. 
 
 To take of a mainspring. 
 
 1. Put the scear to full-cock. 
 
 2. Cramp the mainspring. 
 
 (I have remarked, that a sportsman should be supplied 
 with tools necessary for the repairs of his locks; and a 
 spring- cramp is an indispensable, although not a usual, ac- 
 companiment to the case.) 
 
 3. Let down the cock, and the mainspring will drop off. 
 
 To put the mainspring on again. 
 
 1. Heck the end of the mainspring on the swivel. 
 
 2. Move it up, and into its position on the lock-plate. 
 
 3. Unscrew the cramp, and the mainspring will be re- 
 placed for action, 
 
 To take to pieces the small works of a lock. 
 
 1. (Having taken off the mainspring,) unscrew and take 
 oifthe scear. This must be done by half-cocking, and then 
 pressing the fore-part of the lock against your breast, by 
 putting the ball of the thumb against the back part of the 
 cock; and, with this, pushing the cock forward, while you 
 squeeze together the scear and scear-spring, with the fore- 
 finger and thumb, for the facility of taking out the scear- 
 
 screw. 
 
 16* 
 
180 
 
 2. Undo the two screws, and take off the bridle. 
 
 3. Unscrew and take out the scear-spring. 
 
 4. Unscrew and take off the cock ; which will come from 
 the tumbler, by being gently tapped inwards with the handle 
 of your turnscrew. 
 
 5. Take out the tumbler. 
 
 To put them together. 
 
 1. Put in the tumbler and screw on the cock. 
 
 2. Screw on the scear-spring. 
 
 3. Set on the bridle with the two upper screws. 
 
 4. Put in the scear; to clear a passage for the screw of 
 which, you must observe the same pressure of the fore-finger 
 and thumb on the scear and scear-spring, and the pushing 
 of the cock forward, as before directed for taking off the 
 scear. 
 
 The reason for this pressure being required to put in the 
 scear, is, to get the hole in the scear opposite the hole in the 
 bridle, so as to admit the scear-screw to pass freely. That 
 which most frequently puzzles people, is, that they neglect 
 to keep pressing the cock forward ; and by that means the 
 scear is constantly slipping out of the tumbler, and they are 
 plagued to get the holes in a line ; to which they would im- 
 mediately be brought by the pressing forwards of the cock, 
 and the pressing inwards of the scear. 
 
 Having done this, let down the cock, to put on the main- 
 spring, as before directed ; and your lock will have every 
 thing in its place. 
 
 It is to be observed, that except the pressure required to 
 put in the scear, which is the only part in the remotest de- 
 gree difficult, there should be no force whatever used with 
 the works of a lock. 
 
CLEANING A GUN. 181 
 
 In order to be complete in the instructions of the treatment 
 of the lock, both in taken it to pieces and putting it together 
 again, I shall refer to the flint as well as to the detonating 
 lock. 
 
 To take off the hammer. 
 
 1. Shut down the hammer. 
 
 2. Keep gradually cramping the spring, till by shaking the 
 lock in your hand you can just hear the hammer rattle from 
 being loose. 
 
 3. Take out the screw from behind, and the hammer will 
 fall out. 
 
 To put the hammer on. 
 
 1. Put the hammer in its place again. 
 
 2. Turn in the screw. 
 
 3. Set the spring at liberty. 
 
 To take the hammer-spring out, you must first take away 
 tue hammer ; ajid also the mainspring, to get at the screw 
 behind. The hammer-spring must be then confined till 
 taken out, and put on. again to receive the hammer. 
 
 I think now that all has been entered fully into, concern- 
 ing the cleaning of the gun, from the heel-plate to the nose; 
 and, as a finis to my remarks on this head, I shall merely 
 say that no sportsman can be too particular in keeping his 
 guns, or having them kept, as free from foulness as possible. 
 Many shocking accidents have occurred, entirely through 
 neglecting the state and condition of a gun. Rust eats into 
 and destroys the iron ; lead offers a resistance to the explo- 
 sion ; and dirt, added to the foregoing injury, causes miss- 
 fire, recoil, and not unfrequently the blowing back of the 
 
182 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 cock and forcing the nipple out, greatly to the danger of the 
 eyes and face. 
 
 In writing upon so many subjects comprised in this work, 
 I must be excused if I " hark back" occasionally. When 
 speaking of nipples, I recommend those with a large vent 
 rather than a small and contracted one, as the latter were 
 very likely to become choked : but I do not mean, by this, 
 the retention of nipples that have worn large. On the con. 
 trary, there is much danger in using them, when this is the 
 case; and the sooner they are discarded, the sooner a very 
 great likelihood of blowing them from the breech will be 
 obviated. At the same time, I recommend a wide nipple, 
 and a strong mainspring for the cock, in preference to the 
 reverse. 
 
 The common shot-belt has, in a great measure, been 
 superseded by the pouch. There can be no doubt that the 
 latter invention greatly facilitates the loading of your gun : 
 although it never should be used, if holding three pounds of 
 shot, without a belt to sling it across the shoulders ; as it is 
 too heavy to knock about in a pocket of your shooting jacket. 
 Should you use a small pouch, holding not more than one 
 pound, or one pound and a half, the belt may be advan- 
 tageously dispensed with ; as it rather impedes the use of the 
 pouch. 
 
 If you prefer the old fashioned belt, I think round the loins, 
 just above the. hips, a better place for it than across the left 
 shoulder. The top, or, I shall call it, "charger," should be 
 placed on the left side; and it ought to fit the muzzle of your 
 gun to a nicety. 
 
 Several patents have been obtained, with, I fear, any thing 
 but remunerating returns, for powder flasks of saperlatively 
 safe qualities. Among those who have floated on the stream 
 
NIPPLE PROBE. 183 
 
 of patronage, are the flasks constructed by the late Mr. Egg 
 and Mr. Sykes. Those of the latter are in much more gene- 
 ral use than the former; and, perhaps, are indebted for their 
 popularity to the moderate price charged for them. Nothing 
 can be more simple than the arrangement of this flask. And 
 as the great desideratum of detaching the powder in the top of 
 the flask from the body is effected by it safely, conveniently, 
 and securely, I cannot do better than recommend it for ser- 
 vice. 
 
 Upon pushing back the spring, to charge the top, it should 
 be allowed to fall back again with a somewhat gentle action ; 
 and not with a sudden snap, for I have known the spring to 
 fly from the jar; and you can obtain a more certain quantity 
 at the first attempt, and thus save unnecessary trouble and 
 loss of time in loading. 
 
 Although all communication between the charger and the 
 body of the flask is cut off, yet such extraordinary accidents 
 occur, for which there is scarcely any possibility of account- 
 ing, that no preventive should be lost sight of. I shall there- 
 fore suggest the policy of never holding the flask in your 
 hand, when firing off your gun. This may take place, when, 
 after having fired off one barrel,fresh game should be sprung 
 while in the act of reloading it. In this case, either pocket 
 your flask, or throw it on the ground previously to taking 
 your level : and no danger can arise from the chance of its 
 explosion. 
 
 There are many trifling things which, from their very insig- 
 nificance, are lost sight of until their assistance is required, and 
 then their value and utility are understood ; more especially 
 if they cannot be obtained when wanted. A nipple probe 
 may be classed among these things of little note ; and yet 
 how frequently is its service of the most essential kind ! A 
 common pin will, and does often, perform the office of a more 
 
184 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 legitimate instrument : but gentlemen are not in the habit of 
 carrying pin-cushions ; and one or two pins stuck in the col- 
 lar or the cuff' of the jacket, are easily lost. It is therefore 
 better to have a piece of copper wire, filed to a point, and 
 kept constantly in the waistcoat pocket which is not used for 
 the caps ; for a shallow pocket in your waistcoat lined with 
 leather, beats all the cap-chargers that ever were invented, or 
 ever will be. 
 
ox SHOOTING. 185 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ON SHOOTING. 
 
 HAVING entered into every essential particular concerning 
 the choice and treatment of the gun, I shall now proceed to 
 give a few suggestions relative to its use. 
 
 Ignorance of the proper method of loading, carrying, and 
 holding a gun, and the culpable negligence when the know- 
 ledge is not wanting, have been, and are, the great causes of 
 the lamentable accidents recorded in the annals of sporting. 
 Misfortunes will occasionally occur without the remotest 
 blame being attached to any body : but rare indeed will they 
 be, if proper and sportsmanlike precautions are taken to pre- 
 vent them. 
 
 The first lesson to be impressed upon the mind of the no- 
 vice is, that nothing can be more provocative of ridicule, 
 than a cockney, blundering manner of managing his gun. 
 Carelessness is never displayed by a genuine sportsman ; and 
 there is more danger in accompanying a stupid, reckless fel- 
 low, once in the field, (and more particularly in covert,) than, 
 in joining a thorough sportsman ten thousand times. In 
 truth, with the latter there is no risk whatever ; while, with 
 the former, you are not for one moment in safety. 
 
 I shall pursue my step by step principle, and begin my 
 suggestions with the loading of the gun. It is needless to 
 repeat, that the gun is not to be held too perpendicularly ; 
 
186 
 
 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 that the ramrod is to be pressed, and not jerked down ; that 
 the caps are to be put on last ; and that, after having fired 
 off one barrel, you should be sure to place the other on half- 
 cock previously to reloading. Your hand and wrist, although 
 they must be over the charge, need never be so with the gun 
 on full-cock ; and there is scarcely any possibility of danger 
 to your hand when the gun is not so. I have said half-cock, 
 in preference to letting the striker down upon the nipple ; be- 
 cause a gun slipped from my hand, upon one occasion, with 
 the cock upon the cap, and it exploded, from a large flint 
 catching. It is possible that the cap might have met with 
 the same result, from the direct blow of the stone ; but it is 
 by no means so probable. 
 
 In carrying your gun, never let it be in such a position that 
 any injury can accrue to any body or any thing, by an acci- 
 dental explosion. No matter in what state your cocks be in, 
 either down, half-cock, or full ; let your barrels be either so 
 elevated, depressed, or turned aside, that no accident can 
 arise, if the charges in both were to explode accidentally. 
 Carrying your gun with the muzzle down, is objectionable, 
 from the likelihood of the shot working the wadding loose, 
 and thus cause you to lose it unconsciously. The great ob- 
 ject, however, is so to carry it that no danger can arise, and 
 that the gun may feel easy and ready for service. Over the 
 left arm, with the right hand upon the " grip," is as good a 
 method as any : but there is no fixed rule for this. 
 
 In going through a fence, jumping over a wide ditch, 
 climbing over rails and gates, &c. the gun is invariably to be. 
 taken off the full-cock. Whether you are shooting by your- 
 self only, or in company, this rule should never, upon any 
 account, be deviated from. It may happen that the barrier 
 about to be crossed is so easy that there seems to be no ap- 
 parent necessity for this precaution. At the same time, it 
 
ON SHOOTING. 187 
 
 should be remembered, that a foot may slip, the hand may 
 suddenly lose its hold, and many other such unexpected ac- 
 cidents may take place ; causing danger in that which other- 
 wise would be secure and safe. As a preventive, therefore, 
 let it be a rule, and habit will quickly render it an unexcep- 
 tionable one, always to let down the striker to half-cock, 
 when a fence of any Idnd is to be crossed ; and be mindful, in 
 taking it off' the full-cock, to hold the gun upright, or at such 
 an angle that, should the cock slip from the ball of the thumb, 
 and an explosion take place, the charge may effect no harm. 
 I have known a bramble catch the cock, while getting 
 through a hedge, and from the half to pull it on to the full 
 cock. Care should therefore be taken to keep the gun in 
 such a position, notwithstanding the precaution taken, of 
 placing the cock as safely as possible, that, in the event of a 
 second twig or bramble answering the purpose of your finger 
 upon the trigger, no injury can be occasioned to yourself, 
 your friends, your servant, or your dogs. 
 
 I never, thank Heaven ! witnessed any appalling accident 
 in the field ; but while shooting in Pembrokeshire, some few 
 years since, I heard the report of a gun, when an aged father 
 was killed by the unhappy carelessness of his son, in cross- 
 ing a small hedge. 
 
 I shall not advert to any more such horrors as a warning to 
 the beginner ; for there must be many of them in his memory, if 
 he ever glances at the heading of paragraphs in the newspa- 
 pers, couched in this form, " Fatal accident"" if Coroners in- 
 quest,*' &c. But as carelessness betokens a degree of ignorance 
 scarcely excusable in the most genuine cockney, who seeks 
 the destruction of 'ares on Jlmpstead' Eatfi, I beg of the 
 young sportsman to observe the proper rules, or at once re- 
 linquish all claim to the title, and cease to make himself an 
 object of ridicule to his acquaintances, and one of terror to 
 17 
 
188 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 those who may have the misfortune to be in his society in the 
 field. 
 
 Some men are of so nervous and excitable a temperament, 
 that very great practice is necessary to render them suffi- 
 ciently self-possessed to become " good shots." One who is 
 naturally cool and collected concerning general matters, will 
 become a first-rate shot, long before another of an opposite 
 nature can learn to get a level as a preliminary to pulling the 
 trigger. Ardent and excitable men are too quick in their ru- 
 diments of shooting, as they are, for the most pad, with other 
 mat'ers. The difficulties are enhanced by the fiery material 
 of which such men are constructed. My opinion, however, 
 is, that all men, who are not defective in vision, may be 
 taught to shoot well ; although it may take a longer period 
 with some, and more practice, than with others. 
 
 I shall not carry my suggestions on the delightful accom- 
 plishment of shooting quite so far back as the burning pow- 
 der at a mark, getting used to the smart stroke of the cock 
 upon the cap with unflinching eyes, and such-like very early 
 and infantine lessons. Previously to an attempt being made 
 to bring birds down while on the wing, the tyro will naturally 
 try a few easier marks, and burn some ounces of powder, if 
 he pleases, at bits of paper, card, and small birds perched on 
 twigs with misplaced confidence. 
 
 I will suppose it to be the first 1st of September with my 
 aspiring sportsman; that he knows how to load, carry, and 
 hold his gun ; and that he is also aware of the necessity of 
 getting a level previously to pulling his trigger. 
 
 The probability is that, in practising at marks and too con- 
 fiding little tits, the novice has confined one eye, and distorted 
 his visage into many unbecoming grimaces, while in the act 
 of squaring at the steady object. This is totally unnecessary. 
 An aim as correct may be obtained with both the eyes open, 
 
ON SHOOTING. 189 
 
 and, indeed, better , than if one be closed. At first this may 
 not seem true : but I have only to refer to the playing at bil- 
 liards, where frequently a much nicer aim is requisite for the 
 success of a stroke than for hitting a bird on the wing ; and 
 an eye is never closed when the most beautiful stroke is to 
 be made. The position of the cue and the gun are different, 
 when the respective results are about to "come of:" but still 
 it is the eye that commands the movement of the hand ; and 
 therefore it is quite clear that there is no need for a more 
 accurate direction of the sight in one instance than in the 
 other. 
 
 Both eyes should be kept open, for obtaining the aim ; and 
 if the young sportsman do not commence in this way, an 
 additional difficulty will be found in learning to shoot in the 
 proper mode afterwards. 
 
 And now I shall imagine that these lessons have been 
 learned, as far as the theory is concerned; and that the 
 novice is now approaching a covey of partridges, with a 
 brace of good pointers indicating their " whereabouts." His 
 heart thumps against his breast : his nerves thrill and trem- 
 ble ; and his eyes seem ready to spring from their sockets. 
 At every stride towards the stanch Ponto, backing, without 
 jealousy, the point of the never-deceiving Don, he feels even 
 his brain reel with excitement ; and a sort of misty film 
 weaves itself across his bloodshot eyeballs. At length the 
 covey ten brace of full-grown birds whir-r-rfrom his very 
 feet. Bang, bang! roars his polished and scratchless piece, 
 before, or as soon as it reaches his shoulder; and, when the 
 wind clears away the smoke, he sees the birds skimming 
 away, as scatheless as if he had pressed the stick of his juve- 
 nile pop-gun at them. 
 
 My dear tyro, believe me, this sort of proceeding is neither 
 conducive to your own gratification, nor to that of your com- 
 panions, or your dogs. I cannot here deny myself the plea- 
 
190 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 sure of relating a fact concerning the extreme sagacity of an 
 old pointer belonging to a personal friend of my own. After 
 three consecutive misses, he would fix his tail between his 
 hind legs, and run home as fast as he could go, despite of 
 any attempt by halloo, cheer, or rate, to stop him. Good as 
 he was, I fear that with a beginner, he would frequently have 
 to seek " the old house at home." 
 
 To proceed with my instructions, it is evident that, unless 
 a level be obtained, it is useless to pull the trigger ; as, un- 
 less by accident, the object aimed at cannot be hit. Now, 
 the getting a level must depend on the way in which the 
 bird, hare, or rabbit, flies or runs, and the distance at which 
 they first present themselves. If a bird springs near to you, 
 and skims along the ground, give it time, and aim over the 
 rump; for if missed, it will be because your shot cut under 
 the bird. The greatest number of shots that are missed are 
 the consequence of shooting much too low ; very few, in com- 
 parison, being occasioned by levelling over. When a bird 
 flies across you, your aim must always be before it; although 
 the space given must correspond with the distance that the 
 level is obtained at ; and the knowledge of that can only be 
 gained by experience. The nearer the object, the less anti- 
 cipatory space is to be allowed ; and, the farther from it, the 
 more must be granted. If I could reduce to a certainty the 
 distances at which game will spring, I could present a scale 
 of undeviating distances for the level being advanced. As 
 that, however, is impossible, I can only give general direc- 
 tions, which practice must improve. Occasionally, a couple 
 of inches will be quite sufficient, to shoot before the head of 
 your game ; at other times eight inches, or even a foot, will 
 not be too much. At hares and rabbits you should always 
 shoot well forward ; their head and ears being the mark for 
 your aim. It is slovenly to break the hind leg of either one 
 
ON SHOOTING. 191 
 
 or the other, and tends to mischief with young dogs ; as the 
 chase which is sure to follow, is any thing but conducive to 
 their steadiness. To a bird rising, the same principle of 
 keeping the muzzle of the gun full high will apply ; and 
 taking into consideration the speed at which a bird flies, five 
 or six inches will not be too much, at a distance of thirty-five 
 or forty yards. 
 
 There is a great deal of difference between shooting too 
 quickly, and being one of those slow, spiritless shots, who 
 pick their birds out when easy, boast of their seldom missing, 
 but never tail their game in style. With young sportsmen, 
 the main cause of their missing is not taking sufficient time to 
 their level ; yet, to run into the other extreme, and dandle a 
 gun at a bird during a time sufficient to boil an egg lightly, 
 is far from being proper. I dislike a slow, poking shot, who 
 never burns powder except at so easy a range that it is barely 
 possible to miss the object ; and then talks largely about 
 never missing, and offers catchpenny bets about u shooting 
 with any body and every body." The way to meet these 
 braggarts is to say, " Let every bird rising within a range of 
 forty yards, not shot at, be counted a miss ;" and you will find 
 their subsequent boasting palpably diluted. It would seem 
 that some men consider missing a bird a crime, of which a 
 dread account must be rendered. They shoot only when the 
 game is very near ; and never think of attempting a wide 
 shot. Such sportsmen are not suited to these times, when in 
 each succeeding season birds appear to become wilder and 
 more difficult of approach, for causes which will afterwards 
 appear. There was a time when these slow and safe gentle- 
 men could indulge their fancy, and fill their game bag with- 
 out great difficulty : but these days are not of the present. 
 A very different description of shooting is now requisite for 
 the attainment of sport. 
 
 17* 
 
192 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 In speaking against too rapid firing, and also against a 
 slow, poking system, I wish it to be understood that I am no 
 admirer of those random sportsmen who blaze away at every 
 feather within sight, and make more noise than their effects 
 warrant. If a bird rise so far off that there is no chance of 
 bringing it down, firing a barrel at it is a piece of stupid 
 wantonness. But there is a vast difference between that, and 
 never pulling trigger when the distance happens to be a long 
 one. Greater pleasure is experienced, in bringing down a 
 single bird at a wide range, than in a dozen easy shots, the 
 missing any one of which might have annoyed the sports- 
 man. 
 
 It is by no means evidence of a good shot, that a bird, or a 
 succession of birds, are killed by his gun: neither is it proof 
 that a man is a bad shot, because he fails to stop his birds 
 when there was a fair opportunity of so doing. Whether a 
 man will be capable of shooting well, for the time, or the re- 
 verse, will depend much on the state of his health, the steadi- 
 ness or derangement of his nerves, and such-like matters. 
 But, setting aside the temporary condition of his body, I pre- 
 fer a man who makes frequent misses, and occasionally brings 
 down his bird handsomely, to one who never does the latter, 
 and invariably fumbles in his work. 
 
 The meaning of " killing a bird handsomely " may be thus 
 illustrated: Bring the gun quickly to the shoulder ; fix the eyes 
 on the object ; and pull the trigger the instant the level is ob- 
 tained. A first sight is often like a first thought, much better 
 then a second one : indeed, in shooting, a first sight is almost 
 invariably so. I cannot, however, impress it too strongly on 
 the memories of my young readers, that a level must be ob- 
 tained previously to pulling the trigger. No step of improve- 
 ment can be made until a sufficient check has been gained 
 over the impulse to fire before the aim is got. Some are con- 
 
ON SHOOTING. 193 
 
 stitutionally enabled to acquire this check much more readily 
 than others: but I am quite convinced that there is no man, 
 with health and good vision, however excitable his material, 
 be it even as inflammable as gunpowder itself, but may gain 
 the indispensable ascendency over his natural inclination to 
 fire in anticipation of the proper period. 
 
 I know not whether I have made myself clearly understood 
 in these observations ; for that which may appear easy and 
 definite to me, may not prove so to my inexperienced readers. 
 But, in brief, I mean this : Before you pull trigger, get a 
 level ; and let it be done quickly : but do not make a ridicu- 
 lous random shot ; and rather bear with countless misses at 
 first, than sink into a slow, poking, and timid shot. 
 
 When we hear of men killing their two dozen consecutive 
 birds in the field, in the present day, when there cannot be a 
 question concerning the increased shyness of game ; it would 
 be worth while to discover how many shots they refused, at 
 which a fair sportsman would have tried his skill. The 
 fancy trap-shot picks the few that suits him : but the latter 
 takes all that spring within a fair killing distance. 
 
 I am very desirous of making clear the distinction between 
 a snap-shot, and the quick and dashing one that I wish my 
 pupil to become. I have seen some men knock down their 
 birds the moment they top the stubble ; and, heedless of the 
 nearness, they thus cut their game into ribands. This is 
 called " snap-shooting ;" a system I do not admire or re- 
 commend. If you make a practice of pulling your trigger 
 immediately the game presents itself to view, you will not be 
 able to give sufficient time to a close shot ; and I prefer see- 
 ing a bird fly away, to its being mangled. There is a want 
 of coolness and style in " snap-shooting," too, which makes 
 a sportsman, however proficient in the knack, look many 
 inches from the crease of perfection in his art. 
 
194 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 If a bird rise at a long distance, say fifty yards, a snap- 
 shot will suit admirably. The bird must be hit directly it is 
 on the wing, or the attempt may as well not be made. To 
 say, therefore, that a snap-shot is never to be made, would 
 be wide of my meaning ; and, to be able to make one, is a 
 great accomplishment. But what I wish to inculcate is the 
 rule ; not the exception. In these long ranges, a slow shot 
 can do nothing. Very likely, he will bring his gun to his 
 shoulder, shut his left eye, and get his muzzle on a level with 
 the bird : but, by the time that he has done so, he discovers 
 that the bird is too far off, and that it is useless to pull the 
 trigger. I have frequently seen this farce performed by men 
 who would back themselves to kill their twenty consecutive 
 shots. No wonder, when they would permit twice as many, 
 and perhaps more, to go, without firing a single barrel at 
 them ; three-fourths of which shots a legitimate sportsman 
 would have taken, as a matter of course. 
 
 The great difference between a quick shot and a snap shot 
 is, that the former discriminates between long and near shots; 
 taking his level and firing in accordance with the distance at 
 which the game springs : while the latter exercises no such 
 discrimination. Far or near, the instant the bird is seen, or 
 the rabbit pops his ears out of the gorse, the snap-shooter 
 fires : and if he were to hesitate for a moment, when his gun 
 is at his shoulder, he would miss. 
 
 I have now treated on the three different styles of shoot- 
 ing: quick shooting, slow shooting, and snap shooting. The 
 advantages and disadvantages of the respective systems, I 
 have endeavoured to show ; and it is almost superfluous to 
 say, that it is the quick and dashing shot that I recommend 
 the novice to acquire. At the same time, quickness is the 
 <>nd, and not the beginning. The first lesson for him to learn 
 is, to be steady and cool, both on approaching and springing 
 
ON SHOOTING. 195 
 
 his game, and to get a level before pulling trigger. In miss- 
 ing fair shots, the fault lies generally in not giving time 
 enough ; although the fairest may occasionally be missed by 
 the most accomplished sportsman. To become irritated, 
 therefore, at an accidental occurrence of this kind, is to pro- 
 voke perhaps more of such results ; and as a concluding ad- 
 vice to the young beginner, in this chapter, I say, " Preserve 
 your temper." 
 
If6 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SHOOTING CONTINUED. 
 
 I HAVE known it recommended by ancient sportsmen, to 
 " keep your gun on the half-cock until the game be flushed ; 
 for it then to be cocked, brought to the shoulder, the aim got, 
 and the trigger pulled." This might have done when birds 
 could be brought down like butterflies, with your hat; but 
 such a dilatory proceeding, in this fast age, would be worse 
 than ridiculous. With such a method, a man might as well 
 burn his powder at the moon. 
 
 When beating for game, your gun should invariably be 
 on the full-cock; and it should be carried so as to be brought 
 to your shoulder easily and readily : for very frequently 
 birds will rise, and hares spring from their forms, without 
 any notice being given by your dogs, let them be ever so 
 good. At the same time, the greatest care should be taken 
 to keep the muzzle so that no accident can happen by any 
 possibility. 
 
 I have previously referred to distance, and the space to 
 be given to birds crossing or going away from you. The 
 reason why you should hold your gun full high for the lat- 
 ter is, that a bird will take a very hard hit in the rump, 
 without falling; and although it will die, yet it will not in 
 time for you to add the head to your number in the bag. 
 One coming towards you will also take a severe blow in the 
 
ON SIIOOTISG. 197 
 
 body ; because the shot glances off the feathers as they are 
 thus presented; and, unless a pinion in one of the wings be 
 broken, the escape of the bird will frequently astonish ihe 
 sportsman, and make him question the correctness of his 
 aim, however perfect it may have been. To enable you to 
 bring down a bird in this position, with any thing like cer- 
 tainty, it should be close: if not so, you may have no cause 
 to blame yourself. A bird crossing, or immediately above 
 your head, presents the most vulnerable mark ; as both his 
 feathers, and the position of his body, offer a favourable 
 opportunity for the shot to produce the desired efleci. 
 When a miss takes place from any nervousness, it is gene- 
 rally owing to the left hand dropping as the trigger is pulled. 
 To remedy this, grasp the stock tightly, /md fire full high. 
 After a few successful shots, confidence will be regained, 
 and you will shoot well and handsomely. 
 
 When a man is fagged and weary, it is quite impossible 
 that he can shoot with any thing like precision. He should 
 then rest and refresh himself. Farther toil, in this state of 
 his body and spirits, will only prevent his enjoying that sport 
 which a recruiting pause would enable him to have. This 
 suggestion more especially applies early in September; 
 when young and eager sportsmen arc out at daybreak, and 
 plod throughout the entire day, with aching limbs and sink- 
 ing spirits, in the belief that the longer the day, the greater 
 the chances of returning home with a well-filled bug. This 
 is a very common and natural error which beginners are 
 apt to fall into: but they may believe, without the unpleasant 
 proof which experience would give them, that a long, hot, 
 thirsty day is not the one to walk through, from sunrise io 
 sunset; and that such labour is not only unnecessary, but 
 acts as a damper and preventive of sport. I cannot say 
 the number of hours that a sportsman should walk ; for this 
 
198 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 must depend on his strength of body, his health and inclina- 
 tion, the weather, the sort of country that he shoots over, 
 his condition for work or want of it, and other reasons need- 
 less to be recounted. But this I can safely say to one and 
 all, Give up, for a time, when you are tired; and do not 
 begin too early in the morning. 
 
 When you are shooting in company, among your first re- 
 solutions should be, not, from any temptation, to endanger 
 the safety of your companion; or to vex and annoy him, by 
 jealous, unfair, and greedy monopolizing of shots. Regard- 
 ing the first part of the caution, there is nothing more un- 
 sportsmanlike; and, as to the second, there is nothing more 
 ungentlemanly in the field. 
 
 If you are doubling a hedgerow, in the society of a friend, 
 whatever may be the inducement, never fire through .the 
 hedge. You may feel quite certain, at the moment of pull- 
 ing the trigger, that no evil result can happen; as you are 
 assured that your companion is out of the line of the charge. 
 Without doubt, this has been the conviction of many who 
 have had sad proof of their mistake. Therefore, on no ac- 
 count whatever, should there be the semblance of a devia- 
 tion from this resolve. It is impossible to impress this too 
 strongly on the minds of young sportsmen. Let them trea- 
 sure the admonition as priceless. Shooting across your 
 companion, striving to " wipe his eye," and taking every 
 shot that goes as fairly for him as for yourself, is conduct 
 essentially the opposite to that of a gentlemanly sportsman. 
 It is certain to create irritation: that feeling may spur him 
 to retaliate ; and thus unpleasantry and ill feeling will be 
 engendered in both, greatly to the detriment of sport. To 
 count also your own number of shots against his; and thus, 
 by comparing one with the other, praise yourself at the ex- 
 pense of his failures, is a boyish and silly proceeding. If 
 
ON SHOOTING. 199 
 
 you shoot better than he does, he cannot fail to know it; 
 and, should you shoot worse, he will evince a polite forbear- 
 an.ce, by disregarding the balance of skill in his favour. 
 
 All birds that cross belong exclusively to that person to 
 whose side they bear; and there should be an understanding 
 that the shots be taken alternately, when as fair for one as 
 for the other. I do not mean that, if a cov^ spring on the 
 left, the shooter on the right is not to fire ; but he is to take 
 the bird which is nearest to him on the right. In the event 
 of a single bird rising, and crossing in the same manner, he 
 ought not to pull his trigger until his companion has tried 
 both his barrels: but if a brace rise at thef same m'oment, in 
 a corresponding form, there is no reason for showing this 
 generosity. Take the one nearest to your side, and the libe- 
 rality proper to be shown will be accorded. 
 
 In attempting a double shot, the gun should be kept to the 
 shoulder, and not taken from it after the first barrel is fired. 
 Time is thus saved; and the level is not so difficult to obtain, 
 for the second bird. If the smoke impedes your sight which 
 it is very likely jto do if there be not sufficient wind to blow 
 it quickly away you should either sloop and get your aim 
 under the volume, or jump on one side, and thus manoeuvre 
 with the difficulty. The same hint will apply generally to 
 obstacles and impediments that may frequently present them 
 selves between your sight and the object. 
 
 I know of no reason for firing one barrel in particular 
 before the other; except that there is not so much danger 
 from the right as the left, in the event of big wing the cock 
 back. As a matter of course \he first barrel is more used 
 than the second. Colonel Hawker says, that " as the barrels 
 of double guns usually shoot a little inwards at long distances, 
 there is so far a preferenc%irr favour of the right barrel, for 
 an object crossing to the/e/2, and vice versa, that, if we were 
 18 
 
 f 
 
200 THE SI'ORTSMAIV'S LIBRARY. 
 
 beating along the side of a hedge, it would be best to keep 
 the barrel next to it in a state of preparation." This may be 
 all very true ; but the majority of sportsmen make a rule of 
 pulling either the left trigger or the right one first; and I 
 think the former has the choice, perhaps from its being nearer 
 and more easy to the finger. At any rate, 1 always pull 
 this one first ; and so do by far the greater number of those 
 I have shot with. 
 
 In presenting a gun, the hand has a much more steady 
 hold, and there is not so much risk in keeping the muzzle too 
 low (a very great cause, if not the principal cause, of miss- 
 ing birds,) if it be extended along the stock ; but it cannot be 
 said to be in so safe a position as when near the guard, in 
 the event of a barrel bursting. Luckily, however, this is of 
 very rare occurrence now; and with the great precautions 
 taken to prove guns safe, I think the dread of such an occur- 
 rence is not dissimilar to the fear of an earthquake. It may 
 take place, but it is extremely unlikely. 
 
 If you shoot with a double gun, as the majority of sports- 
 men do in the age we live in ; " upon the face of the decla- 
 ration," as a special pleader might write, perchance, the 
 object is to get as many double shots as you can obtain. 
 Now, there is a great deal of management to be displayed 
 in this, which, if properly attended to, will ensure the desired 
 result. One of the leading preventives to getting a sight at 
 the second bird, is the hanging about of the smoke from the 
 explosion of the first barrel. To get the better of this diffi- 
 culty, you should endavour to flush your birds across, and 
 not so as to drive them either up the wind or down. The 
 latter is far more objectionable than ihe former ; as the smoke 
 is driven with them, and impedes the sight more effectually 
 than its coming, for the moment, In your face. You should 
 head your dog ; (for I need not say that this manoeuvring 
 
OX SHOOTING. 201 
 
 can only take place when the point is made,) and not go in 
 a direct line from his slern to the game. It is impossible 
 to drive or to coax birds to fly exactly as you require them : 
 but this is the plan to give you the chances wished for. 
 
 In his anxiety to get double shots, however, let the novice 
 remember that his attention must first be directed to making 
 his^r^ shot tell in the number of the effective. I have seen 
 many so eager for the two to count, that, as in the well- 
 known fable of the dog and the shadow, both have been lost. 
 It is admirable to see a sportsman bring down his birds right 
 and left in a handsome manner: but such shooting cannot be 
 arrived at suddenly ; and patience will ensure the accom- 
 plishment of the task far more quickly than too early and fu- 
 tile endeavours. 
 
 Nothing is more likely to drive the game up out of dis- 
 tance, than hallooing to your dogs, and making or permitting 
 a noise to be made in the field. Even in walking through 
 turnips, potatoes, stubble, and so forth, there is a way of lift- 
 ing the feet, to prevent a superfluous rustle, which a sports- 
 man in 1845 will do well to observe ; although, take away 
 the odd decimals from the centuries marking the Christian 
 era, and such a suggestion would have been laughed at. 
 Quietness, however, is very essential to getting within reach 
 of birds, in countries of the general description; and to those 
 only am I referring. We all know that, here and there, spots 
 are to be found where game is so plentiful, that there is little 
 more difficulty in finding, approaching, or killing it, than in 
 the wholesale slaughter of the fatted poultry in a farm-yard 
 at Christmas. To those who can entertain any feeling of 
 pleasure in sporting over such localities, and have the op- 
 portunity, I neither envy their conceptions of what shooting 
 should be, nor their chances of gratifying them. 
 
 In large enclosures, and an open country, birds are more 
 
202 
 
 difficult, after having been disturbed once or twice, and will 
 fly much farther, than in enclosed boundaries, with high 
 hedgerows and banks. To get near these " shy skimmers," 
 you cannot be too quiet with your tongue and in your man- 
 ner of walking. Should one of your dogs require a great 
 deal of rating, let him be taken up and consigned to the cus- 
 tody of your servant. There is no greater stopper to the en- 
 joyment of a day's sport, when birds are wild, or, I may add, 
 at any other time, than a headstrong, badly broke undisci- 
 plined dog, that minds no rate but one given in the tone of 
 thunder, and is frequently either receiving or meriting the 
 lash. 
 
 In stormy and windy weather, it is expedient to begin 
 your day*s sport to the windward side of your beat ; as by 
 this management you will not only keep your birds on the 
 land that you are going over, but they will not be likely to 
 fly so far, against the wind, or, in the phraseology of a sports- 
 man, when they a re flying up, instead of sinking it. 
 
 Should your limits be confined, do not continually harass 
 and disturb the game, by following it day by day. You will 
 be able to bag a great deal more, by giving it rest, than by 
 continually scouring every nook and corner ; for no kind of 
 game will ever be plentiful, or permit an approach within 
 killing range, if their haunts are for ever being disturbed. 
 To a young and eager sportsman and I glory in seeing the 
 fire within his veins! this should be well grafted in his 
 memory ; as the inclination to be constantly at work, often 
 spoils the sport that he might otherwise enjoy. However 
 well stocked, no ground will bear to be beaten over without 
 intermission. The same beat should never be taken more 
 than twice, or, at most, three times in the week, even in the 
 earliest part of the season. 
 
 In the event of birds being particularly wild, the weather 
 
ON SHOOTING. 203 
 
 very boisterous, or the birds being on the verge of your beat, 
 and you know within a small cast where to find them, it is 
 better to have your dogs taken up ; as the chances of getting 
 a. shot at the birds, if it be but a farewell rattle at their fea- 
 thers, are greater than trusting, in this case, to the needless 
 hunting of your pointers or setters. 
 
 The same suggestion applies when birds have been marked 
 In. Although I strive to get every point that I can, for the 
 gratification that it must present to the eye of a sportsman, I 
 think it far better that you approach the game with either 
 your dogs at your heels, or, if not sufficiently under com- 
 mand for them to remain there without continued cautioning, 
 to have them taken up and kept at a respectful distance. I 
 consider this to be the best plan ; because you are aware of 
 the spot the birds are to be found in, and your dogs are not. 
 This causes a more than ordinary anxiety on your part ; and 
 any thing like incautious behaviour on the part of your 
 quadrupeds, renders you irritable and nervous. As the dogs 
 then, at this juncture, can be of no assistance, and may be 
 just the opposke, I advise their removal, as a preliminary to 
 your nearing the game. 
 
 It very frequently happens, that after having fired and 
 killed your bird, another bird, or perhaps more, will rise 
 immediately afterwards. Do not, therefore, place the butt 
 on tfie ground, directly after discharging the first barrel, but 
 pause for a little previously to reloading ; and never attempt 
 to pick up your dead bird until you have charged again. 
 To see a man scamper after a bird, that he may have brought 
 down, the moment it is upon the ground, is a lamentable ex- 
 hibition of cockney notions* in the field! Frenchmen invari- 
 ably do this ; and, in addition, halloo and cheer on their poo- 
 dles to tear and rend the wretched victim piecemeal. The 
 conduct of an English sportsman should be decidedly the re- 
 
 18*- 
 
204 
 
 verse. When he has fired, his dogs should be " Down 
 charge." Speedily his gun should be reloaded ; and, carry- 
 ing it in a position prepared for immediate use, he should 
 then, and not till then^ proceed to pick up the head of game. 
 
 To take time by the forelock is admitted to be the best 
 course in the general business of life ; and to shooting, espe- 
 cially as concerns the novice, this golden rule more particu- 
 larly applies. In order to be in good nerve, there should be 
 nothing procrastinated to the last moment. Let all your ap- 
 poiptments and apparatus be prepared and ready for your 
 fixed hour of beginning the sport. Go to your rest early, or 
 ftt least by your usua} time on the preceding night ; and do not 
 quaff more than your ordinary measure of stimulating fluid. 
 Even if you do not take quite so much, (although I am no 
 proselyte of Father Mathew, be it confessed,) the reduction 
 may prove of considerable benefit to the following day's en- 
 joyment. 
 
 Doctors, it is said, never agree ; and writers upon the same 
 subject are often found to be at variance. I do not in the 
 smallest degree arrogate to myself a greater knowledge or 
 experience in shooting matters than Colonel Hawker pos- 
 sesses. Indeed, I am right well content to give him the pre- 
 cedence. But still I consider that I have a right to question 
 s,omp of his allegations, if I find them at issue with my own 
 experience. In so doing, however, I shall not avail myself 
 of the shelter of any povert ; but give for every " why " a 
 " wherefore." 
 
 I have spoken about the distances necessary to be given 
 in the particular positions in which the birds may present 
 themselves. Relating to these, the Colonel says, " In firing 
 a{ random distances, where birds are crossing you at the 
 distance of sixty or seventy yards, the average of good shots 
 generally present not more than half a foot before them. 
 
ON SHOOTING. 205 
 
 But it should be recollected, that after the shot has been 
 driven through the air to the point-blank distance, it travels 
 so much slower, that the allowance must be greatly increased ; 
 and that although a few inches may be sufficient to fire be- 
 fore a fair cross shot, yet, at sixty or seventy yards, I should 
 fire at least two or three feet before the bird, if it went with 
 any velocity. Yes, even with a detonator, I should do so, at 
 this distance ! Let any one of my young readers, who shoots 
 fairly, try this against one that adopts the ordinary system, 
 and see who will make the greatest number of long shots. 
 
 While attending to this, however, he must take care not 
 to present too low : but pitch his gun well up, or, if any thing, 
 pull high for the mark." 
 
 It may, nay it must appear of the bragging order, for me 
 to assert that it is a property of mine to be unusually effective 
 in bringing down birds at long distances. I like a long shot 
 much better than a close one; and I can account for this by being 
 more than an ordinary quick, although not a " snap-shot." 
 Birds at long ranges, or snipes suit my style of pitching my 
 gun, far better than a shot presenting itself immediately under 
 my foot ; and I would back myself to kill a bird at thirty, or 
 even forty yards' rise, at two to one, rather than a bird flushed 
 at the distance of ten or a dozen. Now, this assertion, al- 
 though savouring of the boastful, I know to be correct; and, 
 notwithstanding my having frequently brought down my game 
 at seventy yards' range, I never yet held my gun any thing 
 like " two or three feet " before the object. It is quite true, 
 that birds, at a range of this kind, require a long anticipatory 
 pull of the trigger, more particularly if going down a strong 
 wind : at the same time, it must be taken into consideration, 
 that shot flies with a much greater velocity than^ny fea- 
 thered pinions were ever yet seen to go at ; and a charge, 
 with the wind, has not the same resistance as one against it. 
 
206 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 I have no hesitation in saying, that, as far as my experience 
 is concerned, giving " two or three feet " before a bird with- 
 in killing distance of any gun that was ever yet brought to 
 the shoulder, (not taking into consideration duck, pigeon, or 
 any particular kind,) you would shoot before it. This is my 
 firm opinion. The decision of the point I must leave to the 
 judgment of others. 
 
PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 207 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 PARTRIDGE, GROUSE, PHEASANT, COCK, AND SNIPE SHOOTING. 
 
 IN the order which I have indicated at the head of this 
 chapter, I shall enter into the details of these respective 
 sports, and strive to afford all the knowledge necessary to 
 their enjoyment. 
 
 For many years past, it has been the constant complaint 
 that birds (partridges) are so extremely wild, and conse- 
 quently so difficult to approach ; added to which, their num- 
 bers are yearly becoming thinner. From east to west, this 
 is the universal-lamentation ; and, whether the enclosures be 
 wide or small, the hedgerows thick or thin, the country pre- 
 served or wild, still the grievance, more or less, is com- 
 plained of. 
 
 There are several causes to which these effects may be 
 assigned. In the first place, there are not the stubbles that 
 there used to be, nor the shelter generally, previously to the 
 great and increasing improvements in agriculture. The 
 scythe is now used instead of the sickle, for the wheat crops; 
 and hedges, banks and ditches, are kept bare and clean from 
 grass and weeds. This want of protection drives the birds 
 into the open lands ; where, instead of skulking, they con- 
 fide in their wariness for safety. 
 
 The facilities rendered to poachers, for getting rid of their 
 
208 
 
 ill-gotten plunder, by the licensing of dealers in game, is 
 among the leading causes of the dearth, yearly becoming 
 greater. In every town throughout England, however insig- 
 nificant it may be, there are two or three dealers in, or more 
 properly speaking, receivers of, poached game. Man, wo- 
 man, girl, or boy, may now dispose of any quantity, by 
 merely going to these emporia ; and one of them is certain 
 to be within convenient reach. Formerly the case was very 
 different. Poaching was undoubtedly carried on, but to no- 
 thing" like the extent of the present day. Then plans had to 
 be matured for disposal and conveyance to market; and the 
 mere act of killing the game was by no means all that was 
 requisite in the business of the poacher. He required the 
 intermediate assistance of agents, and many preliminaries had 
 to be arranged ; but now none of these are requisite. Any 
 labourer, any boy about a farm, can set a gin or a snare, and 
 dispose of a single head, twenty, or a hundred, at the next 
 market town, with as much ease as so much poultry. The 
 country dealers will purchase any quantity ; as these are the 
 parties generally who supply the London poulterers. I am 
 quite convinced that where there was one poacher under the 
 old law, objectionable as it was in many points, there are 
 now fifty. None of these, perhaps, are such systematic, 
 wholesale slaughterers as the professed poacher, who made 
 his depredations the sole occupation of his life : but those of 
 the amateurs, taken collectively, far exceed his in number. 
 
 There is no doubt that many birds die from eating seed- 
 wheat steeped in vitriol; a very common practice with far- 
 mers, to prevent smut, and one which was quite unknown a 
 few years since; and thus, with poisoned food, poaching on 
 an enlarged scale, and little shelter for the birds, there can 
 be no surprise at their scarcity or their wildness. 
 
 It is a very common rule with young sportsmen to begin 
 
PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 209 
 
 their day's work much too soon, on that eventful and long 
 anticipated day, the 1st of September. As soon as there is 
 light (and more than once or twice I remember sitting under 
 a hedge, waiting impatiently for a streak of the early dawn) 
 sufficient to distinguish a partridge from that nocturnal dis- 
 turber, " whose screech makes night hideous," the owl, the 
 young sportsman is scouring the hill and the valley, the low- 
 land and the upland, stubble, turnips, and all that may offer 
 a chance of finding the desired game in ; when a little delay 
 would be not only more conducive to his comfort, the steadi- 
 ness of his nerves, and the lasting of the work with vigour 
 and freshness ; but would enable him to get more shots and 
 better sport. 
 
 While the dew of the morning is saturating every leaf and 
 blade of grass, the birds are making their matin meal, and 
 will never lie well to a near approach. At this time, they are 
 on the stubbles ; and, except a very green beginner, no one 
 would attempt to wade through turnips, or any such bottom, 
 which is only sought for shelter and security. Being on the 
 feed, the birds "are chary of an approaching footfall; and 
 rarely indeed is it that you can get any thing but a very long 
 shot. The covey, too, will spring together, and not disperse; 
 and, when once disturbed, will be still more difficult to get 
 near, on your second attempt. 
 
 At this season, when a ba/dng day may be expected, you 
 should reserve your strength and freshness, and those also of 
 your dogs, (unless you be among those few favoured by the 
 fickle goddess, who can afford, arid possess, relays of good 
 ones,) for the more favourable part o%the day ; and that is, 
 after the birds have gone off their feed, and the dew is dry 
 upon the stubble. If you think that a long day is indispen- 
 sable for good sport, you can always have one, between eight 
 o'clock in the morning and sunset ; without beginning at the 
 
210 THE SPORTSMAN LIBRARY. 
 
 first challenge of the cock. Birds do not begin their feed 
 again until the shades of evening close around ; and I have 
 invariably found them easier of approach from about one till 
 four or five, than at any other hour. In the extreme heat of 
 the day, when half an hour's exposure to the sun will beat 
 yourself and your dogs more than four hours will do in the 
 cooler portion of it, you had much better rest in a farm-house, 
 or wherever you can find a comfortable and cool lodgment. 
 Instead of this pause causing a diminution of your sport, it 
 will greatly tend to the reverse in the end ; and the zest will 
 last much longer than if the body were wearied to a crawl, 
 and the spirits flagged and drooped. 
 
 In partridge shooting, more particularly in an enclosed 
 country, where the banks and hedgerows are high and thick, 
 the assistance of some efficient markers will be found of the 
 greatest service. These should be placed so as that they can 
 command as wide a range as possible ; and, from the tops of 
 gate-posts, boughs of trees, &c., they frequently will be able 
 to mark down birds to a foot, which it might not only occupy 
 much time to find again by your dogs ; but as, in the early 
 part of the season, young birds will fly, when disturbed, into 
 corners and out-of-the-way places, they may be missed alto- 
 gether. 
 
 Sportsmen who are not expert in finding game, may attri- 
 bute the fault to hurrying over the ground too quickly, and 
 not beating it sufficiently. To make the ground "good," 
 you should let your dogs quarter it, and give them time for 
 their work. You should also hunt the corners of fields, and 
 walk well over the laqd yourself; and not just lounge into 
 the gate or through the gap, let your dogs race superficially 
 here and there, and be satisfied that there is no game to be 
 found. To get shooting in this careless, slovenly manner, it 
 is necessary that birds should be as plentiful as blackberries. 
 
PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 
 
 Great quietness of manner should be observed ; and in 
 hunting your dogs, let it be done with as little hallooing as 
 possible. A low whistle, and a motion of the hand, are fre- 
 quently quite as well attended to as the unnecessary exertion 
 of stentorian lungs. 
 
 It cannot have escaped the observation of any one who 
 has had a little experience in shooting, that birds will occa- 
 sionally lie well, and sometimes qannot be approached by 
 very long distances. This is not in any way the result of 
 accident, as many have supposed ; but is dependent upon 
 the weather and the state of the land. In a calm, preceding 
 a storm, birds are on the listen as much as they are on the 
 watch ; and the state of the atmosphere permits them to hear 
 a footfall for a considerable space. In windy weather, too, 
 if you attempt to get near them down the wind, they will 
 baulk your intention, and get away out of shot : but, if you 
 draw up the wind, (which is giving your dogs much better 
 chances of making their points,) it is favourable to your de- 
 sign. As soon as the land is dry, and a calm takes place 
 after a storm, birds will be found to lie fairly; and, after a 
 cairn, they will lie in windy weather, provided you are care- 
 ful how you approach them. 
 
 Late in the season, on cold November days, when, as soon 
 as you enter a field at one end, the birds may be seen scud- 
 ding away at the other, and following them is of no use 
 whatever, you should place yourself under the lea of a bank 
 or hedge, and direct your servant to enter the field on the 
 side opposite to where you are. By this manoeuvre, you 
 may get a few random shots, if it be a matter of importance 
 to bag a brace or two of birds: but such artful "dodges" as 
 riding horses over the land, mounting the markers, flying 
 kites to intimidate the coveys, and a host of similar manceu- 
 19 
 
212 
 
 vres, are, in my opinion, beneath the notice (save to laugh 
 at) of a true sportsman. 
 
 Grouse shooting is liable to more difficulties than the fore- 
 going, on account of the fagging nature of the ground, where 
 only moor game is to be found : but the same rules as to the 
 time of beginning the sport, and the way of conducting it, 
 so as to remain fresh to the conclusion, and, most probably, 
 the best part of the day, will apply to grouse as to partridge 
 shooting. 
 
 The extent of ground requires far more dogs than in par- 
 tridge shooting. In the latter, a brace is quite sufficient to 
 work at a time ; -and one more too many : while, in grouse 
 shooting, to find the game, you can scarcely have too great 
 a number, so long as they hunt steadily. 
 
 When the pack is found and marked down, as in the case 
 of partridges, (but more attention to the observance is neces- 
 sary in this kind of sport,) all the dogs should be taken up. 
 If, however, the game is not marked down to a nicety, one 
 stanch dog may be left, to considerable advantage. 
 
 To mention the old ruse of the cock running cackling 
 ahead, in order to get you away from the pack, is unneces- 
 sary to an old sportsman : to the less experienced, it may not 
 be useless. This diversion, stale as it is, he very frequently 
 will make use of ; and, as he is so cunning and watchful, the 
 best way to commence thinning the family, is to begin with 
 him, if possible. 
 
 Where the heather is thick, as in Scotland, grouse will be 
 found to lie close, in the early part of. the season; but they 
 soon become extremely wild; and, except in warm days, 
 when they bask in the sun for a few hours, bid defiance to 
 the most stealthy approach. When they get up six or' seven 
 hundred yards from you, a similar plan, only on a larger scale, 
 to that I mentioned for out-manoeuvring wild partridges, may 
 
GROUSE SHOOTING. 213 
 
 prudently be adopted. You should head them ; and then, 
 when you are ready, they should be driven towards you by 
 .persons from behind. When this becomes necessary, how- 
 ever, you must anticipate only a few wide random shots. 
 For this work, a heavy double, charged with Eley's cartridges, 
 will be found most effective : as grouse take a harder blow 
 than partridges. 
 
 Pheasant shooting may be considered the tamest of all kinds 
 of shooting, except shooting from the trap. To have phea- 
 sants, in any thing like numbers, it is necessary to preserve, 
 and to feed them (in certain seasons) with as much care as 
 domesticated poultry require in the farm-yard. Not but that 
 there is plenty of sport in bringing down your eight or ten 
 brace of "long tails." I have not, however, I submit, mis- 
 called pheasant shooting, in saying that it comes under the 
 head of " tame sporting." 
 
 We occasionally see paragraphs in the papers, giving the 
 particulars of the wholesale destruction of pheasant* and 
 hares, and calling that " good sport." I cannot imagine 
 what sport can -be discovered in knocking down a wagon load 
 of game, which it required neither skill to find nor to kill. 
 I once made one of four, who, between eleven in the morn- 
 ing and four in the afternoon, bagged six hundred head, in- 
 clusive of rabbits ; besides nearly thirty more, recovered on 
 the following morning. And I can declare that I was not 
 only tired with the slaughter, long before it was finished, but 
 upon our return, and seeing this inordinate quantity spread in 
 rows upon the lawn, I felt perfectly sick, and believed at the 
 moment, that I should never be inclined to add another head 
 to the list. This, however, was a transitory kick of con- 
 science. 
 
 If you wish to rattle your coverts, and drive every phea- 
 sant on the wing, there are no abler assistants than a few 
 
214 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 couples of noisy spaniels : and should you wish to give a 
 friend or two more shooting than they can well manage, place 
 them at the end of the covert that you are driving ; and, pro- 
 vided there be any thing like a good sprinkling, they are 
 sure to get the cream of the fun. A more quiet method is, to 
 get a few men or boys to go abreast, and beat the covert in 
 a regular manner. When a pheasant has been fired at, their 
 instructions should be, to stand still and quiet, until the order 
 " Ready," be given from the person who has fired. In this 
 description of shooting, a good retriever will be found of the 
 greatest service. Very often a winged pheasant cannot be 
 taken except by a dog ; and many fall where it is very diffi- 
 cult to find them without assistance. 
 
 Although this sport begins on the 1st of October, little 
 can be done, in large thick woods, until a later period, 
 when the leaves are thinned. But if you are impatient, and 
 have a few acres of gorse at hand, the pheasants can, with- 
 out much difficulty, be driven into the furze; and then you 
 will be enabled to get as fair shots as you could desire. 
 
 Should it be your wish to pay a visit frequently to your 
 coverts, in order to get a few shots quietly, and without 
 doing much mischief by disturbing them, you should be 
 attended by neither spaniels nor beaters. Old pointers and 
 setters, who, upon being told, will break their points and put 
 the pheasants up, are the best for peaceable covert shooting; 
 and their not hunting a long way from you, (which old dogs 
 are not apt to do,) is essential ; as, otherwise, when they 
 have found the game, you may not readily be able to find 
 them. Alertness is requisite in this mode of shooting. Be- 
 fore you order your dog to dash in, you should look out for 
 a clear spot, to get a sight at the game, and place yourself 
 in the best practicable position for this purpose. 
 
 When your dogs are out of sight, and you are doubtful 
 
PHEASANT SHOOTING. 215 
 
 whether they are at a point or not ; you may frequently 
 ascertain this, by placing an ear close to the ground ; and 
 the crash of the underwood, or the dead silence, will inform 
 you. 
 
 A friend of mine was in the habit of fixing little bells to 
 the neck of his pointer, engaged in this work ; and stated 
 that "he found it an admirable plan; as he could always 
 hear, by their ringing or not, the state of affairs. " I never 
 tried it myself; but it may answer, I think, very well for 
 those who are not sharp of hearing. 
 
 Cock shooting is, perhaps, the extreme altitude of a true 
 sportsman's ambition. I have made more than one stare 
 with mute and gaping wonder, on asserting that I killed 
 twenty-five couples in one day: but some of the mist and 
 doubt have been cleared away, upon my adding that it was 
 in a noted breeding swamp, on the other side of the Atlantic, 
 arid in the month of July, when they had just become suffi- 
 ciently grown to be worth bagging. 
 
 In England, if a man kill as many in five years, he will 
 consider himself well off, and be an object of envy to many 
 of his less fortunate neighbours. 
 
 A marker will be of good service in cock shooting; for, 
 although the cock seldom flics a great distance, after being 
 flushed the first time, yet he often drops in out-of-the-way 
 spots; and, as he will be more watchful at the second ap- 
 proach, a dog is very likely to drive him up out of shot. I 
 advise, therefore, when he has been marked down, that the 
 dogs be taken up. It is not an uncommon belief that wood- 
 cocks lie where they drop, and are to be found just in the 
 spot where they are seen to go down. This is a mistake. 
 They are extremely likely to run some distance ; although, 
 generally speaking, the beat need not be wide. Should a 
 cock rise wild, and continue to get out of distance, head him 
 
 19* 
 
216 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 after the second attempt, and desire your servant to drive 
 him gently towards you. You will then get, in all proba- 
 bility, a famous opportunity of " sprinkling " him, as he flies 
 towards you; or, if you prefer it, after he has passed over 
 your head. 
 
 In the open air, a woodcock is any thing but a difficult 
 bird to bring to the ground ; his flight being such as to 
 allow of plenty of time to get your level : but in a covert, 
 where he dans between close-grown trees and brushwood, 
 you must pitch your gun quickly, and cut him down at 
 once; or hope for no chance of doing the like deed. 
 
 Good, busy spaniels are indispensable for cock shooting. 
 Unless they will " keep in," however, and are under good 
 command, you will often hear the flap of the cock's wing; 
 but your eyes will be seldom refreshed by a glance of his 
 body. 
 
 Snipe shooting is considered the most difficult attainment 
 of the sportsman ; that is, to kill his birds in the same hand- 
 some style that he manifests in a general way. I have 
 known many capital sportsmen shirk snipe shooting, on ac- 
 count of their inability to bring their birds down ; when I 
 have been certain that all that was required was a little me- 
 thod in the sport. 
 
 To fire too quickly, without getting a level, is one of the 
 principal causes of snipes getting away; although a slow, 
 poking shot has not the remotest chance of ever being able 
 to achieve the desired object. 
 
 If a snipe rise from under your foot, you should not bring 
 your gun to your shoulder in haste and in a flurry; but give 
 time to turn, flash, and twist; which he will do immediately 
 upon getting on the wing; then pitch your gun, when he is 
 going straight away, and bring him to earth in style. 
 Should he rise at a long range, down with him in a mo- 
 
SNIPE SHOOTING. 217 
 
 ment; and rather trust to a "snap-shot" than allow his cer- 
 tain escape, by waiting until he be out of distance; which 
 he is sure to be by the time that he has ended his puzzling 
 manoeuvres. 
 
 Few birds are fleeter on the wing, and none more so, 
 that a sportsman deems worthy of his notice, than snipes ; 
 yet it is not their speed that occasions the difficulty in shoot- 
 ing them, but the undue haste and flurry that men so gene- 
 rally exhibit in the attempt. 
 
 The swiftness with which snipes fly makes it necessary 
 for you to allow more than usual of what I have called 
 "anticipatory" distance. This must be regulated in the 
 same manner as in other kinds of shooting, and must entirely 
 depend on the space that the bird crosses from you. If it 
 be near, say about twenty or five-and-twenty yards, you 
 should give about three inches before his head, at the mo- 
 ment of pulling the trigger; and if about five-and-forty to 
 fifty, give him a full foot. When going straight away, hold 
 your gun full high; for, if you miss, it will be on account of 
 throwing the charge under him. 
 
 With snipes, woodcocks, and, indeed, all birds flying over 
 your head, or coming towards you, great care should be 
 taken, in giving sufficient distance before them, and shooting 
 fall high ; as the position is very likely to deceive, and cause 
 you to shoot under. 
 
 A spaniel, that will keep within range without rating, is 
 the best assistant for this kind of sport : but as snipes are 
 generally shy and watchful, the less noise of any kind, the 
 greater the chance of getting near them. A steady old 
 pointer is also, up the ivind, of essential service : but a snipe 
 (unless it be a jack snipe, which will lie closer and not fly 
 to such a distance, when flushed, as the "full") does not 
 often permit a dog to approach near enough to make his 
 
THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 point when down the wind. Either way, it is safest not to 
 allow his ranging wide from you. 
 
 In a severe frost, it is of no use to look for snipes in those 
 spots that are frozen. In ditches that will permit of their 
 boring, near warm springs, in sheltered fords where the 
 water still runs, and such-like spots, are their retreats, in 
 this weather. When it is, comparatively speaking, mild 
 and open, they will be found in bogs, moors, sedgy bottoms, 
 beds of rushes, and wet places of a similar description. 
 
 In springing snipes, you should endeavour to get to wind- 
 ward of them ; by which you will be more likely to get a 
 cross shot, and probably prevent their rising out of distance. 
 
 The description of land that you are compelled to walk 
 over in search of snipes, is, for the most part, any thing but 
 of the pleasant order, and requires a peculiar equipment, as 
 far as the legs and feet are concerned, and a corresponding 
 observance in the manner of treading. A pair of thick 
 waterproof boots, reaching to the knees, I think indispensa- 
 ble to comfort and health. And, if it be a quaking, shaking 
 bog, on whose uncertain surface you are walking, go slowly 
 and surely. If you proceed in a staggering gait, it will be 
 quite impossible for you to shoot with any thing like preci- 
 sion. Perchance at the moment you are reeling, a snipe 
 will be flushed; and then up comes your gun under your 
 arm, and off it goes; and so does the bird, much to your 
 dissatisfaction. 
 
 Tact is required in these little matters. To overlook 
 them, is to throw great impediments in the way of enjoying 
 good sport. 
 
BLACK GAME SHOOTING. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 BLACK GAME SHOOTING, ON THE BORDERS OF DEVON AND SOMER- 
 SET. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING, AND DEER-STALKING. 
 
 THERE is no harder work for the sportsman than fagging 
 through a broiling day in September, in search of black 
 game. This arduous but exciting sport used to be com- 
 menced universally on the 20th of August; but, under the 
 new laws, it is illegal in the New Forest, Somersetshire, and 
 Devonshire, until the 1st of September. These are the ex- 
 ceptions to the rule ; as every where else, it is permitted to 
 begin on the original day, above named. 
 
 In the hottest weather, through stiff and unyielding heath, 
 pleasantly interspersed with bogs and fir plantations, (which 
 are planted because no other trees will grow in these exten- 
 sive and tenantless wastes;) and with the knowledge, when 
 you set out, that the likelihood is that you will have very 
 few shots; this description of sport may be truly said to be 
 of an arduous character. A shooting cob may occasionally 
 be mounted, to refresh your wearied limbs: but, from the 
 nature of the ground, it is quite impossible to ride with any 
 thing like a continuance. 
 
 The old cock is one of the most wary birds that flies, and 
 is seldom seen with the pack; which is always accompanied 
 by the gray hen. Even at the earliest part of the season, 
 the cock runs a-head of the pack; and is far more thought- 
 
220 
 
 ful of his individual preservation, than the security of his 
 lady-love or progeny. It frequently occurs that, throughout 
 an entire day, you may never see an old black cock; although 
 you may find several packs of "poults," as the young ones 
 are called, and with them the more careful mother. 
 
 Even the poults are wary enough. After the second 
 week in September, and the pack has been rattled a few times, 
 they will defy any thing resembling a close range. In 
 winter, the old cocks, -and a beautiful shiny jet plumage 
 they have, assemble together in large companies; and it is 
 impossible to approach them, so mindful and watchful are 
 they of any inimical tread directed towards their haunts. 
 
 The shooting black game is so like grouse shooting, that 
 a single suggestion about the sport would be superfluous. 
 
 The only chance of bringing down an old black cock, is to 
 get into ambush, and then have him driven towards you. 
 Even should his quick eye catch a glimpse of you, and his 
 course be directly over your head, he will seldom change it. 
 
 A good heavy double, fatiguing as it may be to carry, 
 loaded with Eley's cartridge, is the " iron " for this work. 
 
 Wild-fowl skooting on shore and afloat. 
 
 It does not follow that, because a man has killed some 
 few scores of wild-fowl, he may take upon himself the title 
 of being " a wild-fowl shooter." As well might one who 
 hooks a trout occasionally, flatter himself that he is an ac- 
 complished fisherman. It is far from my intention to arro- 
 gate to myself any thing in connexion with a department of 
 sporting that I have not followed sufficiently to understand, 
 in every particular: therefore, I shall at once admit, that 
 although I have shot numbers of wild-fowl, more particu- 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING, 221 
 
 larly during my sojourn in North America, yet I am by no 
 means a professed wild-fowl shooter. I have ever consi- 
 dered it a sneaking, tame, miserable occupation, rather than 
 as coming under the head of sport. It is all very well for 
 the needy fowler on the coast to lie in ambush in the day, 
 and creep and push his punt along the ooze by night, for the 
 wholesale destruction of the fowl feeding on the savannahs 
 of the shore. There is a demand in the markets for these 
 birds; and such are the means of supply. But any body 
 who really takes delight in this slaughtering, must have a 
 very different idea of sport from that which I entertain. I 
 hold in utter contempt any mode of killing which is pursued 
 as a sport, wherein nothing is wanted but cold-blooded 
 butchery. And let me ask what can be more cold-blooded, 
 both literally and figuratively speaking, than, in the depth 
 of a winter's night, to punt within range of a countless mul- 
 titude of birds, grazing together in a solid mass, and then, 
 after some hours' watching, perhaps to get one shot at them ? 
 It really is more contemptible and cruel than some battues I 
 have heard of; for in the one case, the wretched cripples 
 flap away, to meet with the horrid death of starvation; 
 while in the other, the army of keepers generally manage to 
 stop the unhappy victims with bludgeons and such-like means 
 of stoppage in transitu. 
 
 It will readily be conceived, with these affections towards 
 wild-fowl shooting, that I am no advocate for such a mis- 
 called sport. However, without a farther philippic against 
 it, I will state the ways and means of as a cockney would 
 say circumwenting the wary birds. 
 
 I do not mean that it is impossible to have fair and legiti- 
 mate sport with wild-fowl. I have wandered by the stream 
 on a clear, bracing, frosty day, and brought down the fine 
 
222 
 
 old mallard, as he capped the rushes with his broad strong 
 wing, with as much delight as I have done any bird that I 
 ever cut from air to earth or water. But that is not, in 
 strictness, called " wild-fowl shooting." 
 
 To get near wild-fowl is the principal, if not the sole dif- 
 ficulty to be encountered. As with every kind of bird ex- 
 tremely shy and wary, a great deal of caution and patience 
 is necessary. The mode of approaching the flock pitched 
 in a fen or on the shore, is, to screen yourself as much as 
 possible, and to crawl on your hands and knees towards 
 them. For this manoeuvre, great care should be paid to 
 your dress; so that the colour may not attract the attention 
 of the birds. When the snow is on the ground, a white 
 jacket and cap are the best. Were it not too cold for the 
 ears, it would be better to doff the cap. 
 
 In consequence of the acuteness of their senses of smell- 
 ing and hearing, it is indispensable that the fowler I will not 
 call him a sportsman shoujd make his approach to leeward ; 
 for it is impossible to get within range, if the proceeding be 
 attempted to windward. I am now alluding particularly 
 to shooting the birds with a fowling-piece, and not a punt 
 gun. 
 
 When the fowl fly in small trips from one place to ano- 
 ther, the plan is to hide yourself in some convenient nook, 
 or to make an ambush, and then intercept them as the flights 
 pass to and fro. For this, you must observe the greatest 
 quietude; and not have a flaring coat or hat on. It is safer 
 to have a couple of guns ; as you may get opportunities of 
 firing both occasionally, previously to your being capable 
 of reloading one. 
 
 With birds of such a wary nature, your screen, if artificial, 
 must look as natural as possible ; or it will act very like a 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 223 
 
 scarecrow to rooks. And if you can find a mute, or a person 
 who can act like one, to load your second gun for you, it will 
 greatly facilitate your destructive operations. 
 
 In -pursuing the killing of wild-fowl by night, the same re- 
 gard must be paid to getting near them to leeward, or the 
 chances are greatly against your approaching within an effec- 
 tive range. There is less difficulty in nearing the flock with- 
 in some thirty yards, by adopting this precaution, than in 
 getting within five times that distance, if directly to wind- 
 ward. 
 
 A fine moonlight night is the best time for this kind of 
 shooting. You can then, in your white punt and gear, not 
 only make close work of the business, but, by getting the 
 flock under the light, get an aim that will cut through them. 
 It not unfrequently happens that the dark shadows on the 
 shining mud banks look so much like the birds, that, to an 
 inexperienced eye, they might prove extremely deceptive. 
 The novice must, therefore, be quite certain, before he pulls 
 the trigger, that what he sees is a flock of wild-fowl ; and not 
 be too hasty in his decision. If the moon be clear and bright, 
 he will soon discover whether the black line consists of birds, 
 by seeing it change its form ; and he may even observe the 
 birds paddling on the mud. If it is not sufficiently bright for 
 him to depend upon his vision, he must listen attentively, 
 and he will hear the peculiar noise which all ducks make 
 when feeding in puddles or on mud. This will prove a 
 guidance for his operations. He should be cock-sure, before 
 he startles fish and fowl with the blaze and roar, that he shoots 
 at something more than a mud bank. 
 
 When he is certain that the mass before him consists of 
 
 wild-fowl, he must be cautious not to allow the noise from 
 
 their countless numbers to deceive him as to the distance. 
 
 In a dark night, such deception is very likely to take place ; 
 
 20 
 
224 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 for the sounds from such enormous masses, as may occasion- 
 ally be fired into, are very likely to mislead the tyro, as to 
 the length of the range from where he is posted. 
 
 When the tide is flowing, and momentarily forcing the 
 multitude of fowl into more compact bodies, it is expedient 
 to reserve your fire until they are so edged together that the 
 charge must cut through them, like a saw through a piece of 
 timber. You will find them driven from spot to spot, until 
 the water floats them off from the last bit of ooze remaining; 
 and just before this critical moment, is the time for pouring 
 the volley of destruction among them. 
 
 In punting up to them, you must be careful not to make 
 any splash or sudden noise of any kind ; and in order to les- 
 sen the likelihood of being seen by the birds, your punt 
 should be kept straight, or, in nautical language, well fore 
 and aft. 
 
 The distance must be regulated in accordance with the 
 kind of night that you have. If it be an uncertain light, oc- 
 casioned by the moon bursting suddenly, now and then, from 
 between dark clouds, your care should be to approach the 
 flock not closer than you would if it were a very bright steady 
 light. The kind of shore will also regulate this. If you have, 
 as the fowlers call it, " a good loom," that is, elevated black 
 land behind you, the birds can be approached much closer 
 than if there be no such mask to your whereabouts. 
 
 When the tide is receding, or what sailors call ic the ground 
 ebb," it is easier to get near wild-fowl than at any other state 
 of the tide. This should be the selected time, if possible, for 
 the fowler to come to close quarters with the flock ; and if 
 his caution be as great as a cat about to spring upon her prey, 
 and his dress and punt be white, or, perhaps, the colour of 
 canvass is an improvement, if the moon and stars are glaringly 
 bright, h>e will be able to get within a raking range. 
 
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 225 
 
 If you hear the birds feeding, and then find them of a sud- 
 den cease to do so, it is a sure sign that they are aware of 
 something wrong, arid are both disposed and prepared to 
 take wing. The best precaution then is, to remain perfectly 
 quiet until their feeding be resumed, if you feel convinced 
 that you are not near enough for a shot. But if you be with- 
 in any thing like a fair range, let drive at them at once; for 
 it is most probable that an attempt to better your position 
 will rob you of the shot altogether. 
 
 You are not justified in squibbing and blazing out of mere 
 wantonness, at wild-fowl, on a coast where you know num- 
 bers of poor men depend on this kind of pursuit for a subsis- 
 tence. I do not mean to say that*i gentleman has not a per- 
 fect right to shoot wild-fowl in the dead of the night, in the 
 same way that the humble fowler who supplies the London 
 poulterer has. But a random, useless shot frequently pre- 
 vents the poor fowler from meeting with his hard gains ; by 
 scaring away the birds at the very moment, perchance, when 
 he was about to reap them. In this kind of shooting, one 
 shot must frequently prevent another ; and great care should 
 be taken not to cause such effects unnecessarily. 
 
 In quitting the punt, to collect the dead and crippled, one 
 should invariably be left in the boat. Distressing accidents 
 have occurred, in consequence of a want of observance of 
 this precaution ; boats having drifted away, leaving the 
 wretched fowlers to drown. As it is impossible to walk on 
 the mud without mud pattens, I may remind the nocturnal 
 adventurer of the necessity of providing himself with these 
 indispensable assistants. During the time that one is en- 
 gaged in picking up the birds, the other should keep the 
 punt close to him, and render any assistance that may be 
 required ; but on no account should he leave the punt. 
 
226 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 'Deer- Stalldng. 
 
 Deer-stalking is one of those exclusive sports which can 
 only be indulged in by the few. I have not had the oppor- 
 tunity of killing a deer in this country, except one outlying 
 deer: but I have shot many in the far West ; and can there- 
 fore speak, from experience, of the way in which the antlered 
 monarch of the wild should be brought to the ground. 
 
 There are three kinds of deer common in Great Britain ; 
 the fallow deer, the red deer, and the roebuck. The two 
 last are chiefly confined to the Highlands of Scotland ; but 
 the red deer are still to be found in their native coverts, in 
 Devonshire and Somersetshire, where I have seen them 
 drawn for and hunted, " with hound and horn," as in days 
 of yore. 
 
 Unless a deer be hit through his heart, brain, spine, or 
 forelegs, he will, notwithstanding he may be mortally wound- 
 ed, bound away, as if untouched, for a considerable distance. 
 For a long shot, you had better take him just behind the fore- 
 leg ; as that part presents the easiest mark, and you will, in 
 all probability, reach his heart. In shooting at his head, be 
 careful that you do not fire too low ; as you may uselessly 
 and cruelly break his jaw. If standing sideways, give him 
 the lead through his forelegs, or his head ; and be sure not 
 to hit his launch, let his position be what it may. In going 
 from you, fire at the back part of his head ; and in facing 
 you, which is the worst mark that he can offer, aim at the 
 middle of his chest. I shot a stag in that part, on one occa- 
 sion, as he was sweeping up a narrow path towards me; 
 and he fell dead in an instant, the bullet having reached his 
 heart. 
 
 These are the vulnerable points for the sportsman to select ; 
 
DEER STALKING. 227 
 
 and he should be careful not to make any other part of the 
 animal the target for his level. 
 
 Very great coolness is required, in bringing a deer down 
 handsomely. The eager desire which naturally accompanies 
 the pursuit of such high game, is frequently the cause of 
 defeat and mortification. 
 
 Large shot is generally used for the roebuck: but the bullet 
 is necessary for the red and fallow deer. For a beginner, 
 however, or one so nervous that he cannot control the rifle 
 with a probability of hitting the deer except in a slovenly 
 manner, I recommend a heavy single gun, loaded with a 
 mixture of S G and A A shot. This will give him the best 
 chance. 
 
 When a deer has been hit and gets away, he should be 
 followed up as quickly as possible with your hounds ; and, 
 if he be wounded severely, they will soon run into him. 
 
BOOK IV. 
 
 GAME, SPORTING DOGS, fe. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A LIST, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, OF GAME, WILD-FOWL, 
 AND BIRDS GENERALLY PURSUED BY THE SPORTSMAN ; THEIR 
 NAMES AS GIVEN BY BEWICK, &C. ; WITH A FEW HINTS CON- 
 CERNING THE MODE OF SHOOTING THEM. 
 
 Bittern; Bog Bumper ; Bittern Bum ; or Mire Drum. A 
 bird nearly as large as the common heron, and which feeds 
 upon fish. It is shy and solitary, and never on the wing 
 during the day ; but sits commonly with the head erect, hid 
 among the reeds and rushes in the marshes, where it always 
 takes up its abode. When it changes its haunt, it removes 
 in the dusk of the evening ; and then, rising in a spiral 
 direction, soars to a great height. It flies in the same heavy 
 manner as the heron; and might be mistaken for that bird, 
 were it not for the singularly resounding cry which it utters 
 from time to time while on the wing, and the heavy booming 
 noise of its wings. 
 
 The bittern was held in great estimation as a delicacy for 
 the table. I partook of part of one, some years since, that I 
 killed in a fen in Lincolnshire : but a resolution was formed 
 
LIST OF GAME BIRDS, &C. 229 
 
 by me at that time, not to taste another. The strong fishy 
 flavour, I feared, would haunt my palate for ever. 
 
 This denizen of the swamp is a bold bird, and will defend 
 itself from the buzzard, or when wounded, from capture by 
 the sportsman, with great courage. As he is capable of giving 
 severe wounds with his sharp, strong beak, care should be 
 taken, in the event of winging or disabling him, to avoid his 
 thrusts. 
 
 Spaniels that will keep t/i, and spring bitterns within range, 
 are the best assistants in this kind of sport ; as the birds lie 
 too close for pointers, generally speaking. 
 
 Black Cock; known also as the heath-cock, and heath- 
 poult. See particulars in "Black-game Shooting." 
 
 Brent Goose. These birds, like other species of the same 
 genus, quit the rigours of the North in winter, and spread 
 themselves southward, in search of milder climates. The 
 brent-geese are then to be met with on the British shores, 
 and pass the winter months in the rivers, lakes, and marshes. 
 Their modes of living and habits do not differ materially from 
 those of the other numerous families of wild geese. 
 
 Bustard. This is the rarest and largest of our land birds. 
 Indeed, so very uncommon is it now, that very few sportsmen 
 of the present day even see one ; much less get a shot at this 
 rara avis. Its general characters seem to connect it with the 
 ostrich and cassowary. On the plains of Dorsetshire, Wilt- 
 shire, and Yorkshire, it may still be occasionally seen : but 
 total extinction seems to be inevitable. There is another 
 kind called the little bustard^ which is exceedingly rare in this 
 country; but is by no means so in France. 
 
 Capercailzie. The habits of this beautiful inhabitant of 
 the pine forests of Norway, are very like those of the black 
 grouse. It is to be found in some parts of Scotland. His 
 Royal Highness Prince Albert shot a fine specimen, during 
 
230 
 
 his visit to that rock-ribbed, cloud-clapped land. But it is 
 to be met nowhere else throughout Great Britian. 
 
 Coot. The common coot has so many traits and features 
 like the rails and water hens, that to place it after them seems 
 a natural and easy gradation. These birds, which are an in- 
 ferior water-fowl, are difficult to get upon the wing ; as, on 
 the approach of danger, they instantly seek a retreat among 
 weeds and rushes. Even a water-dog, however good he 
 may be, will have great trouble in driving them from their 
 shelter. The best mode of out-manceuvring them, is to station 
 yourself quietly to leeward, and have a gun fired iowiridward 
 before their getting into the flags. This will frighten them 
 towards you. I have now been speaking of coots on a pond 
 or any inland place. On the coast, when the object is to 
 slaughter numbers, you have but to station yourself so as to 
 pour into the flight as it passes : or to punt towards them, when 
 feeding on the ooze, in the same way that other wild-fowl 
 are approached. They invariably fly to windward; so that 
 the North wind brings them to the North. 
 
 Curlew. With this bird Linnaus begins a numerous tribe, 
 under the generic name of Scolopax ; which, in his arrange- 
 ment, includes all the snipes and godwits. In Britain, the 
 curlew's summer residence is upon the wide moors and heaths. 
 In winter they assemble in great numbers upon the coast: 
 where they may be killed in vast numbers. There is a dis- 
 pute between authors as to the time when the ctirlew is best 
 suited for eating : but, having shot them inland and on the 
 coast, and partaken of their flesh at both seasons, I can state 
 from experience that it is miserable stuff at both periods. The 
 Little Curlew or W/nmbrel resembles the common curlew in 
 shape, colour, and manner of living; but it is much better 
 eating, and about half the size. The whimbrel is not so fre- 
 duently seen on the sea shores of this country as the curlew. 
 It is also more retired and wild. 
 
LIST OF GAME BIRDS, &C. 231 
 
 Dotterel. The dotterel is common in various parts of this 
 country, though in some places it is scarcely known. In May 
 and June, they frequent the heaths and moors of Cambridge- 
 shire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire, in small flocks; and are 
 then very fat, and much liked for the table. The Ring Dot 
 lerel, Ring Plover, or Sea Lark, is to be found in all the 
 Northern counties. They migrate in the spring, and take 
 their departure in autumn. During the summer, they may 
 be seen running nimbly along the sand on the sea-shore; 
 occasionally taking short flights, with a loud twittering noise; 
 then alighting and running again. As they are often diffi- 
 cult to get near, the best plan is to secrete yourself, and either 
 wait for their getting within range, or have them driven 
 towards your station, and then rake them as they pass. 
 
 Ducks. Under this general head, there are various kinds 
 of wildfowl which shall be named in their order. 
 
 Eider Duck. This wild but valuable species is of a size 
 between the goose and the domestic duck, and appears to be 
 one of the graduated links between the two kinds. On some 
 parts of the coast of Norway, in particular breeding places, 
 they assemble in vast numbers; but very few visit this 
 country. 
 
 Gannet, Gan, Soland or Solan Goose. This bird is gene- 
 rally three feet in length, and weighs about seven pounds. 
 It may occasionally be seen on nearly every coast, when the 
 shoals of herrings are abundant ; sweeping over and darting 
 on to the waves, like the sea-gull. 
 
 Garganey. This is one of the minute species of wildfowl; 
 being but little bigger than the teal. It is rather a scarce 
 bird; but may be found in the Norfolk fens, where they 
 occasionally breed. 
 
 Godwit. BufTon gives eight species of this division of the 
 Scolopax genus. They are a timid, shy, and solitary tribe; 
 
232 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 and seldom remain more lhan a day or two in the same 
 place. It often happens that, in the morning, not one is to 
 he found in those marshes where they were numerous the 
 evening before. They remove in a flock, in the night; and, 
 when there is moonlight, may be seen passing at a vast 
 height. There is- no particular skill required in killing 
 them; and they are delicate and excellent eating, 
 
 Golden-eye. The weight of this species varies from 
 twenty-six ounc.es to two pounds. Golden-eyes do not con- 
 gregate in large flocks, on the British shores; nor are they 
 numerous on the lakes, in the interior. They are excellent 
 divers; and seldom set foot on land, except in the breeding 
 season. 
 
 Goose. There are several sorts of wild geese, which 
 migrate to this country from more northern and inclement 
 regions. The common Wild-goose, or Graylag, is to be 
 found in great numbers, in certain seasons. They may 
 always be known by their assuming a particular fgure in 
 their flight. Unlike others of the same species, they seek 
 their feeding places inland, on the water meadows and corn 
 fields. These birds are very watchful. The best mode of 
 getting a shot at them, as at all the rest of the kind, is, to 
 take them unawares, by waiting with consummate patience, 
 in ambush, near the spots they frequent, and then pouring 
 into the company a sweeping charge. The flesh, however, 
 is scarcely eatable, and but a coarse morsel at best. Brent 
 Geese are also common; and will repay the fowler for kill- 
 ing them, by proving, when plump, capital eating birds. 
 Egyptian Geese, it has been asserted, visit these shores: but 
 the fact appears questionable. Red-Breasted, Geese are na- 
 tives of Russia and Siberia. They, without doubt, pay us 
 a visit now and then: but it may be truly said that it is a 
 flying one when they do so. The White-fronted or Laugh- 
 
LIST OF GAME BIRDS, &C. '233 
 
 ing Goose visits the fens and marshy places in England, in 
 small flocks, in the winter months; and disappears about the 
 beginning of March. These birds form a part of those vast 
 tribes which swarm about Hudson's Bay, and the Norih of 
 Europe and Asia. They are but thinly scattered over the 
 other quarters of the world. 
 
 Grebes. These curiously formed birds are ranked by 
 Ray and Linnosus with the diver and guillemot. They are 
 almost continually on the water; where they are remarka- 
 ble for their agility. The Tippet Grebe, Eared Grebe, Dusky 
 Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, and Black-chin Grebe, 
 are varieties of the species. It is unnecessary to enter into 
 their particular habits as they bear a very close similarity 
 to each other. 
 
 Greenshanked Godwit, or Greenlegged Horseman, This 
 species is not numerous in England. In the winter months, 
 they appear in small flocks, on the sea shore and adjacent 
 marshes; and they are delicate eating. In the summer 
 months, they seek the northern regions of Russia and 
 Siberia. 
 
 Grouse. There are three varieties of grouse besides the 
 wood grouse or capercailzie previously mentioned : Black 
 Grouse, Black Game, or Black cock ; Red Grouse, Red Game, 
 Gorcock, or Moorcock; and White Grouse, White Game, or 
 Ptarmigan. Enough has been already said, under the head 
 of " Black game and Grouse shooting," concerning these 
 birds, for the sportsman's purpose. 
 
 Guernsey or French Partridge. This species was im- 
 ported into England by the Marquis of Hertford, in 1768. 
 They are more prolific than the gray partridge; and, in 
 some parts of Suffolk and Norfolk, are very numerous. I 
 had a manor in the former county, on which a great many 
 bred annually; but I found them so pugnacious with respect 
 
234 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 to the gray coveys, so difficult of approach, (except in the 
 snow when they fenced,) and so injurious to dogs, by run- 
 ning like hares before them, that I ordered, and assisted in, 
 their total extermination. Where these birds abound, the 
 common, and greatly more valuable, English partridge can- 
 not live. 
 
 Hare. Hares are universal, and consist of two kinds ; 
 the common hare, and the alpine or white hare: which last 
 is found in Norway, the Highlands of Scotland, and other 
 mountainous parts. As I have said elsewhere, " Shoot for- 
 wards," at this kind of game. 
 
 Jacksnipe, Judcock, Gid, or Jetcock. This little bird has 
 the same shape and habits as the larger snipe : but. it lies 
 much closer, and takes a short flight when flushed. An old 
 steady pointer is the best for finding the jacksnipe. Epicures 
 recommend this species for eating, in preference to the com- 
 mon snipe. He is a puzzling bird to bring down in a strong 
 wind, for a slow, poking shot : but take time, as he springs 
 from your foot, before bringing your gun to your shoulder, 
 and then cut the " artful dodger" down handsomely. 
 
 Knot. This bird is common in Lincolnshire and other 
 counties. It affords poor sport; as it depends for safety, on 
 skulking among the rushes, rather than on flight. In the 
 winter, when the fens are frozen, the knots repair to the 
 coast; where they may be slaughtered in great numbers, 
 being easy of approach. 
 
 Landrail, Daker Hen, or Corncrake. This bird has 
 proved a great puzzle to naturalists; some affirming that it 
 is a bird of passage; and others questioningMts migratory 
 powers, from the shortness of its wings and its general indis- 
 position to fly- It now, however, is a settled fact, that 
 landrails a-re birds of passage. In Ireland, they are far 
 more numerous than, in England.. When once flushed, they 
 
LIST OF GAME BIRDS, &C. 235 
 
 are exceedingly difficult to drive on the wifig again* The 
 first chance therefore should never be lost. 
 
 Lapwing, Bastard Plover, or Pee- Wit. The lapwing is a 
 constant inhabitant of this country : but as it subsists chiefly 
 on worms, it is obliged to change its haunts, in 1 quest of 
 food; These birds are frequently seen in great numbers on 
 the sea-shore, where they find an abundant supply of food. 
 Their eggs are more valuable than their bodies : yet I have 
 eaten them, in September, and considered them well worth 
 powder and shot. 
 
 Mallard, is the drake of the wild duck. Like the rest 
 of the duck tribe, the mallards, in prodigious numbers, quit 
 the north, at the end of autumn; and, migrating southwards, 
 arrive in the British Isles at the beginning of winter, in large 
 flocks, and spread themselves over the lochs and marshy 
 wastes. They pair in the spring j when the greatest part of 
 them again retire northward to breed : but many straggling 
 pairs remain with us. 
 
 Morillon. The morillons are generally seen in small 
 flocks, diving far their food, near the shore. 
 
 Partridge. For particulars, see "Partridge Shooting." 
 
 Pheasant. For particulars, see "Pheasant Shooting." 
 
 Pigeons. Of these the varieties are innumerable; but as 
 they are of greater interest to the ornithologist than to the 
 sportsman, I shall not enter into a detail regarding them. 
 
 Pintail Duck, Sea Pheasant, Cracker, or Winter Duck. 
 This beautiful bird does not visit us in numbers, except in 
 very severe winters: but flocks of them are occasionally 
 spread abundantly along the isles and shore's of Scotland and 
 Ireland; 
 
 Plover.*- Besides the Lapwing, t)otterel,aud Ring Dotterel 
 there are, The Great Plover, The Golden Plover, The Gray 
 Plover, and The Long-legged Plover. Except the gray plover 
 21 
 
236 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIARARY. 
 
 and the long-legged plover, the rest feed inland; and may be 
 found on the wastes and marshes, where they feed on worms. 
 In shooting plovers, it is the common remark with sportsmen 
 that the second is always the more productive barrel; for it 
 frequently happens that, when out of range, they will sweep 
 down at the report, and present a fair shot for the reserved 
 charge. The golden plover is the most prized, as a delicacy 
 for the table. 
 
 Quail. This bird, although universally diffused throughout 
 the four quarters of the globe, is very rare in England. 
 They breed with us in small numbers. To find a bevy of 
 quail is one of those very rare events that may occur once in 
 a long lifetime. I have shot a great many in the United 
 States, where they afford much sport; and I think it would 
 be worth the trouble and expense to import this fine and 
 large sort, from that country: as the North American quail 
 is a bird adapted for every variety of season, and can live 
 where our partridges would die. 
 
 Rabbit. Shoot well forward at rabbits. If you merely 
 break a leg, and a burrow be near, the rabbit is sure to 
 scramble into it. The head should be the mark. 
 
 Redshank, Red-legged Horseman, Pool-snipe, or Sand Cock. 
 This bird is generally seen alone, or in pairs only. They 
 frequent the fen and marshy countries, the greater part of the 
 year ; and are not so common on the sea-shore, as several 
 others of kindred species, 
 
 Ringdove, Cushat, or Wood Pigeon. This is the largest spe- 
 cies of dove in England, and is too well known to need a parti- 
 cular description. The best plan that I have found, for getting 
 within range of this watchful bird, is, to take your station close 
 to the trunk of a tree, in the covert they frequent ; and then, 
 under this shelter, to wait for their coming. It is strange 
 that, wary as these birds are, they will perch on the branches 
 
LIST OF GAME BIRDS, &C. 237 
 
 within easy range of you, without seeing the danger, if your 
 movements be quiet; and yet to steal upon them is next to 
 impossible. Except when feeding on turnips, they are very 
 good eating. 
 
 Ruff. The female is called The Reeve. These birds vary 
 greatly in plumage ; scarcely two being found quite alike. 
 They migrate to the fens in England, in spring; and leave 
 us in the winter. The Ruff is seldom shot; as he seeks the 
 rushes in the day time, and defies being flushed. They are 
 generally taken in nets, by fowlers who make a trade of 
 catching them. 
 
 Scaup Duck, or Spoonbill Duck. This duck is not uncom- 
 mon in most parts of this kingdom, in winter; and is fre- 
 quently found in fresh waters. It is supposed to take its 
 name from feeding on broken shells, called scaup. This, like 
 most of the genus, breeds in the more northern parts. 
 
 Scoter, Black Duck, or Black Diver. In severe winters, 
 the scoters leave the northern extremities of the world, in 
 immense flocks ; dispersing themselves southward, along the 
 shores of more temperate climates. They are only sparingly 
 scattered over the coasts of England. 
 
 Sheldrake, or Borrough Duck. This species is dispersed, 
 in greater or less numbers, over the warm as well as over the 
 cold climates. They are met with as far north as Iceland, 
 in the spring ; and in Sweden and the Orkney Islands, in the 
 winter. Although not numerous on the British and opposite 
 shores, yet they are common enough in the British Isles ; where 
 they remain throughout the year, always in pairs ; occasion- 
 ally straggling away from the sea coasts to the lakes inland. 
 
 Snipe. Snipes are plentiful in most parts of England ; and 
 are found in all situations, in high as well as in low lands ; 
 depending much on the weather. In very wet times, they 
 resort to the hills ; at other periods they frequent marshes, 
 
238 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 where they can penetrate the soil with their bill, in pursuit 
 of worms, which are their principal food. A fe\y remain 
 with us the whole year, and breed in the marshes and bogs. 
 For farther particulars, see " Snipe Shooting." See also 
 " Jacksnipe." 
 
 Stag. For particulars, see " Deer-stalking." 
 
 Stockdove. The ringdove. 
 
 Swan. In the severity of winter, wild swans are not un- 
 commonly seen, in various parts of the British Isles. They 
 do not, however, remain longer than the approach of spring ; 
 when they again retire northward, to breed. It is scarcely 
 necessary to say, that they take a hard blow to cripple them. 
 
 Teal. This beautiful little duck, the best eating of all the 
 tribe, is common in Epgland in the winter months. It takes 
 not a harder blow than a partridge, to bring down ; and, if 
 flushed out of shot, will not fly a great distance before it will 
 again drop in the brook. No time, however, should be lost 
 in following him up ; as he is, very likely to ma.ke t}ie best of 
 his way down the stream. 
 
 Velvet Ducky Double Scoter, or Great Black Duck is larger 
 than the rnillard, and much resembles the scoter before men- 
 tioned. This bird is very seldom met with on the British 
 shores. 
 
 Water Crake, Water Rail, Skitty, or Spotted Gallinule. 
 This is found in most marshy parts of England in the win- 
 ter ; but not in numbers. It is a skulking bird ; and very 
 difficult to flush a second time ; although its flight, like that 
 of the land-rail, is never far. 
 
 Water Hen, or Moor Hen. A common bird, not worthy of 
 notice, either for the sport it affords or the value of the flesh, 
 when killed. 
 
 Water Rail, Bilcock, or Velvet Runner. Like the other va- 
 rieties of rails, this evinces the same disposition to trust to 
 
LIST OF GAME BIRDS, &C. 239 
 
 hiding itself among sedges, rushes, and other coarse herbage, 
 rather than to flight. When driven on the wing, it'presents 
 a very easy shot, from the slow and awkward manner in 
 which it flies. 
 
 Widgeon. Widgeons fly in flocks during the night ; and 
 may be known from other birds, by their whistling note while 
 they are on the wing. They remain with us during the win- 
 ter, in vast numbers ; and spread themselves along the shores 
 and over the marshes. 
 
 Woodcock. See " Woodcock Shooting." 
 
 Woodpigeon. See " Ringdove." 
 
 There are but few of the foregoing list that I have not 
 killed, in some part or other of the globe ; and if my readers 
 should find but a tithe of the delight that I have experienced 
 in the pursuit of these creatures u by field and flood," many 
 of the hardships which must be borne, will be amply repaid, 
 and a large balance of pleasure still remain. 
 
240 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 POINTERS, SETTERS, SPANIELS, AND RETRIEVERS, THEIR 
 
 BREEDING, BREAKING, AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 THE pointer now in general use was originally obtained by 
 a cross between the old Spanish pointer, so long maintained 
 in its purity of breed, and the fox-hound. The Spanish 
 pointer, now almost lost as a distinct race, was larger, 
 stronger, and more steady, than the one now called the Eng- 
 lish : but, wanting speed and activity, the cross was made 
 to obtain these desired qualities. 
 
 1 am by no means, however, an admirer of very fast dogs 
 for shooting purposes. They are, generally speaking, ex- 
 tremely wild, by no means careful in their hunting ; apt to 
 flush their game unintentionally, particularly in turnips or in 
 any thick bottom, and miss and overrun the game when gal- 
 loping down the wind. A slow dog is extremely objection- 
 able in large enclosures, and where game is very scarce ; 
 but, taking these cases as exceptions, I am quite convinced 
 that you may get better shooting, and much closer to your game, 
 by a slow and careful dog than by a fast and rattling one ; 
 admitting that the one is as well broken as the other, and 
 will as readily obey the word of command, the motion of the 
 hand, &c. 
 
POINTERS AND SETTERS. 241 
 
 The aim of the breeder should be to obtain such blood as 
 probably will produce perfection, or an approach to it, in the 
 progeny. If the bitch is very fine and fleet, I recommend 
 that the dog be tending to the reverse ; for, if he be of the 
 same stamp, you will have puppies " too fine." The same 
 observation applies in opposite cases. 
 
 Colour and size are matters of fancy ; but plenty of white 
 about pointers and setters is serviceable in grouse shooting, 
 or in wide enclosures ; as you are enabled to see them at 
 long distances. In using them for covert shooting, a corres- 
 ponding advantage is experienced, from their catching the 
 eye quickly. 
 
 Having repeatedly mentioned the absolute necessity of 
 awarding a liberal diet to all animals in young, and to the 
 progeny when produced, it is needless to say that the pointer 
 must be treated in the same manner. Cleanliness, fresh air, 
 &c. must be strictly attended to, that the puppies may thrive 
 and keep free from diseases. The more they are permitted to 
 run about the better, provided it is not in a village, where 
 a stone now apd then, a broomstick, a kettle with a few 
 pebbles in it tied to their tails, and kicks and punishments 
 are frequently administered on account of their play and 
 mischief; as exercise is greatly conducive to their health, 
 improves their legs and feet, uses them to sounds, and makes 
 them bold ; and association renders them apt in their tuition. 
 I can imagine a smile on the lip of more than one of my 
 readers when he sees this latter part of the asserted benefit : 
 but let a puppy, accustomed to run at large in and about a 
 farm house, and another from the same litter, closely ken- 
 neled, be taken into the field for the rudiments of educa- 
 tion, and see which of the two will be dullest of comprehen- 
 sion. 
 
THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 I would back the former against the latter, at twenty to 
 one. 
 
 In breaking dogs, I have not the slightest hesitation in 
 saying, that where one is spoiled from a want of severity and 
 punishment, there are a hundred ruined by cruelty and inju- 
 dicious and barbarous application of the whip, and the still 
 more abominable use of the foot. A man in the habit of 
 kicking his dogs is unworthy of a claim to be other than a 
 brute. In the heat of passion, a hasty act of the kind may be 
 excusable ; but if a keeper of mine repeated it, to my know- 
 ledge, I would discharge him at a moment's warning. 
 
 There cannot be a question that some young dogs, like 
 schoolboys, require and will bear, more and severer punish- 
 ment than others. Some are strong-headed, wilful, devil- 
 may-care spirits, who, when the smart is over, forget both 
 the cause and the effect. Others are timid, dreading, and 
 sensitive animals, who should have but the mildest form of 
 chastisement, and with whom a word and a stern look pro- 
 duce much more lasting effects than the severest flogging, in 
 the before-mentioned description. It is obvious, therefore, 
 that a knowledge of the dispositions of the dogs to be broken 
 is absolutely indispensable, previously to taking them into 
 the field. Nothing can be more erroneous than to suppose 
 that the discipline for one will do for another ; and yet, when 
 does a breaker take this into consideration ? He receives a 
 young dog from a gentleman, with orders " to break him." 
 He knows nothing, and cares as little about the disposition 
 of the animal. Into the field he takes him, with one or two 
 others, possessing, perhaps, a little more knowledge of their 
 business, and "hey's him off." A lark springs, and the 
 puppy chases it in raptures. "Ware lark!" halloos the 
 breaker, with stentorian lungs ; and very likely gets hold of 
 the dog's ear, and thunders this caution for a minute or s" 
 
 
POINTERS AND SETTERS. 243 
 
 If he be more patient than the majority of his tribe, he will 
 repeat this twice or even thrice ; and then comes the thong 
 and whip-cord ad libitum. Now, if the dog be not strong 
 and high-spirited, he is ruined from this moment. If he can- 
 not forget, and readily forget, the first severe punishment that 
 he receives, without being aware of the wrong that he has 
 committed, as he cannot at so early a stage of his educa- 
 tion, the dog is, from this time, only of the value of his 
 skin. 
 
 Considering the great number of pointers and setters bred 
 annually by gentlemen who are very particular in getting the 
 best and choicest blood, it may be a matter of surprise to 
 many that there are not more good and valuable dogs ; for 
 that there is a dearth no one, in want, will doubt, upon trying 
 to get such dogs. 
 
 An experienced sportsman is so well aware of this diffi- 
 pulty, that, if he has a really good dog, no price will purchase 
 the animal from him. He knows that he may lay out twice 
 over the sum that he receives for the dog, in buying others ; 
 and yet the lot be not worth a tithe of the one parted with. 
 He is also aware of the expense, trouble, and time necessary 
 to breed, break, and render a dog efficient for the field. It 
 is not a work of months, but years ; for no dog, however ex- 
 cellent in points of breeding, and however unexceptionable 
 the care bestowed upon his breaking and general treatment, 
 can acquire perfection in his work, save by time and slow 
 degrees. 
 
 When we come, therefore, to reflect upon the attention in- 
 dispensable in the treatment of the puppy, the sweet milk, 
 pat and barley-meal, boiled flesh, broth, vegetables, cleanli- 
 ness, exercise, breaking, and experience necessary to make 
 him a " good dog," what price ought to be set upon his 
 head, when that is accomplished? Generally speaking, a 
 
244 
 
 man thinks that he is doing the thing handsomely when he 
 offers ten guineas. Taking the foregoing particulars into 
 consideration, and supposing it to be the dog's third season, 
 the earliest period at which he can be of any thing like 
 value, let me ask if it must not have cost more to rear 
 him. 
 
 I am fully aware that " dog-dealers" and " dog-stealers" 
 dispose of their stock at a cheap rate ; but what is the value 
 of ninety-nine out of every hundred of their dogs, when pur- 
 chased ? That which the tanner would give for their hides. 
 
 Let every sportsman bear in mind that, unless his dogs are 
 good, he had better be without them; as, instead of assisting 
 him they will mar and frustrate his sport. My advice is, 
 Never part with a good dog for any sum ; for you may never 
 have the like again. It does not fall to the lot of many men 
 to have many dogs of the class I am referring to. A first- 
 rate pointer or setter is a rare animal. 
 
 To suggest the way in which the sportsman may become 
 the master of a dog in every way desirable, is a task of no 
 ordinary difficulty. If he knows that a dog is good, and is 
 to be bought, the easiest method is to buy him ; let the sum 
 be a pull, and a strong pull. This is the cheapest and 
 readiest method, even although the amount sound rather 
 large for the ear. But let me warn the novice against the 
 deceptive trials, which may be had recourse to, of the ani- 
 mals advertised as "the property of a gentleman," so con- 
 spicuous in the columns of the newspapers in the month of 
 August. One might be led to suppose that shooting had 
 become plebeian of a sudden; and that all the best pointers 
 and setters belonging to "gentlemen" were for disposal, at 
 that season of the year. These are mere snares for the flats, 
 in by far the greater number of instances. If a gentleman 
 had kept his dogs until just before the commencement of 
 
POINTERS AND SETTERS. 245 
 
 shooting, it is not very likely that he would then part with 
 them. 
 
 I recollect being " taken in," when a fledgeling, by one of 
 these puffing announcements, in the most perfect manner that 
 a rascal could desire. The advertisement stated, that " a 
 fair trial would be given ; and that, if the dogs did not meet 
 the full approbation of the purchaser within one month, the 
 money would be returned." Thinking all this remarkably 
 fair, I hastened to the place where the animals might be 
 seen, a few miles from London. There a man very like a 
 gamekeeper in his costume and person, for he was big and 
 burly, and wore a black velveteen shooting jacket, breeches, 
 and gaiters, was ready to show me'the quadrupeds; a brace 
 of fine liver-and-white pointers. 
 
 He stated, in an indifferent tone and manner, that " they 
 belonged to Squire somebody in Norfolk, with whom he 
 formerly lived as keeper. That ill-health obliged him to 
 give up his situation; and that he now earned an honest 
 penny, until something better turned up, by selling dogs on 
 commission. He knew the brace that he now offere^ me 
 \vell ; and better a gentleman never saw; and the only reason 
 for their being parted with was, that the Squire had more 
 than he required. They were warranted perfect, and the 
 price thirty guineas." 
 
 This sounded to me very plausible ; and to ray wish to 
 see them in the field, a ready acquiescence was given. 
 " You'll see in a moment what they are, sir," said this honest 
 agent, taking a pistol and whistling them into an adjacent 
 enclosure. "Hold up," said he; and away they galloped. 
 Off banged the pistol, and down the dogs dropped, as if they 
 had been shot. " That's the way for dogs to act," said he, 
 turning to me with a look of admiration. u I only wish," 
 continued he, u that there was birds here, just for to show 
 
246 
 
 you how they act with them: but there is one thing, you 
 know, sir," and then he smiled as if the supposition was 
 ridiculous; "suppose they don't suit ye, you've only to 
 return 'em to me within a month, and have back your 
 money." 
 
 Nothing could be fairer, nothing more just, in my estima- 
 tion; and willingly I became the purchaser of these$ as I be- 
 lieved, invaluable animals. 
 
 It happened that T had no opportunity of testing their 
 merits until the 1st of September; it being within three or 
 four days of that time when I bought them. And then, in a 
 well preserved manor in Essex, I made the trial, in full con- 
 fidence of a satifactory result. 
 
 Never can I forget the disappointment! I "hey'd " them 
 off; and, the first covey they found, instead of standing and 
 backing, away they went in full chase, yelping and barking 
 like two sheep dogs at a flock. I called, halloo'd, and 
 whistled in vain. On they raced over hedge and ditch, 
 amid roars of laughter from a companion, to whom I had 
 been talking rather "large" of my new purchase. 
 
 "You'll see them no more!" shouted he: "you'll never 
 see them again." 
 
 Beginning to be of the same opinion, I thought of the ex- 
 pediency of firing my gun. I pulled, and down the twain 
 fell flat on tne ground in a moment. " Gulled, gulled, 
 gulled !" I exclaimed ; and so the case turned out ; for, upon 
 taking the earliest opportunity of returning the dogs, which 
 was within a fortnight of purchasing them, I learned that the 
 "Squire's keeper " (?) had gone no one knew whither, for 
 he was only a lodger. 
 
 These dogs had no more knowledge of their work than 
 one of the horses in Astley's amphitheatre has of crossing 
 country; although he may be fully capable of clearing a 
 
POINTERS AND SETTERS. 247 
 
 rope, hurdle, or jumping through a paper hoop. They had 
 been taught to drop to the report of a pistol or gun, and to 
 the hand, by dint, in all probability, of half a dozen cruel 
 floggings; and from fear only they crouched to the signal. 
 
 In breaking a dog, patience, and a temper not easily ruffled, 
 is the very first quality. A hasty, passionate man is in 
 no way qualified for the duties required of a teacher to the 
 young idea. He will to a certainty completely spoil many 
 dogs which, under different treatment, would have turned 
 out good and valuable; and will seldom, if ever, render a 
 dog worth the keeping. 
 
 I hold in the profoundest contempt check-collars, puzzles, 
 and suchlike expedients for the breaking of pointers and set- 
 ters. It is true that they are becoming of the things that 
 were ; and well they may, when we consider that they are but 
 the means of forcing the action and position of the animal. 
 In reading the innumerable devices suggested in sporting" 
 works, for the treatment of young dogs, I have frequently 
 thought that the compilers could never have seen a dog in the 
 field ; or such ridiculous suggestions would not have been 
 submitted to the sporting public. 
 
 Without referring more particularly to the laughable theo- 
 ries concerning check-collars, puzzles, pegging dogs down, 
 burying live partridges under tiles, and permitting them to 
 fly a few yards, by lengths of string tied to their legs, and other 
 pantomimic tricks ; I shall now proceed to state my views of 
 the way in which a dog should be treated, to bring him to the 
 proper standard of what a pointer or a setter should be. 
 
 I will suppose him to have been well-bred ; as although a 
 pig has been taught to find game and to point, yet unwearied 
 must have been the attention bestowed upon the task ; and a 
 vast deal of trouble will be saved, if the animal be naturally 
 designed for the work desired of him. I have referred to 
 22 
 
THE SPORTSMANS LIBRARY. 
 
 this in a preceding page ; and have recommended that the 
 cross be so managed that the medium between " too fine " and 
 " too coarse " may be obtained. The dog that is very fast, 
 is, in my opinion, more objectionable than the one that is 
 slow ; and, as the point of speed is dependent on the breed, 
 this must be regulated between the sire and the dam. 
 
 I have seen in print, ere this: "Keep your blood un- 
 stained, as much depends on keeping it pure from any cross" 
 That such stuff should ever be promulgated ! Without a cross, 
 dogs degenerate ; and, to breed in and in, is destruction to 
 every animal. Injudicious crosses must, however, be avoided ; 
 otherwise you may get a creature more fitted to kill rats than 
 to find game. 
 
 Independently of the size and colour of the dog, which I 
 leave to the taste of the breeder, there are certain points 
 which are indispensable to his becoming good. His nose 
 must, for instance, be sensitive to its functions ; and his 
 strength and speed should be such as to enable him to last 
 on his work. I have had dogs of such weak constitutions 
 that, notwithstading all the care I have bestowed upon them, 
 they could not be brought to endure reasonable fatigue : and, 
 after performing well for an hour or two, would slink to my 
 heels, in a state of exhaustion. For this there was no remedy ; 
 as it proceeded from the failing in their constitutions, and the 
 cross was wanting. 
 
 The points of symmetry in a pointer and setter are: neck 
 and head set on straight; a poll rising to a point; well-hung 
 ears; open muzzle; flue-jawed; full hazel eyes; deep in the 
 shoulders; elbows in; straight legs; small feet, with the balls 
 open and standing true; back a little hooped; broad loins; 
 flat sides; stern set on high, being very fine: if a setter, it 
 should be deeply feathered. 
 
 It does not follow, however, that, because a dog has not 
 
POINTERS AND SETTERS. 249 
 
 these points collectively, he cannot become valuable. At the 
 same time, if he possesses them, he will be the picture to 
 please the eye of the connoissieur, and be so much the more 
 desirable as stock to breed by or from. 
 
 To break a well-bred, well-managed, likely dog, I recom- 
 mend his being made, in the first instance, a companion of 
 the person about to undertake the task. Let him be fed, 
 taken to his exercise, and played with, by his preceptor ; and 
 more will be done in one week by him, than in a month, or 
 in three months, by a stranger. The breaker will know the 
 temper and disposition of the dog, and the dog will compre- 
 hend his; and thus an understanding being established be- 
 tween them, progress can be made at a rapid rate. Besides, 
 when a dog is the companion of the breaker, it is a natural 
 inclination on the dog's part to strive to obey the breaker's 
 desires; and a cheer, praise, and caresses are far more 
 valued from such a one, and rating and punishment far more 
 dreaded, than from the hand of a mere stranger, in whom 
 the dog has no interest. 
 
 A quiet manner of breaking the pointer and setter, is much 
 more desirable than a noisy, violent, and turbulent one. 
 Some men are apt to halloo in the loudest and roughest 
 voice possible, and to assume a hideously stern look upon 
 the committal of the most trifling faults. This is quite un- 
 necessary ; and moreover inures the animal to violence. If 
 a more gentle tone be adopted, as a general rule, the loud and 
 severe one will operate as a check on the repetition of an 
 error, active or passive, and produce a better effect than the 
 lash. 
 
 It is not necessary for me to enter into such details as 
 teaching the dog to "'down charge;" to drop by the motion 
 of the hand ; to quarter his ground as you may direct him ; 
 to come " to heel ;" to " back " without jealousy, and " stand " 
 
250 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 when true; to "heed" breaking field, and "ware" larks 
 or any small birds that he may chance to spring; to " have 
 a care " when he puddles on false or dying scent ; to " ware 
 hare or rabbit," when he chases; and such like rudiments 
 of education. All these may be taught, if kind and proper 
 treatment be applied, in a very short time ; but it must not 
 be expected that a young dog can find his game like one 
 experienced, or act generally as if schooled by the practice 
 of mnny succeeding seasons. 
 
 If you wish to find game and enjoy your sport, I advise 
 your hunting with old dogs. They give no trouble ; your 
 temper is not tried ; and they are up to every artful manoeuvre. 
 Game cannot beat them in cunning, as they are more than a 
 match for it: and whatever can be done, they are equal to. 
 
 From what I have already said, it will be known that I 
 am no advocate for the lash. On the contrary, I deem it the 
 greatest and most abominably abused corrective ; and yet it 
 is necessary to apply it occasionally. It is the abuse, and 
 not the use, that I complain of. Rare, indeed, is the dog 
 that never requires the smart from the thong; and the greater 
 number merit the taste often : but still let mercy temper every 
 stripe. I say not this from any morbid or sickly profession 
 of being more humane than the generality of my fellow 
 sportsmen ; but from a conviction that, the less of severe 
 punishment that is given to a dog, the less obstinate, hard- 
 ened, and refractory he will be. Making him crouch at 
 your feet, by rating and giving a few good pulls of the ear, 
 is a mode that I have adopted, and recommend as a judi- 
 cious and effective one. 
 
 Besides the barbarity of inflicting violent and unnecessary 
 punishment, and the ill effects it is sure to produce in the 
 animal, flogging a strong dog is a task which requires much 
 personal exertion, in holding him for the administration ; 
 and, if attempted by yourself, will put your nerves in a 
 
POINTERS AND SETTERS. 251 
 
 tremble, and be very likely to spoil your shooting for a con- 
 siderable time. When however, it is expedient to flog him, 
 place his head between your knees, and whip the after parts 
 of his body. In this posture he cannot bite ; and must 
 receive all awarded to him, without being able to escape 
 from the " whipping post." 
 
 A dog that will not hunt is like a horse that is led to the 
 pond and refuses to drink: it is impossible to force, either to 
 perform the desired action. With regard to the dog, when, 
 from any cause whatever, he declines to range, he should be 
 cheered and encouraged, and not rated or flogged. It is 
 trying to the patience, to find a dog skulking, perhaps, at 
 your heels, when you are in want of his labour : but matters 
 will only be rendered worse, by your exhibiting your loss of 
 temper. Caress him; and, if that will not do, cheer the 
 others in his company, which is likely to spur up his 
 jealousy; and, if this prove a failure, leave him entirely to 
 himself until the equanimity of his temper be restored. 
 
 Instead of puzzles, cheek-collars, and things of this kind, 
 which render dogs miserable in the work which they should 
 enjoy, let a dog, when " too full of hunt," wild, and eager, 
 have a more than usual share of labour with a steady com- 
 panion. There is nothing belter for young dogs than their 
 being hunted with old ones. Continued work will bring 
 down their too ardent spirits; and, for animals of this kind, 
 nothing else will prove really beneficial. 
 
 When a young dog points at larks and other kinds of 
 small birds, care should be taken to get him off them by 
 mild measures. INo violence of any description must be 
 used; otherwise he may very likely be rendered so timid 
 that he will be frightened to make his points at all. To kill 
 plenty of game over him, and " cautioning," will be certain 
 to teach him to avoid these minor errors. 
 
 22* 
 

 252 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 For chasing hares and rabbits, there is no method but 
 rating severely, and a recourse to the whip; which should 
 be given in accordance with the disposition of the dog and 
 the repeated commission of the offence. A severe flogging 
 is often indispensable for this fault ; but there is a great dis- 
 tinction between just severity and cruelty. 
 
 However well bred and well trained your dogs may be, 
 if they are kept in their kennel continually, and are strangers 
 to you, do not anticipate their work being such as it would 
 be, if they had plenty of liberty, and were your companions 
 in your walks and rambles. If they are attached to you, it 
 is their natural and generous wish to exert their powers to 
 please ; and they will fear your displeasure much more than 
 the lash in the hand of one unknown or uncared for. 
 
 The Setter was originally produced by a cross between 
 the Spanish pointer and the large water spaniel. His treat- 
 ment in the kennel and in the field should be the same as 
 that directed for the pointer. 
 
 Where there is plenty of water in which he can go and 
 refresh himself, the setter is, in my opinion, preferable to the 
 pointer: but unless he can get these baths frequently, in hot 
 weather, he cannot stand the work nearly so well as the 
 latter. He is not so likely to become foot-sore as the 
 pointer, from his feet being protected by the hair growing 
 between his toes; and he can bear greater labour with less 
 fatigue. 
 
 I should observe, however, that there is generally more 
 trouble in breaking the setter than the pointer, and he sooner 
 forgets his lessons ; so that at the end of a season you may 
 be flattered with the belief that he is all that you could wish 
 him to be, and the next discover sad forget fulness of his 
 lessons. 
 
 Unless in driving a thick covert, or threading hedgerows, 
 
SPANIELS AND RETRIEVERS. 253 
 
 spaniels are generally so headstrong, that they prevent a 
 great many more shots than they give. At the same time, 
 if they are well broken to keep within gun-shot, and to come 
 to heel when called, there are no such dogs for pheasants, 
 woodcocks, and snipes. These are the two essential quali- 
 ties in spaniels ; and, although to "down charge" is a third 
 admirable accomplishment, yet it is not necessary, if they 
 will "come in " readily to the order. 
 
 Kindness is quite out of the pale of possibility, in break- 
 ing the spaniel. Nothing will do but severity : but the 
 younger they are taken in hand, the less of this will be 
 required. 
 
 It is not necessary for me to say much about Retrievers, 
 as any dog can be taught to fetch game : but as small dogs 
 cannot bring hares through a thick covert, and are apt to 
 " mouth " birds, particularly pheasants, in making the at- 
 tempt, it is better to assign this office to a large and power- 
 ful animal. A Newfoundland dog makes the best retriever; 
 as he entertains a fondness for this kind of employment, and 
 his thick coat enables him to crash through any kind of 
 thicket; his strength, to bring any kind of game; and he 
 cares no more about dashing into the stream, in the depth 
 of winter, to recover a duck, than through a furze brake, to 
 pick up a rabbit. 
 
254 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 HOW TO ADMINISTER MEDICINE TO DOGS. COMMON DISEASES, 
 
 PREVENTIVES, AND TREATMENT* 
 
 IT frequently happens thai dogs, like horses, are afflicted 
 with disorders which a plain and easy treatment will get 
 rid of. If, however, a valuable animal be seized with any 
 disorder which does not readily yield to the management of 
 the " unprofessional," I advise the calling in the aid of the 
 regular practitioner. It is poor economy to save five shil- 
 lings, and to lose as many, or five times as many, pounds. 
 In gleaning the following prescriptions, I recommend their 
 application only in simple cases. 
 
 How to administer medicines to Dogs. 
 
 Place the dog upright on his hind legs, between the knees 
 of a seated person, with his back inwards: a very small dog 
 may be taken altogether into the lap: place a napkin round 
 his shoulders, bringing it forward over the fore legs, by 
 which he may be secured from resisting. The mouth being 
 now forced open, by the pressure of the fore finger and 
 thumb upon the lip of the upper jaw, the medicine may be 
 conveniently introduced with the other hand, and passed 
 sufficiently far into the throat to ensure its not being re- 
 turned. The mouth must now be closed, and kept so till 
 
DISEASES OF DOGS, AND TREATMENT. 255 
 
 the medicine is seen to pass down. When the animal is 
 too strong to be managed by one person, an assistant is 
 requisite to hold open the mouth ; which, if the dog is very 
 refractory, is best effected by a strong piece of tape applied 
 behind the holders, or fangs of each jaw. A ball or bolus 
 must be passed completely over the root of the tongue, and 
 dexterously pushed some way backwards and downwards. 
 When a liquid is given, if the quantity is more than can be 
 swallowed at once, it must be removed from the mouth each 
 deglutition, or the dog may be strangled, The head should 
 be completely secured, and a little elevated, to prevent the 
 liquid from running out. Soft or nauseous balls should be 
 wrapped in thin paper. Tasteless medicines, calomel, &c., 
 or purging salts, may be frequently given in food, 
 
 The Distemper in Dogs. 
 
 Changes in the atmosphere, low keep, and neglect, are 
 among the principal causes of this disease. The following are 
 the usual symptoms of this malady in young dogs : sudden 
 loss of spirit, of^activity, and appetite ; drowsiness, dullness 
 of the eyes, and lying at length with the nose to the ground ; 
 coldness of the extremities, of the ears, and legs ; with heat 
 of the head and body, sometimes nearly scorching ; sudden 
 emaciation and excessive weakness, particularly in the 
 hinder quarters, which begin to sink and drag after the ann 
 mal ; the flanks pinched in ; an apparent tendency to evacu- 
 ate from the bowels a little at a time ; sometimes vomiting ; 
 the eyes and nose are often, but not always, affected with a 
 discharge. In an advanced stage of the distemper, spasmo- 
 dic and convulsive twitchings will be perceived ; with gid- 
 diness, turning round, foaming at the mouth, and fits, which 
 would probably terminate in madness. In this stage of the 
 disease, recourse must be had to professional aid, or the ani- 
 
256 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 inal be put out of existence,* In distemper, the dog will 
 probably refuse food for some days ; and should be supplied 
 with warm milk and water, broth, gruel, or whey ; he should 
 also be taken out into the air ; his bed should be warm and 
 dry; and, in cold weather, he should be permitted to lie by 
 the fire, in a moderate degree of heat. Mild doses, of from 
 two to three grains of calomel, should be given daily in milk, 
 for four or five days, with intermissions : this will reduce the 
 fever, and bring the bowels to their natural state. James's 
 powder is generally a certain remedy ; or antimonial powder 
 and calomel ; three parts of the former and one of the latter 
 may be given, from eight to fifteen grains, with the same ef- 
 fect. It should be made into balls about the size of a hazel- 
 nut, with treacle or honey, and flour ; and rubbed over slightly 
 with fresh butter or lard. A table-spoonful or two of castor oil 
 may be given occasionally, sometimes a tea-spoonful of pow- 
 dered rhubarb, with two or three grains of calomel, have been 
 highly useful. Mercury or antimony should be first given in 
 very small quantities; increasing the dose according to the na- 
 ture of the case and the constitution of the patient. Dr. Elaine's 
 distemper remedy, with which directions are sold will be found 
 highly beneficial. To recover the dog from the debility left 
 by distemper and the remedies necessarily given to cure it, 
 light flesh meat, and rich broths of beef or neat's feet, and 
 milk broth with rice, should be given : balls of slacked-boiled 
 beef bruised to a pulp in a mortar, are very nourishing. 
 Beer cordial, with ginger, moderately sweetened, is very useful. 
 Strengthening medicines generally given are, from twelve to 
 forty drops of laudanum in a glass of port or good beer, or in 
 a large table-spoonful of friar's balsam ; and four tea-spoon- 
 fuls of water, given once or twice a-day for a week. Bark 
 and port wine have been found highly useful ; from one to 
 
 I had a pointer so afflicted in 1844, and was compelled to kill him after 
 having been very nearly bitten. 
 
DISEASES OF DOGS, AND TREAMENT. 257 
 
 two drachms of bark given at a time. These medicines 
 should not be given till the bowels have been cleared and 
 the fever reduced. During the disease, the discharge from 
 the nose and eyes should be wiped away as often as pos- 
 sible, and the bed kept dry and clean. When taken out 
 for air, the dog should be encouraged to eat grass, and to lap 
 junning water. 
 
 When a vomit is necessary in distemper, or any other dis- 
 ease, a tea-spoonful or a table-spoonful of common salt in "a 
 tea-cupful of warm water, will produce one ; or tarter emetic 
 may be given, from one to four grains. 
 
 Another Way to cure the Distemper. 
 
 Give from four to seven grains of turbith mineral, in boiled 
 liver, shredded fine ; this is to be repeated. Put a seton 
 behind each ear, to prevent its seizing the cap of the brain ; 
 give him plenty of warm broth, and keep him dry. If the 
 inside of the tuel should make an external appearance, which 
 often happens at two or three months old ; boil one ounce of 
 log- wood, cut small, in a quart of milk, till it is reduced to 
 one-fourth ; strain it off; and give a tea-cupful every morn- 
 ing till it disappears ; or two ounces of dragon's blood pul- 
 verized, and a piece of alum the size of a walnut, boiled in 
 three pints of skimmed milk, till reduced to a quart. A tea- 
 cupful of this to be given every day. 
 
 Worms. 
 
 When dogs are subject to these, their coats will stand up and 
 their appetite be excessive, without producing any improve- 
 ment in the appearance of the animal ; the belly will be hard, 
 and sometimes swollen, accompanied by a short husky cough. 
 A purge, of the usual quantity of fine aloes, with from two to 
 eight grains of calomel, should be given them ; and two or 
 
258 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 three days after, begin a regular course of worm medicines. 
 Take the finest tin filings, two drachms ; cowhage half a 
 drachm ; calomel, fourteen grains ; to make four, six, or eight 
 balls, according to the size and strength of the dog; give one 
 every morning for a fortnight, with occasional omissions if 
 necessary : let the dog's food and lodging be good in the in- 
 terim. One or two large spoonfuls of linseed oil, with a tea- 
 spoonful of oil of turpenrine, given every morning, fasting 
 for a week, will sometimes effect a cure. Or give walnut 
 leaves in boiled milk. 
 
 Swelled Seats. 
 
 Rub with a pomade, composed of camphorated spirit, or 
 brandy, and goose grease, two or three times a-day. 
 
 Torn Ears. 
 
 Ears torn by the hedges, or by other means, may be touched 
 with laudanum and brandy, and alternately with oil. 
 
 For a Strain. 
 
 One ounce of spirits of turpentine, half a pint of old beer, 
 and half a pint of brine. Bathe the part affected, and repeat 
 it if required ; or one ounce of sal-ammoniac, and one pint 
 of vinegar : keep the dog quiet. 
 
 When swelling arises after Bleeding, 
 Apply a fomentation of camomile flowers. 
 
 For a Bruise in the Joint. 
 Oil of turpentine, to be well rubbed in. 
 
 For a Green Wound. 
 Hog's lard, turpentine, and bee's wax, equal quantities, 
 
259 
 
 dnd a quarter as much verdigris: these all simmered over a 
 slow fire till they come to a salve. 
 
 When a Dog is Poisoned. 
 
 Give him a tea-cupful of castor oil. After he has vomited 
 well, continue pouring olive oil down his thrdat, and rubbing 
 his belly. 
 
 When the Distemper hangs in a Dog's Kidneys. 
 
 (jive him a wine-glassful of antimonial wine, with a ted- 1 
 spoonful of spirits of turpentine in it; which, being Occasion- 
 ally repeated, will strengthen him. 
 
 When a Dog looks heavy and sleepy in Cold Weather. 
 
 Give him old beer, sugared, and toasted bread crumbled 
 into it. To be taken quite warm* 
 
 For the Canker in the Teeth. 
 
 In cases of sufficient importance, rub a moist tooth-brush 
 on a piece of blue-stone vitriol, or burnt alum ; and rub the 
 teeth well ; which, on a repetition, will eat it off. 
 
 To cure a Dog of the, Mange, without scent. 
 
 Dissolve a quarter of an ounce of sublimate in one ounce of 
 spirit of salts ; boil it in a quart of water, and wash the parts 
 affected. Muzzle the dog. This repeated will effect a cure. 
 
 To prevent Hydrophobia, or canine Madness. 
 
 As soon as possible after the bite is received, well wash 
 the part ; apply salt, squeeze the incision, and bind as much 
 salt on it as you can, stopping the circulation above it. 
 Keep the dog tied tip. 
 23 
 
260 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 Wounds. 
 
 Friar's balsam is an excellent application for a fresh wound ; 
 or a spoonful of brandy and a few drops of laudanum may be 
 applied. Thorns and splinters must be carefully got out, and 
 either of the above applied immediately. A poultice of black 
 pitch plaster is the best application to extract thorns. Tincture 
 of myrrh, or aloes, is sometimes preferable to friar's balsam 
 for a wound in its early stage, as the latter generally closes 
 the wound too soon. 
 
 
 Sore Feet. 
 
 Butter-milk, greasy pot-liquor, or water gruel, are the best 
 remedies to apply to dog's feet that have become sore from 
 travelling, or the hardness of the ground. Some apply brine ; 
 but that is apt to inflame them if used before the feet are healed. 
 The dog should be kept at home, or his feet be wrapped up 
 till they are healed ; when brine and vinegar may be applied 
 to harden them. 
 
 Fleas. 
 
 Constant cleanliness is the best preventive. Lather the 
 coat well all over, and through to the skin, with the strongest 
 soap ; adding pearl ash if necessary ; taking care to kill all 
 the fleas within reach ; then wash clean. This a few times 
 repeated, will exterminate them. 
 
 Or one ounce of pepper boiled in a quart of water, is a 
 good wash to rid dogs of the vermin ; but scotch snuff', 
 steeped in gin, is infallible. 
 
 When a Dog strips in his Feet. 
 Wash and soak them well in bran and warm water, with 
 
DISEASES OF DOGS, AND TREATMENT. 261 
 
 a little vinegar ; then apply tincture of myrrh ; and in the 
 morning, previous to his going out, anoint them with a little 
 fresh butter or sweet oil. Do the same under his arms, flanks, 
 &c. where he strips. 
 
 Canker in the Ear. 
 
 A mixture of soap and brandy to be poured into the ear 
 and well rubbed into the external parts ; it may be diluted 
 with one third water, if necessary. Particular care must be 
 taken to protect the dog's eyes. 
 
 Bilious Complaints in Dogs. 
 
 These are occasioned by high living and want of exercise. 
 The best remedy is a good dose of calomel ; but, in obstinate 
 cases, a strong dog may take turbith mineral, or yellow mer- 
 cury, from six to twelve grains, in a pill or ball. 
 
 Purges. 
 
 Rue, beat fine, and put into lard or butter milk, is a good 
 purge. 
 
 From five to seven grains of calomel, is a good purge and 
 purifier. 
 
 But the best purge is socotrine or fine aloes ; from half a 
 drachm to a drachm, for a small dog; and two or three 
 drachms, for a full-sized hound : enclose the powder in a ball 
 of flour and lard or butter. 
 
 For an old Wound or Sore. 
 
 Hog's lard and honey, of each half a pound; turpentine, 
 a quarter of a pound ; pulverized verdegris, two ounces; let 
 them be simmered over a slow fire, and the ointment be ap- 
 plied hot. Five grains of calomel should be given occasion- 
 ally, in the form of a bolus. 
 
262 
 
 When a Dog staggers, or falls down in a Fit. 
 
 This generally happens in hot weather. If there is water 
 at hand, throw him into it; or he may be let blood in the 
 mouth, by passing a knife or fleam across two or three bars 
 next the teeth. This, however, will never happen, if the 
 blood be kept in a proper state. 
 
 To cure the external Canker in the Ear. 
 
 Pulverize a piece of alum, the size of a large walnut; 
 boil it in half a pint of water ; clean the scabs of the ear ; 
 and apply it with a large piece of sponge, as hot as possible : 
 hold the sponge on till cool. Repeat it two or three times 
 each day, till the canker be cured. Butter of antimony, 
 diluted in milk, till it is the thickness of cream will cure it. 
 
 Or half an ounce of red precipitate finely levigated, and 
 made into an ointment with two ounces of hog's lard. 
 
 To cure the internal Canker in the Ear. 
 
 Put a seton in the neck, just under the ear; and with a 
 piece of sponge on the end of a pliable stick, clean out the 
 ear, using a little soft soap. When it is quite clean, dip the 
 sponge in copperas water, and pass it in, turning it gently 
 round. To make the copperas water; beat a piece the size 
 of a large nut, and put into an ounce phial filled with spring 
 water: shake it well, when you are going to use it. Make 
 the seton with horse hair and tow, cased with hog's lard : 
 pass it through with a red-hot iron ; tie a piece of silk to each 
 end to move it. 
 
 For Films over the Eyes, Clouds, fyc. 
 
 Pulverize a piece of blue-stone vitriol, the size of a pea ; 
 put it into an ounce phial filled with spring water ; wash the 
 
DISEASES OF DOGS, AND TREATMENT. 263 
 
 eyes with it, letting a little pass in. This repeated will 
 effect a cure ; or a little scuttlebone blown into the eye every 
 other morning. 
 
 Rheumatism in Dogs. 
 
 May be discovered by its local affection, and sometimes by 
 a swelling in the neck, loins, or legs. Oppose the first 
 attack ; and never suffer an animal to go into the field, when 
 affected with the disease, or with a cold. Warm lodging, 
 and two or three day's indulgence near a good fire, with a 
 dose or two of calomel, will generally cure a first attack. 
 Also, a warm bath for a quarter of an hour; the dog being 
 afterwards rubbed dry, and put to bed warm : which may be 
 frequently repeated if necessary. To raise a perspiration, 
 give forty or fifty drops of laudanum, and two tea-spoonfuls 
 of spirit of ammonia, or hartshorn, in warm beer, or cordial. 
 Rub the parts affected, two or three times a-day with the 
 following mixture : Oil of turpentine, two ounces ; spirit of 
 hartshorn, two ounces ; laudanum, two drachms ; sweet oil, 
 two ounces : the whole to be well mixed together. 
 
 To make a Dog fine in his shin. 
 
 Give him a table-spoonful of tar, in oatmeal, made into 
 a ball. 
 
 When a dog is seized with a Hovering in the Lights, 
 
 Give him half a drachm of asafcetida, every other night, 
 well mixed in lard or butter. 
 
 / To cure the Red Taint or Mange. 
 
 Anoint with black sulpher, train-oil, and a little tar; give 
 him internally half an ounce of sulpher and a quarter of an 
 
 23* 
 
264 
 
 ounce of liver of antimony, in lard or honey. The latter is 
 the best. 
 
 Mange, 
 
 Is generally occasioned by neglect, or want of cleanliness ; 
 and not unfrequently from the want of a sufficiency of nou- 
 rishing food. In this case, external applications, and nou- 
 rishing food, are the best remedies. If it arise from repletion 
 or surfeit, calomel and the most powerful alteratives, are 
 required. Then take ^Ethiop's mineral, one ounce : cream 
 of tartar, one ounce; nitre, two drachms: divide the whole, 
 when mixed, into sixteen, twenty, or twenty-four doses ac_ 
 cording to the size of the dog, and give one dose every morn- 
 ing and evening. But, when weakness or poor living oc- 
 casions this disorder, sulphur in the dog's drink will be 
 sufficient; with an occasional purge, should it be necessary, 
 of an ounce or upwards of salts, or two or three spoonfuls 
 of salts, or two or three spoonfuls of syrup of buckthorn; 
 rubbing them with a mercurial unction. Care must be taken 
 not to salivate the animal ; and he must not be permitted to 
 lick himself, or to catch cold ; either of which may be fatal. 
 In a slight case, brimstone and hog's lard may effect a 
 cure. Or you may apply the following: roll brimstone 
 powdered, four ounces; powdered fox-glove, two ounces; 
 sal-ammoniac powdered, half an ounce; Barbadoes aloes, one 
 drachm ; turpentine, half an ounce ; lard, six or eight ounces ; 
 mix them. Ointments are too apt to be smeared over 
 the hair, without being applied to the skin. It requires at 
 least two hours to dress a dog thoroughly: the hair should 
 be parted almost hair by hair; and a small quantity of oint- 
 ment should be rubbed actually on the skin, between the 
 parted hairs, by the means of the end of the finger. After 
 every part is done, the hair may be smoothed down; and if the 
 
DISEASES OF DOGS, AND TREATMENT. 265 
 
 operation has been neatly performed, the dog will scarcely 
 show any marks of it. After three or four such dressings 
 with the last named ointment, the dog may be washed with 
 soft-soap and water, and the ointment again applied when 
 dry: which is to be repeated till the cure be complete. 
 
 The dog must be kept muzzled, and be warmly lodged, 
 and carefully kept from taking cold during this operation. 
 The same ointment may also be applied to eruptions, or 
 canker in the ear. 
 
 To destroy Worms. 
 
 Take from ten to thirty grains of calomel, in a paste ball 
 made with butter and flour; and the next morning two 
 drachms of socotrine aloes in butter. 
 
266 THK SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 PRESERVATION AND REARING OF GAME. DESTROYING 
 
 VERMIN, &C. 
 
 THE true sportsman directs his attention not only to the 
 killing of game, but also to its preservation. In my opinion, 
 the quantity of game on a manor should be regulated by 
 what it will reasonably bear, from its quality, size, and de- 
 scription of coverts. When game is too thick, it is far from 
 being conducive to sport; and it not only is a serious injury 
 and nuisance to the farmer, but offers a powerful inducement 
 to poaching, with many who otherwise would not think of 
 so transgressing the law. There is a great difference be- 
 tween " good shooting " and " wholesale slaughter." I can- 
 not think what pleasure can be derived from preserving such 
 inordinate quantities of game as many noblemen and gentle- 
 men do. Killing such game is as tame, unexciting, easy 
 work, as cutting the throats of barn-door poultry. 
 
 To have a thin and scanty supply is, however, as objec- 
 tionable an opposite, and, in the estimation of many, a great 
 deal worse. The happy medium is best. 
 
 I will take for granted that there is sufficient game on the 
 manor to breed by ; for unless we have the straw, we cannot 
 have the ear. First among the very rudiments of the preserva- 
 tion of game, stands " quietude." Unless game has rest, it 
 will not remain, and ca?wot increase. Quiet should therefore 
 
PRESERVATION OF GAME. 267 
 
 be the paramount consideration with all preservers. I have 
 known gentlemen permit their keepers to pass continually, or 
 as they thought proper, through their coverts, with dogs at 
 their heels and guns in their hands. This is one of the most 
 baneful inroads on the repose and quietude of " the denizens 
 of the wild." Besides, I am very suspicious of the professed 
 honesty of these kind of servants ; and, although I entertain 
 but little doubt that there may be as much virtue in game- 
 keepers as there is in butlers, I would no more allow the 
 former to have the absolute control over my manor than the 
 latter over my cellar. 
 
 As regards the covert, all gaps should be well stopped on 
 the boundery, and no " creeps" permitted to become in con- 
 stant use. It may be gaid, " Then how are the hares to get 
 in and out?" They must get out, and they will get in. 
 What I am referring to is not to allow " a creep " to be so 
 continually used as to make it the place of ingress and egress 
 of two-thirds of the game making the covert their home. 
 A well-used " creep" is the spot that the poacher selects 
 for his wire or gin. 
 
 It is pretty well known by poachers and game-keepers, 
 bnt not so well by gentlemen, that the common gin is more 
 generally used for the secret destruction of game than any 
 other engine. In the present day, more hares and phea- 
 sants are killed by this instrument than by snares, gate-nets, 
 and all the other means in vogue. 
 
 Nothing, in truth, can be more simple. The eye, and 
 it requires no skilful one, discovers the locality frequented 
 by game; the trap is set, than which nothing can be more 
 easy and expeditious ; and the victims caught. 
 
 There is no great difficulty in drawing a conclusion, when 
 a gin is discovered set, concerning the purpose for which it 
 was placed. I have seen gins apparently baited for vermin; 
 
268 THE SPORTSMAN 7 'S LIBRARY. 
 
 when I have known, as well as those who set them, that they 
 were placed there for a very different object. If a gin be 
 "tilled," as it is called in the West of England, among thick 
 gores or furze, where there is evidence of pheasants frequent- 
 ing and no runs or small creeps, which vermin always 
 make, you may be certain of the why and the what that it 
 was placed there for. On the verge of a covert, in creeps, 
 in and near feeding ground, your judgment may be exer- 
 cised as to the true cause for the setting of gins. Let your 
 keeper know that you are as well versed in the " arlful move- 
 ments" as he is. 
 
 As a preventive to trespassers entering your coverts for 
 any purpose whatsoever, from the poacher down to the 
 picker of sticks, and the gatherer of nuts and acorns, I 
 know of nothing so effective as dog spears. If it be known 
 that there are these passive instilments of annoyance planted 
 in the coverts, self-hunting quadrupeds will be kept at home 
 securely tethered, and interloping bipeds of every kind be 
 extremely reluctant to run the risk of spearing their legs. 
 
 I am a great admirer of preventives, and I was told by a 
 convicted poacher, that he " dreaded to enter coverts where- 
 in he knew there were dog spears, far more than others where 
 his only danger was being captured." 
 
 All the spears should be numbered ; so that there may be 
 no mistake whatever in taking the whole of them up, when 
 there is the smallest probability of hounds getting into the 
 covert, or beating it in any way for game. Mischief will be 
 very likely to accrue, from neglecting a solitary spear. 
 
 To keep pheasants at home, it is necessary to feed them at 
 that season of the year when they cannot obtain sufficient 
 corn and berries. Nothing is more pleasing to their appetites 
 than buck- wheat. To grow it on the verge of the coverts is 
 a very good method to prevent their roaming. To stack a 
 
PRESERVATION OF GAME. 269 
 
 little corn in the straw, in the depths of the woods, is another 
 good plan ; although open to objections from the crows, jack- 
 daws, &c., getting a pull now and then. My reply to this, 
 however, is kill them. 
 
 Early in October, or just before it, when pheasants are 
 poached for market, you can learn to a certainty whether your 
 coverts have been infringed upon, by running long pieces of 
 cotton through them, tied to the low boughs of trees or under- 
 wood. If broken, you may know that the foot of the unwel- 
 come stranger has been there. It is true that the mischief is 
 done ; and what is done cannot be undone : but there is some 
 satisfaction in knowing the worst occasionally ; and always 
 in the conviction that no harm has been effected. 
 
 A great many partridges' nests are destroyed, by being cut 
 out of the clover and grass. It is better to prevent their lay- 
 ing in these localities, by running a spaniel through them, 
 both in the morning and in the evening; and, by thus con- 
 tinually disturbing them, oblige them to seek other quarters. 
 
 Rearing Pheasants and Partridges under Domestic Hens. 
 
 Great care is required in rearing game under common hens. 
 When a nest is destroyed, the eggs should be taken and, if 
 set upon, kept warm until a setting hen can be got. 
 
 I do not recommend the purchasing of eggs (a system of 
 smuggling which encourages the poacher,) any more than I 
 would the buying of foxes from a country where the foxhounds 
 are maintained. But we know that these things have been, 
 are, and will be practised. Occasionally, too, accidents oc* 
 cur to nests, which destroy them ; and it becomes necessary 
 to place the abandoned eggs under domestic fowls, to secure 
 the hatching. 
 
 The duty of rearing pheasants and partridges under hens, 
 
270 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 like that of destroying vermin, is one more directly belong- 
 ing to the keeper than to the sportsman. Still, I as have not 
 passed over the one, I shall not neglect the other ; knowing 
 that many gentlemen take a great interest in having a few 
 nides and coveys on their lawns. 
 
 Bantams are better suited for hatching game than the com- 
 mon hens. Care should be taken to render the bantams so 
 employed as tame and tractable as possible; for, the more 
 they are so, the more will the little chickens also be. It is a 
 common practice to keep the hen in a coop with a frame 
 covered with a net, until the young ones be fit to be turned 
 off. This is a great error, and one of the principal difficul- 
 ties in rearing game under domestic poultry. It is so directly 
 opposed to their nature to be confined, that, in this state, the 
 greatest care bestowed upon them is rarely sufficient to pre- 
 vent numbers from dying, which otherwise would have lived. 
 The better system to adopt, is, to keep the mother cooped 
 for three or four days, until the chickens get strength : for 
 she will " hive " them more in confinement than at liberty ; 
 and it is the natural warmth they require at first, more than 
 any kind or quantity of food. The mother should then 
 be allowed to range with her brood ; as grass seed, clover 
 leaves, grubs, caterpillars, flies, worms, and insects of many 
 kinds, are eagerly sought by them, and form their natural 
 food. If the grass be very wet, from heavy dew or recent 
 rain, it is better to keep the hen in her coop until it become 
 dryer; more particularly if she be inclined to rove about : but 
 bantams are seldom so disposed. There is no necessity, 
 however, for stopping the chickens from coming out ; as, the 
 moment they feel chilleu they will return and nestle under 
 their mother. The coop should be constructed with a falling 
 bar or door, so as that the hen may be driven into it easily, 
 of an evening; which she should be, until the young phea^ 
 
REARING GAME. 271 
 
 sants are inclined to roost or the partridges to desert her. 
 Then is the time to turn them off; indeed, if not prevented, 
 they, at least the partridges, will take that trouble off your 
 hands. Pheasants reared near a house surrounded with thick 
 plantations, generally continue near and about it : but par- 
 tridges never do. I have known them, however, return close 
 to the spot where they were reared, to hatch their own 
 young: and these birds have a peculiar boldness which the 
 wild ones do not possess. I have known them attack the 
 legs of strangers, in the same manner that a barn-door hen 
 will an intruder upon their privacy ; and repeatedly return to 
 the charge after being beaten off. This may read as having 
 a touch of the marvellous to many ; but I not only assert the 
 fact, but can prove it. 
 
 The food, until they can eat gram plentifully, should be 
 given often and in small quantities. Chopped hard egg, 
 white bread soaked in milk, mixed with chopped cives, cab- 
 bage and lettuce, will be found good food for them in their 
 early state. Curd is very good by way of a change, now 
 and then : but it is too binding to be given frequently. There 
 is nothing better," perhaps nothing so good, as ant's egg for 
 them. These should be given after their food, as an excel- 
 lent treat. It is a mistake, however, to consider that ant's 
 eggs are indispensable. I have seven pheasants on the 
 lawn, while I am writing this page, which, as far as I know, 
 never saw one : and they are reared to flyers. Maggots are 
 a famous substitute; and are more conveniently procured, 
 in many parts where ant's eggs are scarce, by hanging up 
 a liver, and letting them fall into some bran. Artificial ant's 
 eggs may be made, by beating up an egg, pounding the 
 shell into a powder, and mixing the whole into a paste 
 with some flour. Small bits may then be taken between 
 the thumb and finger, and rolled into the size and shape 
 24 
 
272 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 of an ant's egg. A pinch of these, occasionally, will be 
 found beneficial, if the real thing cannot be procured : but 
 nothing is taken with such avidity as the eggs themselves. 
 
 Dross wheat should be given, as soon as they can eat it; 
 and water fresh and pure should be put where they can 
 always get at it: notwithstanding some theories to the 
 contrary. 
 
 Pheasants are more difficult to rear than partridges. The 
 latter are not nearly so likely to become afflicted with, what 
 is called in the west of England, " the gapes ;" which is in 
 fact, the pip; a complaint causing them to open their bills 
 with a weezing noise, and to scour. The best remedy to 
 apply for this disease, is to place those afflicted in a bowl or 
 hat, and, covering the top over with a cloth, to smoke them 
 with tobacco. This is easily managed with a common 
 pipe, by charging it in the usual way, and blowing the va- 
 pour through the tube, by pulling a tight piece of rag over 
 the bowl of the pipe, and inserting the small end, or part that 
 is usually placed between the lips, under the cloth. I will 
 not say that the remedy is infallible: but I have seen it 
 tried with very great success. This may be repeated, 
 occasionally, until the cure be effected. If not attended to as 
 soon as taken, " the gapes " will quickly cause them to 
 gape their last: and by far the greater number of phea- 
 sants, so hatched, have them. 
 
 A southern aspect under the lea of a wall sheltering from 
 the north and east winds should be chosen, for the coop to 
 be stationed in. But if warmth be essential to this tender 
 exotic of more sunny latitudes, dryness is of far greater con- 
 sequence. The mother can always give warmth ; but she 
 cannot prevent the dampness arising from an ill-chosen spot 
 for her family. A gentle slope on a short piece of turf, is the 
 most desirable spot for the coop to be placed in ; and it 
 should not admit of the least rain, from any chink or crevice. 
 
REARING GAME. 273 
 
 With proper liberty for getting their natural food, and ob- 
 serving the rules laid down for their general preservation, 
 many beautiful birds may be reared, which otherwise would 
 be lost. 
 
 Destruction of Vermin. 
 
 The destruction of vermin is exceedingly important for the 
 preservation of game. Birds of prey, such as hawks, buz- 
 zards, carrion crows, magpies, &c. are better destroyed in the 
 breeding season than at any other time. Find out their nests, 
 which is by no means difficult ; and then, when the hen bird 
 is setting, blow up the family establishment. By these means 
 you will be certain to destroy the most injurious of the pair, 
 the hen bird. Eley's cartridges are well designed for this 
 kind of business; more particularly for a magpie's nest, which, 
 being thickly lined with clay, is likely to resist the effects of 
 a common charge. 
 
 A piece of flesh can be placed in such a position that you 
 may drop upon the sanguinary tribe unawares, when feast- 
 ing, and then administer a dose of powder and shot. 
 
 Gins can be baited and placed on the trunks of trees that 
 they frequent ; and flesh poisoned with arsenic, hung up for 
 their especial use. 
 
 I need not point out the danger of leaving this in the way 
 of dogs ; nor the necessity of placing it completely out of their 
 reach. 
 
 For pole-cats, weazels, stoats, cats, &c. gins are the best 
 instruments of destruction. These should be set in and about 
 their " runs," and baited with a young rabbit, or any thing of 
 the tempting order. The gin should be secreted ; and the 
 bait fixed above it, either by suspending it within reach of 
 the vermin on a stick, or by pegging it into a bank. A red 
 herring is an irresistible tit-bit for a cat. 
 
274 
 
 Hutch-traps are preferable to gins, in one particular ; and 
 that is, in not injuring game even should it enter them. But I 
 have found vermin reluctant to trust themselves within these 
 engines designed for their capture, and, consequently, I recom- 
 mend the use of gins. Wherever a head of game is found 
 killed by vermin, a gin should be set, as " the varmint" is 
 sure to return to eat more. 
 
GREYHOUNDS. 275 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 GREYHOUNDS, THEIR BREEDING AND TRAINING. COURSING, 
 AND THE LAWS OF COURSING. 
 
 A GREYHOUND, to be symmetrical, should have a long 
 neck, deep shoulders, thin withers, broad loins and back, flat 
 sides, deep gaskins, thin feet, straight legs, short from, the 
 hock, and have a small delicately shaped head. 
 
 As in the breeding of every kind of animal, the old rule 
 that I laid down, with regard to the horse, applies equally to 
 the greyhound, the fleetest and most elegant of all the canine 
 species : " the best of the greyhound goes in at his inouth." 
 This maxim ought never to be out of the memory of the 
 breeder of all finds of stock ; as there cannot be a question 
 that if the colt or the puppy, or whatever it may be, is not 
 worth good and liberal feeding, he most decidedly is not 
 worth keeping. Shooting or hanging are far more politic 
 measures, than a parsimonious mode of treating animals in 
 their infancy. 
 
 There are several kinds of greyhounds. The Irish, Rus- 
 sian, (which runs also by scent,) Turkish, Italian, &c. but I 
 shall treat only of the English, as they are those commonly 
 used for the purposes of sporting. 
 
 There is no doubt that the word " greyhound " is a cor- 
 luption from " gazehound." The animal pursues his game 
 by "gazing" or viewing it, and thus it was originally that 
 
 24* 
 
276 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 he acquired his name. Why, when, or by whom, it was 
 changed, I never learned : but the alteration is far from being 
 an improvement, in my opinion. 
 
 To have good puppies, the blood of the sire and darn 
 should be good : and if neither are aged, so much the better ; 
 but the bitch should never be old. I dislike old mothers for 
 any breeding purposes ; although the other extreme is equally 
 objectionable. I recommend that no bitch be warded until 
 after the close of her third season, 
 
 Late puppies seldom turn out well ; the earlier they are 
 bred in the year, the better. As it is impossible to form a 
 correct judgment upon the qualities of the litter until time has 
 developed them, the whole should be saved until there can 
 be no doubt as to which are to be selected for destruction. 
 If the hasty plan of choosing them soon after they are whelped 
 be adopted, the chances are greatly in favour of your having 
 some of your best puppies killed. 
 
 It is better, if practicable, and in large establishments it 
 always is so, to have more than one bitch warded at the 
 same time. In the event of there being a small litter from 
 each, one dam can suckle them, while the other can be re- 
 lieved of the pull upon her strength ; and the trouble of attend- 
 ing two mothers in the kennel will be saved. 
 
 Great cleanliness in the kennel, ventilation, fresh water, 
 and exercise, are indispensable to the thriving of young 
 greyhounds. Their food should be oatmeal, milk, (not skim- 
 med,) broth, and flesh. If barley-meal be given, it should 
 be done sparingly, and mixed with the oatmeal; as it is 
 heating, and not so nutricious as the latter. 
 
 In addition to a generous regimen and extreme cleanliness, 
 exercise is of the greatest importance. The less that puppies, 
 and indeed all dogs, are kept closely confined, the better. 
 Freedom gives them health, strength, and courage ; and 
 
GREYHOUNDS. 277 
 
 brings their feet and legs into condition. It also gets them 
 forward in their growth* gives elasticity to their limbs, and 
 altogether is as necessary to their well-doing as water is to 
 quench their thirst. 
 
 Much judicious care, however, is requisite in exercising 
 not only puppies, but dogs beyond that stage. I have seen 
 a man galloping along a hard turnpike road, at a fearful risk 
 of annihilating some of her majesty's liege subjects, with 
 two or three brace of greyhounds at his heels ; and this I sup- 
 pose, was exercising them! What can be more absurd than 
 rattling dogs over a hard, flinty road, at the expense of their 
 legs? I should as soon direct the most valuable hunter that 
 I ever possessed, (and I dropped three hundred for St Nicho- 
 las,) to be galloped at speed up and down Portland Place 
 for a couple of hours, as sending greyhounds of mine to be 
 breathed on a road. A gentle pace on the hard ground will 
 be beneficial to their feet; .but your greyhounds, like horses, 
 should never be galloped on it. 
 
 Fast work must be done, however, to obtain first-rate con- 
 dition. There is a great similarity, as far as there can be 
 between a horse and a dog, between bringing a greyhound 
 "up to the mark" and the race-horse. High feeding; great 
 care to keep the kennel clean and pure, warm and dry ; 
 physic; exercise; and work; these, and a little practical 
 knowledge in the judicious administration of them, are all 
 that is required, for either the race-horse or the greyhound. 
 
 In feeding greyhounds, when training, various are the 
 commixtures given ; to attempt the detailing of which, would 
 occupy greater space than the value of the information might 
 warrant. Wheat-meal in equal quantities with the oat, ani- 
 seeds, and whites of eggs, are frequently mixed together, and 
 made into loaves, when dogs are being trained for racing, 
 and these are given in rich soup. 
 
278 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 To all dogs, but more especially to greyhounds, the dis- 
 temper is a deadly enemy. Under the head of "The Dis- 
 temper in dogs," (page 255,) a treatment will be found, 
 which applies as well to greyhounds as to any other. 
 
 Coursing. 
 
 Coursing is so simple a sport, that scarcely any observation 
 is required, upon the way in which it ought to be conducted. 
 To find hares readily, is the principal requisite. Some men 
 are far more expert in doing this than others. In going 
 through gates or over stiles, you should cast your eyes on 
 the ground and, if soft, you will be able to prick the hare, if 
 she has lately been there. If you should find a double, (id 
 esty where she has been in and out,) you may be satisfied 
 that she is not far off, if it be a close, woodland country ; for 
 hares are not fond of fences, and will feed at no great dis- 
 tance from their forms. If the hedgerows be thick, a spaniel 
 that will thread them is of great service ; and you should 
 look out for the " creeps" in the fences, as these frequently 
 are the index of the " whereabouts" of puss. 
 
 A wide unenclosed country is the one for the enjoyment of 
 good coursing. In such localities, hares are compelled to 
 make their forms in the open ; and a quick eye will discover 
 them there. Regular beats should be made ; so that the 
 same ground be not retaken, and parts neglected to be 
 tried. 
 
 When a hare is found on her form, the finder should 
 halloo " So-ho !" but not very loudly ; as it is to attract the 
 attention of the dogs, and to notify to the field the discovery 
 made, and not for the purpose of springing the hare. The 
 law or space allowed between the hare and the greyhounds, 
 
COURSING. 279 
 
 must depend upon the nature of the country. If it be in 
 small enclosures, where, in a few yards, the hare will be out 
 of sight, you must let your dogs be close to her when put 
 from her form, or she will be lost. Should you be near a 
 covert, too, the same rule must be observed ; as she is cer- 
 tain to make for it, and if not turned before reaching the 
 verge, will be safe from farther pursuit. 
 
 Except with pot-hunters, however, the sport is not in Idll- 
 ing the hare ; but in running her, and seeing the cotes, turns, 
 and wrenches. This is the delight of the legitimate courser ; 
 and, in order to obtain this, he gives as much ground be- 
 tween the hare and dogs at the start as he fairly can, in jus- 
 tice to both the pursuing and pursued. This, as I have 
 before said, must depend on the nature of the country. 
 
 If there are more than a brace of greyhounds in the field, 
 the others should be in slips, and have "blinkers" on. If 
 they see the hare, it gives infinity of trouble to hold them, 
 and makes them anxious and fretful. 
 
 In riding a course, you should be very careful ; for, although 
 the greyhounds may be racing with the speed of light away 
 from you one moment, the hare turns, and the next they are 
 in an opposite direction. A hard-pulling, ungovernable horse 
 is extremely likely to cause an accident, by galloping over 
 the greyhounds. A valuable dog may be either killed or 
 ruined by a fracture. 
 
 When a hare leaves her form, and gets through a fence 
 unseen by the greyhounds, you should ride boldly at the 
 fence, and lift them with a cheer. They will then get view, 
 and not, perhaps, too much time be lost for the start. 
 
 At the latter end of January, February, and March, hares 
 frequent the fallows. 
 
 I have now given, I believe, every necessary suggestion 
 with regard to coursing; and shall, in conclusion, insert the 
 
280 THE SPORTSMAN LIBRARY. 
 
 laws and local rules governing the various Clubs throughout 
 the kingdom at the present time. 
 
 THE LAWS OF COURSING. 
 
 Two stewards shall be appointed by the members at din- 
 ner each day, to act in the field the following day, and to 
 preside at dinner. They shall regulate the plan of beating 
 the ground, under the sanction of the owner or occupier of 
 the soil. 
 
 n. 
 
 Three or five members, including the secretary for the 
 time being, shall form a committee of management, and shall 
 name a person, for the appprobation of the members, to judge 
 all courses. All doubtful cases shall be referred to them. 
 
 in. 
 
 All courses shall be from slips, by a brace of greyhounds 
 only. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The time of putting the first brace of dogs in slips shall be 
 declared at dinner on the day preceding. If a prize is to be 
 run for, and only one dog is ready, he shall run a bye, and 
 his owner shall receive forfeit; should neither be ready, 
 the course shall be run when the committee shall think fit. 
 In a match, if only one dog be ready, his owner shall receive 
 forfeit ; if neither be present, the match shall be placed last 
 in the list. 
 
THE LAWS OF COURSING. 281 
 
 V. 
 
 If any person shall enter a greyhound by a name different 
 from that in which he last appeared in public, without giving 
 notice of such alteration, he shall be disqualified from win- 
 ning, and shall forfeit his match. 
 
 VI. 
 
 No greyhounds shall be entered as puppies, unless born 
 on or after the 1st of January of the year preceding the day 
 of running. 
 
 vn. 
 
 Any member, or other person, running a greyhound at the 
 meeting, having a dog at large which shall join in the course 
 then running, shall forfeit one sovereign : and, if belonging 
 to either of the parties running, the course shall be decided 
 against him. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 The judge ought to be in a position where he can see the 
 dogs leave the slips, and to decide by the colour of the dogs, 
 to a person appointed for that purpose. His decision shall 
 be final. 
 
 IX. 
 
 If, in running for prizes, the judge shall be of opinion that 
 the course has not been of sufficient length to enable him to 
 decide as to the merits of the dogs, he shall inquire of the 
 committee whether he is to decide the course or not : if in 
 the negative, the dogs shall be immediately put again into 
 the slips. 
 
 x. 
 
 The judge shall not answer any questions put to him re- 
 garding a course, unless such questions are asked by the 
 committee. 
 
282 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 XI. 
 
 If any member make any observation in the hearing of the 
 judge respecting a course, during the time of running, or 
 before he shall have delivered his judgment, he shall forfeit 
 one sovereign to the fund ; and if either dog be his own, he 
 shall lose the course. If he impugn the decision of the judge, 
 he shall forfeit two sovereigns. 
 
 XII. 
 
 When a course of an average length is so equally divided 
 that the judge shall be unable to decide it, the owners of the 
 dogs may toss for it; but if either refuse, the dogs shall be 
 again put in the slips, at such time as the committee may 
 think fit ; but if either dog be drawn, the winning dog shall 
 not be obliged to run again. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 In running a match, the judge may declare the course to 
 be undecided. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 If a member shall enter more than one greyhound, bond 
 fide his own property, for a prize, his dogs shall not run 
 together, if possible to avoid it; and if two greyhounds, the 
 property of the same member, remain to the last tie, he may 
 run it out, or draw either, as he shall think fit. 
 
 xv. 
 
 When dogs engaged are of the same colour, the last 
 drawn shall wear a collar. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 If a greyhound stand still in a course when a hare is in 
 his or her sight, the owner shall lose the course ; but if a 
 
THE LAWS OF COURSING. 283 
 
 greyhound drops from exhaustion, and it shall be the opinion 
 of the judge that the merit up to the time of falling was 
 greatly in his or her favour, then the judge shall have power 
 to award the course to the greyhound so falling, if he 
 think fit. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Should two hares be on foot, and the dogs separate be- 
 fore reaching the hare slipped at, the course shall be unde- 
 cided, and shall be run over again at such time as the 
 committee shall think fit, unless the owners of the dogs agree 
 to toss for it, or to draw one dog ; and if the dogs separate 
 after running some time, it shall be at the discretion of the 
 committee whether the course shall be decided up to the 
 point of separation. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 A course shall end, if either dog be so unsighted as to 
 cause an impediment in the course. 
 
 xix. 
 
 If any member or his servant ride over his opponent's 
 dog when running, so as to injure him in the course, the 
 dog so ridden over shall be deemed to win the course. 
 
 xx. 
 
 It is recommended to all union meetings to appoint a 
 committee of five, consisting of members of different Clubs, 
 to determine all difficulties and cases of doubt. 
 
 The following 
 
 GENERAL RULES 
 
 are recommended to judges for their guidance. The fea- 
 tures of merit are : 
 25 
 
284 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 The race from slips, and the first turn or wrench of the 
 hare (provided it be a fair slip,) and a straight run up. 
 
 Where one dog gives the other a go-by, when both are 
 in their full speed, and turns or wrenches the hare. (N. B. 
 If one dog be in the stretch, and the other only turning at 
 the time he passes, it is not a fair go-by.) 
 
 Where one dog turns the hare when she is leading home- 
 wards, and keeps the lead so as to serve himself, and makes 
 a second turn of the hare without losing the lead. 
 
 A catch or kill of the hare, when she is running straight 
 and leading homewards, is fully equal to a turn of the hare 
 when running in the same direction; or perhaps more, if he 
 show the speed over the other dog in doing. If a dog 
 draws the fleck from the hare, and causes her to wrench or 
 nick only, it is equal to a turn of the hare when leading 
 homewards. 
 
 When a dog wrenches or nicks a hare twice following, 
 without losing the lead, it is equal to a turn. 
 
 N. B. It often happens when a hare has been turned, 
 and she is running from home, that she turns of her own 
 accord to gain ground homeward, when both dogs are on 
 the stretch after her: in such a case the judge should not 
 give the leading dog a turn. 
 
 There are often other minor advantages in a course, such 
 as one dog showing occasional superiority of speed, turn- 
 ing on less ground, and running the whole course with more 
 fire than his opponent, which must be left to the discretion 
 of the judge, who is to decide on the merits. 
 
THE LAWS OF COURSING. 285 
 
 LOCAL RULES. 
 
 That the number of members be regulated by the letters 
 in the alphabet, and that the two junior members shall take 
 letters X and Z, if required. 
 
 ii. 
 
 That the members shall be elected by ballot, that seven 
 members constitute a ballot, and that two black balls shall 
 exclude. 
 
 in. 
 
 That the name of every person proposed to be balloted 
 for as a member shall be placed over the chimney-piece one 
 day before the ballot can take place. 
 
 IV. 
 
 That no proposition can be balloted for, unless put up 
 over the chimney-piece with the name or the proposer and 
 seconder, at or before dinner preceding the day of the bal- 
 lot, and read to the members at such dinner. 
 
 v. 
 
 That every member shall, at each meeting, run a grey- 
 hound his own property, or forfeit one sovereign to the club. 
 
 VI. 
 
 No member shall be allowed to match more than two 
 greyhounds in the first class, under a penalty of two sove- 
 reigns to the fund, unless auch member has been drawn or 
 run out for the prizes, in which case he shall be allowed to 
 run three dogs in the first class. 
 
286 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 VII. 
 
 If any member shall absent himself two seasons without 
 sending his subscription, he shall be deemed out of the so- 
 ciety, and another chosen in his place. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 That no greyhound shall be allowed to start, if any arrears 
 are due to this society from the owner. 
 
 IX. 
 
 That any member, lending another a greyhound for the 
 purpose of saving his forfeit (excepting by consent of the 
 members present,) shall forfeit five sovereigns. 
 
 x. 
 
 Any member, running the dog of a stranger in a match, 
 shall cause the name of the owner to be inserted after his 
 own name in the list, under a penalty of one sovereign. 
 
 XI. 
 
 No stranger to be admitted into the society's room, unless 
 introduced by a member, who is to place the name of his 
 friend over the chimney-piece, with his own name attached 
 to it; and no member to introduce more than one friend. 
 
 XII. 
 
 That the members of the 
 
 Clubs shall be honorary members of this society; and when 
 present shall be allowed to run their greyhounds, on paying 
 the annual subscription. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 That Messrs. 
 (three or five members, including the secretary for the time 
 
THE LAWS OF COURSING. 287 
 
 being) shall form a committee for managing the affairs of 
 the society, and that they shall name a person, for the ap- 
 probation of the members, to judge all courses run in the 
 society, and that all doubtful cases shall be referred to 
 them. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 That this society shall meet on the 
 in and course on 
 
 following days 
 
 That the General Rules be recommended for the 
 adoption of all Coursing Societies, arid the Local 
 Rules applied in all cases where they are practi- 
 cable and convenient. 
 
 25* 
 
'288 THE SPORTSMAN'S T.IBRAKY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 TERMS USED IN SPORTING* 
 
 IN different counties and parts of England, sporting terms 
 vary in a slight degree. For instance, when speaking of 
 spaniels, I have heard a couple called a brace. In the West 
 of England, the seals of an otter are termed his spears, and 
 so forth. Along the coast, the fishermen call wild-fowl by 
 all sorts of misnomers; and no two places agree. 
 
 The following, however, is a correct list of sporting 
 phrases. 
 
 Terms used in Sporting. 
 
 Of pointers, setters, greyhounds, and terriers, two are 
 called a brace; and three, a leash. Of hounds, beagles, 
 spaniels, &c. two are called a couple ; three, a harle, or a 
 couple and a-half. Of spaniels and terriers, more than two 
 brace of different kinds are called a tue, or rough muster; 
 several couple of spaniels are called a pack. Greyhounds, 
 when tired, are said to be overhaled ; pointers, setters, 
 spaniels, terriers, &c., floored or jaded. Spaniels quest, 
 tongue, and babble, on the haunt. Fox-hounds challenge on 
 drag, and hit him off. The harrier calls on trail or form, 
 and makes his way. When they overshoot and are at 
 fault, they are said, when trying back, to traverse. 
 
 When quadruped animals of the venery or hunting kind 
 
TERMS USED IN SPORTIXG. 289 
 
 are at rest, the stag is said to be harboured, the buck lodged, 
 the fox kenneled, the badger earthed, the otter vented or 
 watched, the hare formed, and the rabbit set. 
 
 When you find and rouse up the stag and buck, they are 
 said to be imprimed : unkennel the fox, and he is on the pad ; 
 dig the badger, unvent the otter, start the hare, bolt the 
 rabbit. To investigate, or follow, by the prints of the feet, 
 is a great qualification in a sportsman, They are called, 
 The slot, or view of deer, of all kind; you may know when 
 they have been coursed, by the cleft widening, and the dew- 
 claws printing the ground ; if an old one by his gait, i. e. 
 manner of walking or straining, which latter is at full speed : 
 he does not overreach, as young ones do. 
 
 The seal of an otter; the ball of a fox; the pricks of a 
 hare; the prints of a badger; scratching of rabbits. Of 
 pheasants, grouse, partridges, quails, and rails, the rode ; of 
 woodcocks and snipes, the creeps: the trace of all, in the 
 snow. The excrement or ordure is called the suage of an 
 otter, the fumet or furnishings of deer, the billet of a fox, 
 the fiants of a badger, the buttons orcroteys of the hare and 
 rabbit, the spraints of the martin-cat, &c. ; the droppings of 
 pheasants, partridges, &c. ; chalkings and markings of 
 woodcocks; and mutings of snipes. 
 
 The tail is called the pole, potter, or eel of an otter : the 
 single of deer, the brush of a fox ; the white tip, the chape, 
 and stump of a badger; the scut of the hare and rabbit; 
 the drag of polecats, stoats, &c.; the train or pole of the 
 pheasant. 
 
 When the feathered tribe are at rest, the grouse are said 
 to be challenged; the pheasants, chuckered or perched; 
 partridges, jugged; quails, piped ; rails, craked ; t woodcocks, 
 fallen ; snipes, at walk. When in search, you spring grouse, 
 pheasants, and rails ; flush partridges, woodcocks, quails, and 
 
890 
 
 snipes. In the early part of the season : you find a pack 
 of grouse, a nide of pheasants, a covey of birds, a bevy of 
 quails, a fall of woodcocks, a walk of snipes ; rails, hares, 
 &c. singly. 
 
 When animals of the quadruped kind are inclined to copu- 
 late, the following phrases are used : 
 
 Females the Roe or Hind, go to tourn ; Doe, to rut, or 
 is rutting ; Otter, to her kind ; Vixen, to clicket, or is 
 clicketing ; Hare, to clicket, or is clicketing ; Rabbit, to 
 buck, or is bucking; Badger, to brim, or is brimming; 
 Bitch, is in heat, or getting fond ; Polecat, Stoat, Ferret, 
 &c. are bucking. 
 
 Males The Stag or Hart, bellows ; Buck groans or 
 treats ; Otter, whines ; Fox, barks ; Hare, beats or taps ; 
 Rabbit, ditto; Badger, yells; Pole-cat Stoat, Ferret, 
 &c. chatter. 
 
 A Cote, is when a dog passes his fellow, takes in, ob- 
 structs his sight, and turns the hare. 
 
 A Form, where a hare has set 
 
 At Gaze, looking steadfastly at any object when stand- 
 ing still. 
 
 A Layer, where a stag or buck has lodged. 
 
 Beat Counter, backwards. 
 
 Bend, forming a serpentine figure. 
 
 Blemishes, when they make short entries, and return. 
 
 Blink, to leave the point or back, or run away at the re- 
 port of the gun, &c. 
 
 Break field, to enter before you. 
 
 Chap, to catch with the mouth. 
 
 Curvet, to throw. 
 
 Doucets, the testicles or stones. 
 
 Embossed, tired. 
 
 Flourish, to twist the stem, and throw right and left in too 
 great a hurry. 
 
TERMS USED IN SPORTING. 291 
 
 Going to Fault, a hare's going to ground. 
 
 Handicap, the gentleman who matches the dogs. 
 
 Hard-nosed, having little or no sense of smelling. 
 
 Hug, to run close side by side. 
 
 In-and-in, too near related, as sire and daughter, dam and 
 son, &c. 
 
 Jerk, an attempt to turn, by shipping out. 
 
 Sapise, to open or give tongue. 
 
 Mort, the death of deer. 
 
 Near-scented, not catching the scent till too near. 
 
 Plod, to hang upon the tragonings or doublings. 
 
 Run Riot, to run at the whole herd. 
 
 Sink, to lie down, cunningly drawing the feet close, and 
 bearing the nose on the ground, to prevent the scent flying. 
 
 Skirt, to run round the sides, being too fond of the hedges. 
 
 Slip, losing the foot. 
 
 Spens or Deals, the teats. 
 
 Spent, when the deer is nearly dead, which you may know 
 by his stretching his neck out straight. 
 
 Straineth, wh^.n at full speed. 
 
 Tappish, to lurk, skulk, and sink. 
 
 To Carry or Hod, when the earth sticks to their feet. 
 
 Tragoning, crossing and doubling. 
 
 Trip, to force by you. 
 
 Tuel, the vent. 
 
 Twist, a sudden turn of the head, when the scent is caught 
 sideways. 
 
 Vick, to make a low noise. 
 
 Watch, to attend to the other dog, not endeavouring to 
 find his own game, but lying off for advantages. In 
 coursing, it is called running cunning. 
 
 Wiles or Toils, are engines to take deer with. 
 
 Wrench, a half-turn. 
 
292 
 
 Colours and Marks of Dogs. 
 
 A frieze down the face, a white square on any part of the 
 body, is called a ticket ; white round the neck is called a 
 garter ; single spots are called ticks ; small ones (confused,) 
 are called mottle ; single ones, patches ; a liver patch white, 
 ditto mottle, ditto tick, black patch white, ditto yellow, pale 
 ditto, a black tan, beagle-eyed. Whole colours are, black, 
 white, lemon, yellow, whey-coloured, dark brindled, brown, 
 &c. 
 
BOOK V. 
 
 FISHING. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 TROUT FISHING. 
 
 HUNTING, shooting, and coursing, have been the sports in 
 all the variety of which I have indulged as much, perhaps, 
 as any one living, of my age. " The gentle art," however, 
 I have never followed with that enthusiasm which is neces- 
 sary to render a man a proficient, and capable of teaching its 
 mysteries to that extent which the novice may anticipate, 
 when he refers for information to these pages. I shall, there- 
 fore, in addition to the practical knowledge I may have ac- 
 quired from experience and association with others of greater 
 and more professed skill, refer to authorities for assistance ; 
 and thus make good the deficiency which otherwise might be 
 found. 
 
 The first acquirement in trout fishing, is the knowledge of 
 the flies required at different times and seasons, and the being 
 able to tie them yourself. Unless this early lesson be perfectly 
 acquired, little sport, comparatively speaking, can be en- 
 joyed ; as however large the collection of flies, the one, and 
 the only one, that the fish will take, on occasions, it may 
 wear your patience out to find in your book ; whereas, if you 
 
294 
 
 could fabricate an imitation of the desired morsel, (having 
 taken care to have the material with you,) a killing fly could 
 be produced in one-third the time. 
 
 As, however, you can tie flies at your leisure at home, 
 when you cannot fish ; it is better to have such a supply- 
 ready that you may not be constantly required to sit upon the 
 bank of the stream, manufacturing flies, instead of following 
 the more pleasurable occupation of casting them. 
 
 At particular seasons of the year, there are certain descrip- 
 tions of flies, at which trout will generally rise ; but excep- 
 tions to the ordinary rules will be frequently found; the wea- 
 ther having a very great influence upon the colour and kind 
 of fly to be used. Moreover, a fly greedily taken in the 
 morning will, sometimes, be refused at noon, or in the even- 
 ing ; and a change will be requisite. 
 
 An hour may bring ephemera on the waters, which you 
 must imitate, or you will cast in vain. From this rule there 
 should be no deviation whatever: Use as close an imitation 
 as possible, of the flies flitting over and about the water at the 
 time ofyourflshing. No collection which human ingenuity 
 can form, will, in consequence of the variety and uncertainty 
 of the insects, be sufficient to meet the changes at the time, 
 perhaps, when most wanted; and therefore the fly-fisher 
 should be prepared with a diversity of material, and know 
 how to use it, in cases of emergency. 
 
 It must have been observed by nearly every man that ever 
 threw a fly, that occasionally trout will be rising in every 
 direction, arid yet totally disregard the fly on his gut. The 
 plan to adopt then is, to catch one of the insects at which the 
 fish so greedly snap, and, if you have not a tolerably good 
 representative in your book, make one from your stock of 
 material: of ^ which there should be a portion of all the va- 
 rious kinds used for fly-making. 
 
TROUT FISHING. 295 
 
 Flies in general use. 
 
 February: Dark fox, hare's ear and claret, dark gray 
 hackle, plain black hackle, gray sooty. 
 
 March : Plain black hackle, plain wren, dark brown rail, 
 dark olive camel, fox half a shade lighter than last month, 
 dark brown carnel: latter end of the month, brown coughlin, 
 dirty tawny bodied with hare's ear, green cow-dung, gray 
 sooty. 
 
 April: Gray coughlin, light olive camel, light brown rail, 
 ash fox-blow for the latter end end of the month, orange 
 cowdung, blue-blow, tipped wing black, plain black midge, 
 hare's ear and yellow, hare's ear and green, plain red hackle 
 orange bodied, ditto tipped black hackle, plain black hackle, 
 blue bodied black hackle, buff' fox, gray sooty, all kinds of 
 wren hackles, and gray hackles. 
 
 This list will bring you into May, and some of them into 
 June. 
 
 May: Hawthorn fly, yellow May fly, golden sooty, light 
 fox, cream camel, brown rail, fancy hackle flies, caterpillars, 
 green beetles, 'black beetles, golden palmers, yellow and 
 orange palmers, stone fly, plain and brown beetles. 
 
 June: All the May flies and green fox come in now, and 
 with light fox continue all the summer; light rail, blue bodied 
 black hackle, orange bodied red, fancy wrens, gold palmer, 
 green beetle, scaldcrow midge, and night moth. 
 
 July and August: -The above flies and the cinnamon 
 called the cad-bait fly. 
 
 September : Muddy green fox, green rail with plain red 
 hackle, orange body ditto, light rail, plain and fancy wrens; 
 small cad-bait breasted with woodcock hackle and double 
 wings, last during the fishing season. 
 
 It is not generally known among fishermen, that the water 
 flies, which it is their aim to imitate, are not of so great a diver- 
 26 
 
296 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 sity of species as of colour; a change of hue being produced in 
 the succession of the seasons. It may not be that they are 
 the same insects ; more probably they may be successive gene- 
 rations of ephemeras of the same species. This, however is, 
 a subject of greater interest to the naturalist than to the fly- 
 fisher. 
 
 Throwing the fly for trout, can no more be taught by 
 merely written instructions than playing the violin. But as, 
 without a theory, practice, of a uniform and proper kind, is 
 impossible, the following directions to the novice will be 
 found beneficial. 
 
 In whipping with an artificial fly, there are only two 
 cases in which a fish taking a fly will hook himself without 
 your assistance ; viz. when your fly first touches the water at 
 the end of a straight line, and when you are drawing out your 
 fly for a new throw. In all other cases, it is necessary, in 
 order to hook him when he has taken the fly, to strike by a 
 movement of the wrist which it is not easy to describe. 
 
 The fly must have time, when you have drawn it out of 
 the water, to make the whole circuit and be at one time 
 straight behind you, before it can be thrown out straight 
 before you. If you give it the forward impulse too soon, 
 you will hear a crack, and you may rest assured that at 
 that moment your fly went to grass. 
 
 If your line falls loose and wavy in the water, it will 
 either frighten away the fish, or he will take the fly into his 
 mouth without fastening himself; and when he finds that it 
 does not suit his purpose, he will spit it out again, before it 
 has answered yours. 
 
 Heed not what they of the old school say about playing 
 him until he is tired. Much valuable time, and many a 
 good fish may be lost, by this antiquated proceeding. Put 
 him into your basket as soon as you can. Every thing de- 
 
TROUT FISHING. 297 
 
 pends on the manner in which you commence your acquaint- 
 ance with him. If you can at first prevail upon him to 
 walk a little way down the stream with you, you will have 
 no difficulty afterwards in persuading him to let you have 
 the pleasure of seeing him at dinner. 
 
 Do not leave off fishing early in the evening. After a 
 bright day, the largest fish are to be caught by whipping 
 between sunset and dark. Even, however, in these precious 
 moments, you will not have good sport, if you continue 
 throwing after you have whipped your fly off. Pay attention 
 to this; and, if you have any doubt after dusk, you may 
 easily ascertain the point, by drawing the end of your line 
 quickly through your hand, particularly if you do not wear 
 gloves. 
 
 Never angle in glaring-coloured clothes. Perhaps green 
 is that which fish discern least; as varying less from those 
 objects, such as trees and herbage on the river sides, to 
 which they are familiarized. 
 
 The fisherman should shelter and screen himself (unless 
 the water be muddy from rain) far from the bank, or be- 
 hind a bush or tree ; and so that his shadow do not at any 
 time lie upon the water, especially where it is shallow and 
 the gravelly bottom can be discerned. 
 
 The wind should always be at his back, and the sun as 
 much before him as possible.^ In cold, windy weather, he 
 should be on the weather shore, where the fish then resort 
 for warmth and calmness of the water. The east wind has 
 been universally execrated: but probably this may not hold 
 good in rivers running from east to west. 
 
 During the summer, even when the water is quite clear 
 and low, no wind stirring, and the sun shining with the 
 utmost lustre, and in the hottest part of the day, it is insisted 
 that trout may be taken (although very few are disposed to 
 
298 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 credit it) with a small wren's tail, grouse, smoky dun, and 
 black hackles; fishing straight down the water, bv the sides 
 of streams and banks ; keeping out of sight, and with as long 
 a line as can conveniently be managed, with the foot lengih 
 very fine. The trout may be often seen with their fins 
 above water, at which time they will eagerly snap at these 
 flies; and though upon hooking one, the rest will fly oft', 
 they will soon be composed, and return for two or three 
 times. 
 
 The best periods are, from March (when trout, from the 
 rarity of even getting a knat previously, are greedy, and 
 ready to rise at any thing in the shape of a fly) to October; 
 from three until nine in the -morning; and from three in the 
 afternoon, so long as there is light; the later, the better 
 sport. In winter the weather and times are much alike; the 
 warmest is most preferable. 
 
 Spinning a minnow is another scientific mode of killing 
 trout. An artificial fish is very frequently used ; but the 
 finest trout that I ever killed in the Thames, weighing six 
 pounds and a half, or very nearly so, between Windsor 
 bridge and Surly hall in 1840, I killed by spinning a natural 
 minnow, baited in accordance with the directions of old 
 Izaac Walton; which are as follows "To put the hook in 
 at the mouth, and draw it out through the gill, about three 
 inches; then again put the hook in at the mouth, and let the 
 point and beard come out at the tail; then tie the hook and 
 the tail about, with a fine white thread, which will make it 
 spin quicker; pull back that part of the line which was slack 
 when the hook was thrust in the second time, which will 
 fasten the head of the minnow so as to make it almost 
 straight on the hook; try if it turns well, which it cannot do 
 too fast. Angle with the point of the rod down the stream ; 
 drawing the minnow against the current gradually, and near 
 
TROUT FISHING. 299 
 
 the surface: when descried, the trout will freely come at it. 
 Be careful not to snatch it away, nor strike until he has 
 turned with the bait. For this angling, the winch and 
 ringed rod are always to be used ; and there should be two 
 or three swivels on the line, which will assist the spinning of 
 the minnow." 
 
 Walton's method may be altered and improved, by first 
 thrusting the hook in at the lower side of the minnow's 
 under chap, and also quite through the upper chap ; drawing 
 it two or three inches on the line, and putting the hook in at 
 the mouth as before directed. This will keep the minnow's 
 mouth closed ; which otherwise should be stitched up. 
 
 The tackle should be of the same sort as that used for 
 salmon, with this difference, that it must be finer, with a 
 stout single silkworm gut at bottom, and the hook Nos. 2, 3, 
 or 4, according to the size of the trout in the water where 
 angled for. The middle-sized and whitest minnows (of 
 which those caught in streams are far brighter than those 
 procured from ditches or stagnated waters) are the best. 
 
 When trout will not rise at a fly, and the water is clouded 
 and thick, from floods or recent showers, a red worm fre- 
 quently proves a very good bait. In quick and shallow 
 streams, you should let the gut or " collar," as it is some- 
 times called, be so shotted as to sink the worm to the bot- 
 tom; and, letting it drive down the stream, follow it in its 
 course. The moment that you feel the fish, strike and hook 
 him. In mill-dams, deep holes, and "dips," the same expe- 
 dient may be tried, very often with success; and the only 
 difference is, the standing still, instead of following the bait. 
 
 26*= 
 
300 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 PIKE, PERCH, AND OTHER FISHING. RODS, LINES, HOOKS, &C. 
 
 Pike. i 
 
 THERE is no fish more rapacious than the pike ; and he 
 has, in consequence, been properly called the " fresh-water 
 shark." The accounts frequently given, of the immense 
 size that this fish attains, appear somewhat of the fabulous 
 order: but there is no doubt that pike have been taken of 
 monstrous weight. 
 
 Being a hungry and bold fish, little skill is required in 
 taking him ; and he will gorge either a natural or artificial 
 bait, in the shape of minnows, mice, frogs, or any kind of fry. 
 But in using the natural bait, you should always have it taken 
 from other waters than those in which the pike is to be fished 
 for ; as he is extremely fond of fresh " tit bits," and they 
 offer irresistible temptations to his appetite. 
 
 The plan which affords the most sport with pike, is trolling 
 for them ; and this may either be by live-bait fishing, when 
 a floated line is used ; or snap-fishing, when the angler so 
 places his baited hooks, that immediately he feels a bite, he 
 strikes with much force, and generally throws over his head 
 or drags the pike or jack ashore, instead of playing him until 
 exhausted. The former, however, I recommend ; having 
 
PIKE, PERCH, AND OTHER FISHING. 301 
 
 killed more, and lost fewer fish by it, than by the other sys- 
 tem. 
 
 The simple plan that I have adopted, in taking pike, has 
 been this : to have a float made of cork, of six inches in 
 diameter, cut thin. Through the centre of this, a white peg 
 has been driven, with a wire loop at each end. Having 
 plummed the depth, and baited the hook so as to hang just 
 clear of the bottom, which can be easily regulated by the 
 wire loops through the peg ; fix the line, by giving it a turn 
 or two round the end of the peg above water ; and fix the 
 coil on the shore, either by pegging it down or tying it to a 
 bough. In this manner, you can attend to six or eight floats ; 
 and thus your chances of success will be so much increased. 
 
 I am not aware whether this can be claimed by me as an 
 original method ; but I can positively assert that I never saw 
 it practised until I used it myself. 
 
 Perch. 
 
 The perch possesses a peculiarity as a fish of prey, which 
 is not to be found in any other of the fresh-water kind : he is 
 gregarious and swims in shoals, although so voracious as to 
 attack his own kind. 
 
 There are few fish of the smaller kind, that afford the angler 
 so much diversion as the perch. He is a game, bold fish ; 
 'and not only in the water is valuable for the sport that he 
 gives, but when caught, is a delicious dish for the table. 
 
 In angling for perch, the best kinds of bait are small lob 
 worms which have no knot, brandlings, red dunghills, or 
 those found in rotten tan ; all well scoured by being placed 
 in horse hair, grass, or moss. The hook may be varied from 
 No. 2 to 6 ; being well whipt to a strong silkworm gut, with 
 
302 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 a few shot a foot from it. Put the point of the hook in at the 
 head of the worm ; out again a little lower than the middle, 
 pushing it above the shank of the hook upon the gut. Take 
 a smaller one, beginning in the same way, and take its head 
 up to the middle of the shank only ; then draw the first worm 
 down to the head of the latter, so that the tails may hang one 
 above the other ; keeping the point of the hook well covered. 
 This is the most enticing method for worm-fishing. Use a 
 small float, to keep the bait at six or twelve inches from the 
 bottom, or sometimes about midwater. 
 
 In angling near the bottom, raise the bait very frequently 
 from thence almost to the surface ; letting it gradually fall 
 again. Should a good shoal be met with, they are so greedy, 
 that they may be all caught, unless one escapes that has felt 
 the hook ; then all is over ; the fish that has been hooked 
 becomes restless, and soon causes the whole shoal to leave 
 the spot. 
 
 Bait for perch are, loaches, sticklebacks, with the spines 
 cut off', miller's thumbs, horse-beans boiled, (after the place 
 has been well baited with them, put one at a time on the 
 hook,) cad-bait, bobs, and gentles. 
 
 Although a bold biter, the perch is extremely abstemious 
 in winter, and scarcely ever bites in that season, except in 
 the middle of a warm sunshiny day. He bites best, in the 
 latter part of the spring, from seven to eleven in the forenoon, 
 and from two to six in the afternoon ; except in hot and 
 bright weather, and then from sunrise to six in the morning, 
 and in the evening from six to sunset. If a day be cool and 
 cloudy, with a ruffling south wind, perch will bite during 
 the whole of it. In clear water, sometimes a dozen or more 
 of perch have been observed in a deep hole, sheltered by 
 trees or bushes. By using fne tackle and well-scoured 
 
PIKE, PERCH, AND OTHER FISHING. 303 
 
 worms, the angler may see them strive which shall first 
 seize the bait until the entire shoal has been caught. 
 
 Perch may be angled for and taken until the end of Sep- 
 tember; and, indeed, at particular times all the year round : 
 but the preferable season is from the beginning of May to the 
 middle of July. 
 
 Other Fishes. 
 
 It is not necessary for me to enter into the details of an- 
 gling for every kind of fish that swims, any more than it would 
 be for me to particularize the small birds that a schoolboy 
 might burn powder at, when home for the holydays. With- 
 out doubt, there are some peculiar rules to be observed, in 
 the taking of every kind ; at the same time, they are so im- 
 material as not to be worth the task of giving or* learning. 
 To be patient; to plum the ground properly and often, if the 
 tide requires it; to bait the hook so as to secrete it with the 
 most seductive kind; to attract the fish by ground-bait; and 
 to strike (by the same rule that you should pull your trigger) 
 at the moment that the fish is ready ; are the principal rules 
 in all kinds of angling. 
 
 Fishing Rods. 
 
 The wood for fishing rods should be cut about Christmas: 
 and some insist that, if left in the open air for twelve months 
 afterwards, it will season better than if stowed in a dry 
 place. Hazel is the wood generally procured for this pur- 
 pose ; and, of all the sorts, the Gob-nut grows to the greatest 
 length, and is for the most part straight and taper. The 
 butt end should rather exceed an inch in diameter. But of 
 whatever wood the rod is composed, the shoots for stocks, 
 middle pieces, and tops, must be of proper size, well-grown, 
 
304 
 
 and as free from knots as possible. The tops should be the 
 best rush-ground shoots, without knots, and proportionably 
 taper. The excrescent twigs should be cut off; but not 
 close, for fear of hurting the bark, which ought never to be 
 touched with a knife or rasp; for, although they will dress 
 neater, it considerably weakens them. These pieces are to 
 be kept free from wet until the following autumn ; when such 
 as are wanted to form a rod should be selected, and, after 
 being warmed over a gentle fire, -set as straight as possible, 
 and laid aside for two or three days, when they must be 
 rubbed over with a piece of flannel and linseed oil, which 
 will polish and fetch off any superfluous bark. They are 
 then to be bound to a straight pole, and so kept until the 
 next spring, when they will be seasoned for use. They 
 are then to be matched together in just proportion, in three, 
 four, or more parts, according to the width of the water or 
 the wish of the maker ; taking care that the different points 
 fit so nicely, if ferruled, that the whole rod may move as if 
 it were but one piece. If the parts are not ferruled, they 
 must be cut to join each other with the utmost exactness, 
 and neatly spliced with glue, boiled very gently in strong 
 quick-lime water, kept stirred until it become smooth and 
 all alike ; and then they are to be whipped over the glued 
 part with waxed thread. 
 
 Elder, holly, yew, mountain ash, and hip briar, are all na- 
 tives. The reed or cane rod, on account of its lightness and 
 elasticity, is the best for fishing at the bottom, whether with 
 a running line or float ; especially when angling for those 
 fish which bite tenderly, as roach and dace. 
 
 A rod of twelve feet, unless the wind be extremely unfa- 
 vourable, will cast a fly-line of fourteen yards : but, if it is 
 to carry a reel line, fourteen feet will be preferable. It is 
 useless to encumber yourself with an unnecessary weight of 
 
LINES. 305 
 
 wood ; as the great advantage of a light rod is, that with 
 either hand you can use it, and thus be enabled to cast your 
 fly under bushes, hollow banks, &c., where the best trout 
 generally lie, without endangering the tackle. The shorter 
 the joints, the more portable the rod will be ; but the fewer 
 there are, the better it will open a fly line. 
 
 The great defect in most rods is, that the play is in the 
 middle, owing to that part being too weak, and like a wagon 
 whip. With a rod of this kind, it is impossible to strike or 
 command a fish of any size. 
 
 Rods should not be kept in too dry a room. The practice 
 of steeping them in water is bad, and will soon spoil them. 
 The rubbing the tops with sweet oil twice or thrice in the 
 season, will preserve them in a serviceable state. If the rod 
 be hollow, tie a rag to the end of a stick, dip it in linseed 
 oil, and rub it well about the inside of the different joints. 
 
 Lines. 
 
 In making lines, every hair in every link should be equally 
 big, round, and even ; so that the strength may be so pro- 
 portionate that they will not break singly, but altogether. 
 By carefully choosing the hairs, they will stretch, and bear a 
 much stronger force than when a faulty hair is included. 
 Never stain the hair before twisting. The best hair will 
 easily be selected by the eye ; and two or three inches of the 
 bottom part of the hair should be cut off, as it is generally 
 defective. The links should be twisted very slowly ; and 
 not lie harsh, but so as to twine one with the other, and no 
 more ; for a hard twisted line is always weak. By mixing 
 chestnut, black, or any other coloured hair, the line may be 
 varied at pleasure. 
 
306 
 
 Lines of silk or hemp may be coloured by a strong decoc- 
 tion of oak bark ; which resists the water, and adds to their 
 durability. 
 
 In leading of lines, great care is needful in balancing the 
 floats so nicely that a very small touch will sink them. Some 
 use for this purpose lead shaped like a barleycorn : but shot 
 is better: and for fine fishing, have a number of small, in 
 preference to a few large, shot on the line. The lowest of 
 either should be nine or ten inches from the hook. 
 
 Hooks. 
 
 In choosing hooks, those should be preferred that are long 
 in the shanks, strong, and rather deep in the bend ; the point 
 fine and straight, and as true as it can be set to the level of 
 the shank; which, for fly making, should be tapered off to 
 the end, that the fly may be neater finished. The point 
 should be sharp, and the barb of a proper length. Many 
 experienced anglers, who have impartially tried both kinds, 
 consider these to be more sure than the crooked hooks; that 
 they cause a smaller orifice, and are less liable to break their 
 hold. At Limerick, in Ireland, the best of these hooks are 
 manufactured. A hook, whose point stands outwards, ought 
 never to be chosen, as it frequently scratches the fish without 
 laying hold. If the points were somewhat shorter, and the 
 barbs a trifle wider, the hooks of every maker would be im- 
 proved. When hooks are blunt, a small whetstone will 
 restore their sharpness much better than a file, which always 
 leaves them rough and jagged. 
 
 Hooks to whip on: When hooks are armed, especially to 
 hair, it should be done with small but strong silk, well rubbed 
 with shoemakers' wax, after having smoothed the shank with 
 
HOOKS. 307 
 
 a whetstone, to hinder its fretting. From a straw's breadth 
 below the top of the hook, wrap the silk about the bare 
 shank, until it comes to the top ; which will prevent its slip- 
 ping, or cutting the line, from frequent use. Then lay the 
 hair or gut on the inside, and whip the silk downwards 
 almost to the bend of the hook. The colour of the arming 
 silk should be as near that of the baits used as may be ; and 
 its size be regulated by the thickness of the wire hair, or gut, 
 to which it is joined. 
 
 In whipping on a hook, it is to be held in the left hand, 
 and the silk whipped down to within four turns of its bend. 
 The shank is then to be taken between the forefinger and 
 thumb of the left hand, and the end of the silk close to it; 
 holding them both tight, and leaving the ends of the silk to 
 hang down ; the other part of the silk to be drawn into a 
 large loop; and with the right hand, turning backwards, 
 continue the whipping for four turns, and draw the end of 
 the silk, which has hung down under the left thumb, close, 
 and cut it off. 
 
 27 
 
308 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS NOW IN FORCE. 
 
 Note. A committee on the Game Laws is now sitting in the 
 House of Commons; but as the results of their deliberation 
 cannot be known until after this volume goes to press, I am 
 compelled to give an abridgment of the statutes in force at the 
 present moment. In a subsequent edition, should one be de- 
 manded, the amendment will be made. 
 
 Time when killing Game is prohibited. 
 
 Any person who shall kill or take any partridge between the 
 1st of February and the 1st of September; or any pheasant be- 
 tween the 1st of February and the 1st of October; 
 
 Or any black game between the 10th of December and the 20th 
 of August, (or in Somersetshire, Devonshire, or the New Forest, 
 between the 10th of December and 1st of September;) 
 
 Or any grouse, called red game, between the 10th of December 
 and the 12th of August; 
 
 Or any bustard between the 1st of March and 1st of Septem- 
 ber, is subject, on conviction, by two justices, to a penalty not 
 exceeding 1 for every head of game so killed or taken, with 
 costs. 
 
 Penalty for poisoning Game. 
 
 Any person laying poison to kill game, is made liable to a 
 penalty not exceeding 10, with costs. 
 
AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS. 309 
 
 Penalty for having Game at a prohibited time, 
 Sec. 4. Persons licensed to deal in game, (as after mentioned,) 
 who shall buy, or sell, or have in their possession any bird of 
 game, after ten days (one inclusive and the other exclusive,) from 
 the days limited, and persons not licensed, who shall buy or sell 
 any bird of game after such ten days, or shall have in their pos- 
 session any bird of game (except such as are kept in a mew or 
 breeding place,) after forty days, shall be subject, on conviction, 
 before two justices, to a penalty not exceeding 1 for every such 
 head of game. 
 
 Game Certificates. 
 
 Sec. 5. The act not to affect the existing laws respecting game 
 certificates. But the 10 per cent, added, by the late government 
 to the assessed taxes, raises the price of a game certificate to 
 4, Os. lOd. 
 
 General qualification for every one. 
 
 Sec. 6. Every person who shall have an annual game certifi- 
 cate shall be authprized to kill game (subject to an action for any 
 trespass committed by him;) but no certificate, on which a less 
 duty than 4, Os. lOd. is chargeable, shall authorize any game- 
 keeper to kill or take game; or use any dog, gun, net, or other 
 engine, except within the limits of his appointment. 
 
 Game, the exclusive properly of the Landlord. 
 Sec. 7. Under existing leases, or agreements, made previous to 
 the passing of this act, the landlord shall be entitled to enter or 
 authorize any other person or persons, having an annual game 
 certificate, to enter upon such land, for the purpose of killing or 
 taking game. And no tenant, under such lease or agreement, shall 
 have the right to kill or take the game, on such land, unless such 
 right is expressly granlffl, or allowed to him by Ids lease or 
 agreement ; or except he shall have paid a fine on the granting or 
 
310 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 renewal of such lease or agreement; or the same shall have been 
 made for more than twenty-one years. 
 
 Sec. 8, 9, 10. This act not to affect any existing or future 
 agreements respecting game, nor any rights of manor, forest, 
 chase, or warren ; or any of her majesty's forest rights, or any 
 cattle-gates, or right of common. The lord of the manor, there- 
 fore, is still to have the game on the wastes; and also the right of 
 giving leave to sport on the same, to all persons who have game 
 certificates. , 
 
 Increased privilege of Landlords. 
 
 Sec. 11. Landlords having reserved to themselves the right of 
 killing the game upon the land, may authorize any other person 
 or persons to shoot, who have obtained a game certificate. 
 
 Penalty for Tenant allowing People to Shoot. 
 Sec. 12. Where the landlord has the right to the game, the 
 tenant shall not pursue, kill, or take the same; or give permission 
 to any other person so to do, under a penalty on conviction before 
 two justices, not exceeding 2, and for every head of game, not 
 exceeding 1, with costs. 
 
 Gamekeepers and Deputations. 
 
 Sec. 13, 14. Lords of manors may appoint a gamekeeper or 
 gamekeepers, and authorize them to seize all dogs, &c., used 
 within the manor by uncerlificated persons. But it is decided in 
 Lidsler v. Borrow, (see 9 Adolphus and Ellis, p. 654,) that a 
 gamekeeper authorized to seize the dogs of unqualified persons 
 sporting on a manor, by deputation given before stat. 1 & 2 Wil. 
 IV. c. 32, and not renewed, cannot justify seizing the dogs of un- 
 certificated persons committing such trespass, since the passing 
 of the act. Nor is he entitled to notice of action under statute 1 
 & 2 Wil. IV. c. 32. s. 47, on the ground that he bond Jide sup- 
 posed himself to be acting in pursuance of this statute. 
 
 Lords of manors may grant deputations. 
 
AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS. 311 
 
 Exclusive privilege for Wales, 
 
 Sec. 15. Persons seized in fee or for life, of lands, in Wales, of 
 the clear annual value of ,500; and not within any manor, lord- 
 ship, or royalty, or enfranchised or alienated therefrom, are au- 
 thorized to appoint a gamekeeper or gamekeepers, &c. 
 
 Register of Gamekeepers. 
 
 Sec. 16. No appointments of gamekeepers to be valid until 
 registered with the clerk of the peace. 
 
 Liberty to sell Game. 
 Sec. 17. Certificated persons may sell game to licensed dealers. 
 
 Persons admissible as Gamekeepers. 
 
 Sec. 18. The justices of the peace of every county, &c., shall 
 hold a special session between the 15th and 30th of October, and 
 in every succeeding year in July, for granting licenses to deal in 
 game; and the majority, not being less than two, are authorized 
 to grant to any householder, or keeper of a shop or stall, (not being 
 an innkeeper, or Victualler, or licensed to sell beer by retail; or 
 the owner, guard, or driver of any mail coach, stage coach, stage 
 wagon, van, or other public conveyance; or a carrier, or higgler, 
 or in the employment of any such person,) a license to buy game 
 of any person who may lawfully sell it; and also to sell it in one 
 house, shop, or stall, kept by him, and who shall affix to the front 
 of the house, shop, or stall, a board, with the Christian and sur- 
 name, together with the words, "Licensed to deal in Game;'"'' 
 and every such license shall be in force for one year from the 
 granting thereof. 
 
 Restrictions on, and Directions to, Game Dealers. 
 Sec. 19. Every person who shall have obtained a license, shall 
 also obtain a certificate on payment of 2 duty, in the same man- 
 ner as game certificates; and no person obtaining a license shall 
 
 27* 
 
312 
 
 deal in game before he shall have obtained such certificate, under a 
 penalty of 20. 
 
 Sec. 20. Collectors of assessed taxes to make out a list of per- 
 sons who have obtained licenses to deal in game. 
 
 Sec. 21. In cases of two or more partners in the same shop or 
 stall, only one license is necessary. 
 
 Sec. 22. Licensed persons, on being convicted of any offence 
 against this act, to forfeit their license. 
 
 Additional penally for Shooting without a Certificate. 
 Sec. 23. Persons killing or taking any game, or using any dog, 
 gun, &c. for the purpose of searching for, or killing, or taking game, 
 without having a game certificate, subject to a penalty not exceed- 
 ing 5, AS WELL AS TO THE PENALTY UNDER THE GAME CERTIFI- 
 CATE ACT. 
 
 Penalty for taking Eggs. 
 
 Sec. 24. Persons who, not having the right of killing the game 
 upon any land, nor having permission of the person who has such 
 right, shall wilfully take out of, or destroy the nest, upon such 
 land, the eggs of any bird of game, or of any swan, wild duck, teal, 
 or widgeon, or shall knowingly have in his possession any such 
 eggs so taken, shall, on conviction by two justices, pay a sum not 
 exceeding 5s. for every egg, with costs. 
 
 Parts of the act further relating to Licensed Dealers, fyc. 
 
 Sec. 25. Persons not having a game certificate, or not licensed to 
 deal in game, who shall sell, or offer for sale, any game or, having 
 a game certificate, shall sell, or offer for sale, any game to any 
 person, except a person licensed to deal in game, to forfeit, on con- 
 viction by two justices, a sum not exceeding 2 for every head of 
 game so sold, or offered for sale. 
 
 Sec. 26. Proviso authorizing inn or tavernkeepers to sell game 
 for consumption in their own houses, without a license, such game 
 having been procured from some person licensed to deal in game. 
 
 Sec. 27. Persons not licensed to deal in game, who shall buy 
 
AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS. 313 
 
 it from any unlicensed person, to be subject to a penalty on con- 
 viction before two justices, not exceeding 5 with costs. 
 
 Sec. 28. Licensed dealers, buying game from any person not 
 having a game certificate, or a license to deal in game, or selling, 
 or offering for sale, any game at his house, shop, or stall, without 
 having such board affixed, shall be subject to a penalty not ex- 
 ceeding 5. Proviso that the party arrested must be discharged, 
 unless brought before a justice within twelve hours; but he may, 
 nevertheless, be proceeded against by summons or warrant. 
 
 Increased penalty for Trespassers, when five or more are 
 concerned, 
 
 Sec. 32-34. Where five or more persons shall be found with a 
 gun on any land, or any of her majesty's forests, &c. in the day 
 time (viz. between the beginning of the last hour before sunrise, 
 and the expiration of the first hour after sunset) in pursuit of game, 
 woodcocks, &c. and shall, by violence or menace, endeavour to 
 prevent any authorized persons from approaching for the pur- 
 pose of requiring them to quit the land, or to tell their names or 
 places of abode; each person shall be subject, on conviction be- 
 fore two justices, to a penalty not exceeding 5, with costs. 
 
 Penally for trespassing on Her Majesty 1 s Forests, fyc. 
 
 Sec. 33. Penalty for trespassing on her majesty's forests, 
 parks, chases, or warrens, in the day time, on conviction before 
 one justice, not exceeding 2. 
 
 Exemption from penalty for Trespass, to Hunters, Lords of 
 Manors, 4*c. 
 
 Sec. 35. The provisions as to trespassers not to apply to per- 
 sons hunting or coursing with hounds or grey-hounds, and being 
 in pursuit of any deer, hare, or fox, already started; nor to any 
 person exercising any right, or reputed right, of free warren, or 
 free chase ; nor to any gamekeeper within the limits of a free 
 
314 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 warren or free chase ; nor to the lord, or steward of the crown, of 
 any manor, or reputed manor. 
 
 Game may be taken from Trespassers. 
 
 Sec. 36. Game may be taken from trespassers, who shall not 
 deliver up the same when demanded. 
 
 Imprisonment in failure of Payment. 
 
 Sec. 38. Penalties to be paid immediately on conviction; or with- 
 in such period as the justice or justices shall think fit; and in default, 
 the person convicted shall be imprisoned (with or without hard 
 labour) for a term not exceeding two calendar months, where the 
 penalty, exclusive of costs shall not amount to 5; and not ex- 
 ceeding three calendar months in any other case. 
 
 Sec. 40. The justices to have power to summon witnesses; and 
 persons refusing to attend, or to be examined, to forfeit a sum no! 
 exceeding 5. 
 
 Time for prosecuting for Penalties, fyc. 
 
 Sec. 41. Prosecutions to be commenced within three calendar 
 months after commission of the offence. 
 
 Sec. 42. The prosecutor is not obliged to negative, by evidence, 
 any certificate, license, &c. ; but the party seeking to avail him- 
 self of such defence to be bound to prove it. 
 
 Sec. 43-44. Convictions to be returned to the sessions to which 
 persons convicted are entitled to appeal. 
 
 No evasion, for want of form, to be allowed. 
 Sec. 45. No summary conviction, or adjudication, or appeal, 
 shall be quashed for want of form, or removed by certiorari, or 
 otherwise; and no warrant of commitment shall be held void for 
 any defect, provided it be alleged that it is founded on a convic- 
 tion, and there shall be a good and valid conviction to sustain it. 
 
AN ABRIDGMENT OF. THE GAME LAWS. 31 5 
 
 Option for Prosecutor to proceed by the Old Action, or the New 
 
 Penally for Trespass. 
 
 Sec. 46. This act not to preclude actions for trespass; but no 
 action at law shall be maintained for the same trespass, by any 
 person, at whose instance or with whose concurrence or assent, 
 proceedings shall have been instituted under this act. 
 
 Actions against Magistrates and Others, for any thing Done in 
 Pursuance of this Act. 
 
 Sec. 47. All actions for any (king done in pursuance of this act, 
 shall be laid and tried in the county where the fact was committed ; 
 and shall be commenced within six calendar months, after the 
 fact committed, and one calendar month's notice in writing given 
 to the defendant of such action, and the cause thereof; and the de- 
 fendant may plead the general issue, and give this act and the spe- 
 cial matter in evidence; and no plaintiff shall recover in such 
 action, if tender of sufficient amends shall be made before the action 
 be brought, or a sufficient sum be paid into court after such action 
 is brought. 
 
 Sec. 48. Tikis act not to extend to Scotland or Ireland. 
 Old Game Laws not Repealed. 
 
 Shooting Certificate for 1845. 
 
 Penalty for shooting without, .20, which when added to the 5 
 in Sec. 23 of the new act, makes the penalty 25. One shooting 
 without a certificate is liable also to a surcharge ; for particulars, 
 see 6 and 7 Wil. IV. cap. 65. sec. 8. 
 
 To be taken out annually, in the parish or place where our 
 assessed taxes are paid. 
 
 For menial servants, hired as gamekeepers, costs \ 5s. and Is. 
 fee to the collector : and also the 10 per cenf. now making altogether 
 l,8s.6d. 
 
 When demanded by any assessor, collector, land-owner, com- 
 missioner, inspector, surveyor, occupier of land, also gamekeeper 
 
316 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 or other person, provided the two latter produce their certificate*, 
 previously to requiring yours, penalty for refusing, d620. 
 
 If you have not your certificate to produce, your name and place 
 of abode may be asked: see penalty for refusing. 
 
 A certificate is not only required for killing game, but also for 
 shooting woodcocks, snipes, quails, landrails, or rabbits; though 
 for the latter, open to certain exceptions. 
 
 As the clause is short, I shall quote from it precisely " Every 
 person using any dog, gun, net, or other engine, for the purpose 
 of taking, or killing, game; or any woodcock, snipe, quail, landrail, 
 or any conies, in Great Britain," &c. 
 
 With two exceptions only 
 
 " 1st, The taking woodcocks and snipes with nets and springes; 
 and, 2dly, the taking or destroying " (meaning shooting or any 
 other mode of destruction, it is presumed) " conies in warrens or 
 in any enclosed ground ; or by any person on land in his occupa- 
 tion, either by himself or by his directions." 
 
 All certificates now expire on the 5th of July in each year. 
 
 Gamekeepers, 
 
 With only 25s. certificates, are subject to the full penalties of un- 
 licensed persons; and with even a ^64, Os. lOd. certificate, are sub- 
 ject to either the new penalty or old action for trespass, if they 
 outstep the bounds of the manor, for which they are appointed. 
 
 | 
 
 Deputation of a Gamekeeper. 
 
 The deputation granted to the gamekeeper must be registered 
 with the clerk of the peace, within twenty days after it is granted* 
 and a certificate taken of the same, under penalty of ^20. The 
 deputation for one keeper holds good till another is appointed. 
 
 If a new gamekeeper is appointed within the year, the game cer- 
 tificate of the former keeper may be transferred to him for the 
 remainder of the year ; and this must be done, free of all expense, 
 by the clerk to the commissioners of the district. 
 
AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS. 317 
 
 Kef using to Give Names. 
 
 If you have not a certificate to produce at the time it is called 
 for, your Christian and surnames, and place of abode, may be de- 
 manded, by any assessor, &c. &c. (as before-mentioned ;) and the 
 penalty for refusing them, or giving a false name, is 
 
 Tame Pigeons, or House Doves. 
 
 Unless they are your own property, or you are desired by the 
 lawful owner to kill them, the penalty for shooting them is 20s. for 
 each pigeon. (Under Statute of 1 Jac. I.) 
 
 For shooting at pigeons, with intent to kill, the penalty would 
 (by 2 Geo. II.) be the same as for killing one pigeon, viz. 20s. In- 
 formation for these offences must be laid within two months. 
 
 Dogs. 
 
 Annual duties on, from the 5th of April 1845, to the 5th of April 
 1846. 
 
 All sporting dogs, except greyhounds, for which there is a duty 
 of 1 for each dog; and pack of hounds compounded for, the duty 
 on which is 36. 
 
 Dogs exempted from Duty. 
 
 Whelps which are not six months old, at the time of returning 
 your list for taxes. 
 
 Dogs belonging to any of the royal family, who are exempt from 
 all duties on sporting. 
 
 Poor persons, who are not assessed for dwelling-houses, may 
 keep one dog, provided it be not a sporting dog. 
 
 Penally for Stealing Dogs. 
 
 By 7 and 8 Geo. IV. c. 29, the offender, on conviction before a 
 justice of peace, to forfeit, for the first offence (over and above the 
 value of the dog,) a sum not exceeding 20. For the second 
 offence, to be imprisoned (with hard labour,) not exceeding twelve 
 
318 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 calendar months, or whipped, at the discretion of the justice. 
 Sec. 31. 
 
 Persons found in possession of a stolen dog, or the skin thereof, 
 (knowing it to be stolen,) are liable to the same penalties. Sec. 32. 
 
 Trespass. 
 
 We have still the old action for trespass against one who goes 
 on land, <fec. after notice; or even if the judge shall certify, on the 
 back of the record, that the trespass was wilful and malicious. 
 
 An unlicensed person may accompany a licensed sportsman, 
 provided he has neither gun nor dogs of his own. 
 
 Exemptions from trespass before and after notice. 
 A person, even after notice, may go on the land of another to 
 serve a subpoena, legal writ, or, in short, for any lawful purpose. 
 
 Specific instructions how to Warn off a Trespasser. 
 
 Form of a proper notice to be sent to, or served on, any person 
 in particular : 
 
 To of 
 
 I hereby give you notice, not to enter or come into or upon ary of 
 
 the lands, woods, underwoods, shaws, or coverts, [or into or upon 
 
 any of the rivers, ponds, pools, waters, or watercourses,] in my 
 
 occupation, in the parish of in the county of 
 
 as in case of your doing so, I shall proceed against you as wilful 
 
 trespasser. Witness my hand this 
 
 day of 1845. 
 
 Signature. 
 
 Dogs, Trespass of. 
 
 An unqualified person cannot use dogs for sporting, although 
 they may be bonajide the property of one who is qualified. 
 
 Waste Land. 
 
 Sporting on, the exclusive right of the lord of the manor. It has 
 been given as an opinion, that although a person may, by common 
 
AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE GAME LAWS. 319 
 
 rights, have the liberty of going, sending, or keeping his cattle on 
 the waste land, yet he has no right to go there in pursuit of game, 
 without leave from the lord of the manor. 
 
 Free Warrens and Decoys. 
 
 The game in a. free warren, is considered as private property, 
 as are also the wild-fowl, <fcc. within a decoy ; and consequently, a 
 person sporting on either would be subject to an action accord- 
 ingly, (with costs,) and without receiving any previous notice. The 
 exercise of free warren, however, is in most cases now difficult to 
 be proved. 
 
 Wild-Fowl. 
 
 Any one may shoot them on the coast, from a public path, &c. 
 &c. where a person, with neither permission from the lord of the 
 manor, nor license, has a right to carry a gun, provided he does 
 not use it for the destruction of game. 
 
 Time within which actions must be brought. 
 
 The time prescribed for bringing an action of trespass, is six 
 years. 
 
 28 
 
321 
 
 LIST OF THE LONDON GUN MAKERS 
 
 FOR 1845. 
 
 Ashton, T. 15, Great Prescott Street. 
 
 Baker, T. K. 1 , Stonecutter Street. 
 
 Baker and Son, 24, Whitechapel Road. 
 
 Barnett, J. E. 134, Minories. 
 
 Beckwith, W. A. 58, Skinner Street 
 
 Beattie, J., 52, Upper Marylebone Street. 
 
 Bishop, W. 170, New Bond Street, (Westley Richards, London 
 
 Agent. 
 
 Blanch, J., 29, Gracechurch Street 
 Blissett, John, 321, High Holborn. 
 Blissett,! saac, 69, Leadenhall Street. 
 Bond, W. 59, Lombard Street. 
 Bond, E. & W., 45, Cornhill. 
 Boss, T. 73, St. James' Street. 
 Braggs, R. 151, Strand. 
 Braggs, Robert, 43, High Holborn. 
 Cherrett, D. 3, Old North Street, Red Lion Square. 
 Child, W. 280, Strand. 
 Clunn, R. 2, Little Portland Street. 
 Cogswell, B. 224, Strand. 
 Collins, J. 115, Regent Street. 
 Cook, J. 6, Well Street, Wellclose Square. 
 Deane, Messrs. George & John, 46, King William Street. 
 Dixon, M. 35, Castle Street, Holborn. 
 Egg, D. 10, Opera Arcade. 
 Egg, C. &H. 1, Piccadilly. 
 
322 THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. 
 
 Field, J. 61, Leman Street, Goodman's Fields. 
 
 Fisher, C. 8, Prince's Street, Leicester Square. 
 
 Forsyth & Co. 8, Leicester Street, Leicester Square. 
 
 Gold ing, W. 27, Davies Street, Grosvenor Square. 
 
 Grierson, J. 10, New Bond Street. 
 
 Grimshaw, T. 48, Whiskin Street, Clerkenwell. 
 
 Harding, W. 69, Great Queen Street. 
 
 Harker, T. 13, Bell Street, Westminster. 
 
 Hart, J. 14, Prince's Street, Leicester Square. 
 
 Hassall, J. 2 Mincing Lane, City. 
 
 Hegley, W. 27!, Gloucester Street, Commercial Road. 
 
 Hepinstale, W. 18, Swan Street, Minories. 
 
 Hett, J. 21, Conduit Street, New Bond Street. 
 
 Hill, J. 76, Tooley Street. 
 
 Holland, J. 44, Great Prescott Street. 
 
 Jackson, R. 19, Prince's Street, Lisson Grove. 
 
 Jackson, Thomas, 29, Edward Street, Portman Square. 
 
 Kemp, J. 115, Jermyn Street. 
 
 Lacy & Reynolds, 21, Great St Helens. 
 
 Lancaster, C. 151, New Bond Street. 
 
 Lang, J. 7, Haymarket. 
 
 Leigh, James fy John, Duncan Street, Whitechapel. 
 
 Leightfoot, J. 6, Dean Street, Holborn. 
 
 Ling, W. 61, Jermyn Street. 
 
 Lissant, John, 53, Drummond Street, Euston Square. 
 
 London, E. 51, London Wall. 
 
 Long, J. 8, Allsop Place, Regent's Park. 
 
 Long, D. & Son, 8, Old Cavendish Street. 
 
 Manton, G. 6, Dover Street, Piccadilly. 
 
 Marks, R. 123, Oxford Street. 
 
 Mills, W. F. 120, High Holborn. 
 
 Moore & Woodward, 64, St. James's Street. 
 
 Needham, W. & Co. 26, Piccadilly. 
 
 Nock, S, 43, Regent Circus. 
 
LIST OF LONDON GUN MAKERS. 323 
 
 Parker & Sons, 233, High Holborn. 
 
 Potts, T. Hay don Square, Minor ies. 
 
 Prichett, R. E. 59, Chambers Street, Goodman's Fields. 
 
 Probin, J. 1 1 , Agar Street, Strand. 
 
 Purday, J. 314 Oxford Street. 
 
 Reavell, W. 30, Southampton Street, Strand. 
 
 Reed, A. 5, Fountain Place, City Road. 
 
 Reilly, J. C. 316, High Holborn. 
 
 Ridley, R. 43, Chambers Street, Goodman's Fields. 
 
 Riviere, Isaac, 315, Oxford Street. 
 
 Rippon & Burton, 12, Well's Street, Oxford Street. 
 
 Sargant & Brothers. 2, Coleman Street Buildings. 
 
 Scott, W. & K. 27, Leman Street, Goodman's Fields. 
 
 Sharp, W. 7, Little Alie Street, Goodman's Fields. 
 
 Smith, J. & Son, 4, Thavies' Inn, Holborn. 
 
 Smith, S. & C. 64, Prince's Street, Leicester Square. 
 
 Smith, W. 2, Thomas Street, Grosvenor Square. 
 
 Stringer, W. 104, White Lion Street, Pentonville. 
 
 Sturman, G. 25, East Road, City Road. 
 
 Sturman, B. 42, Kingslaml Road. 
 
 Tatham, H. 37, Charing Cross. 
 
 Tipping & Lawden, 20, Bartlett's Buildings, 
 
 Walters, G. 7, Guilford Place, Spafields. 
 
 White, E. 3, Worcester Street, Old Gravel Lane. 
 
 W^hitehead, T. 117, Dorset Street, Fleet Street. 
 
 Wilkinson, J. & Son, 27, Pall Mall. 
 
 Williams, J. 67, Threadneedle Street. 
 
 Wilson, A. 141, Drury Lane. 
 
 Witton, J. 82, Old Broad Street. 
 
 Woods, W. 1, Q,ueen Street, South wark Bridge Road. 
 
 Yeomans & Son, 68, Chambers' Street, Goodman's Fields. 
 
 28* 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Abridgment of the Game Laws, - 308 
 
 Accidents with guns, How to guard against, - 186 
 Age of the Horse, marks of the, - 
 
 Albert, Prince; his Beagles, - - - 145 
 
 Alterative medicine for the Hunter, - 30 
 
 Annoyances of a master of foxhounds, - 118 
 
 Ants' Eggs, excellent food for young Game, 271 
 
 Apperley, Mr., on the condition of hunters, - 38 
 
 Appointments of sportsmen, - - -97 
 
 April, flies proper in, for fishing, ... 295 
 August, flies prop'er in, for fishing, ... 295 
 
 Backs of Hunters, Sore; Treatment of, - 78 
 
 Bait for perch, - * - 295, 296 
 
 Bantams, the best for rearing partridges, &c., 269 
 
 Barrels of a gun, their length, gauge, &c., - 149 
 
 Barrels; Which of the, should be first discharged, - 199 
 
 Bastard Plover, or Pee-wit, The, - - - 235 
 
 Baths in kennels, - 112 
 
 Beagle, The, - 142, 144 
 
 Beaufort, Duke of ; his kennel, - 112 
 
 Bedford, Duke of; his immense kennel, - 109 
 
 Bells attached to the necks of pointers, 215 
 
 Bilcock, or Water rail, The, - - - 238 
 
 Bilious complaints in dogs; remedy* 261 
 
 BIRDS usually followed by Sportsmen; List of, - - 228 
 
 Birds of Prey, best means of destroying, 273 
 
326 INDEX. 
 
 Birmingham Guns, - - 147 
 
 Bitches with litters; Management of, - 104 
 
 Bittern, The; its habits, - - - 228 
 
 Black-chin Grebe, The, - . . 230 
 
 Black-cock, The, - 229 
 
 Black Duck, Black Diver, or Scoter, The, - - 237 
 
 Black Game Shooting, ... - 219 
 
 Bladder, disorders of the, in horses; and treatment, 91 
 
 Bleed a dog; directions how to, - - - 115 
 
 Bleeding a horse; discretion to be observed in, 44 
 
 Blindness in horses, 83 
 
 Blinkers on greyhounds, when to be used, - 279 
 
 Blissett, John, gunmaker, commended, 148 
 
 Bog-spavin, and its treatment, - 88 
 
 BREAKING of DOGS, rules for, - - 244, 247, 249 
 
 Breeching, Wilkinson's counter parabolic, - ]50 
 
 BREEDING of HOUNDS, - - 100, 103, 105 
 
 Brent Goose, The - - - 229 
 
 Broken in; When the Hunter should be, 23 
 
 Brood mares, on the condition of, - 20 
 
 Bruise in the joint of a dog, - - 258 
 
 Bnrrough Duck, or sheldrake, The, - 237 
 
 Bustard, The, - - 229 
 
 Canker in the ear of a dog, medicine for, 261, 262 
 
 Canker in the teeth of a dog, cure for, - - 259 
 
 Cannon-powder recommended for large guns, 168 
 
 Capercailzie, The, - - 229 
 
 Caps (copper) of a gun, 152 
 
 Carelessness in holding a gun, deprecated, - 185 
 
 Carrying a gun, directions for properly, 186 
 
 Cartridges, Eley's, the blue; the red, - 173, 174 
 
 Casts, judicious and injudicious, in hunting, - - 126, 127 
 
 Cataract in hunters, its causes and cure, - 83 
 
 Cautery, the actual, as a cure for blemishes, 51 
 
 Certificate for killing game, - - 309, 315, 316 
 
 for selling game, - 311,312 
 
 penalty for shooting without, - 312, 315 
 
 for servants hired as Gamekeepers, 315 
 
 Charging a gun, directions for, - 183 
 
 Check Collars, &c., absurd, - - 247 
 
 Cleaning a gun, directions for, - - 176 
 
 Clothes, proper and improper, for fishing, - 297 
 
INDEX. 327 
 
 Page 
 
 Cock, or striker of a gun, - - - - 152 
 
 Cockney Sportsmen, 
 
 Cock shooting, - - - - 215 
 
 Cold, in hunters ; its causes and cure, - - -79 
 
 Coleman, Error of Professor, as to the frog of the hunter, 63 
 
 Colour of pointers, The best, - - 241 
 
 Colt, Treatment of the, - 22 
 
 CONDITION of BROOD MARES, - 
 
 Condition of the stallion, - 
 
 Condition, Bringing the colt into, 
 
 Conies in warrens, &c. may be destroyed, - 316 
 
 Coop for young pheasants, &c. proper site for, - 
 
 Copper caps of a gun ; their qualities, - - - 152 
 
 Coot, The, ...... 230 
 
 Cordials for a distressed hunter, - - - - 44 
 
 Corncrake, The, or landrail, - 234 
 
 Corns, preventive and cure of, - - 72 
 
 COURSING, - 278 
 
 The laws of, 280 
 
 Local rules of, - - - - 285 
 
 General rules of, - - - - 284 
 
 Cough, Chronic, in hunters, - - - - 81 
 
 Coverts, How to know whether they have been infringed, 269 
 
 Coverts; Directions for drawing the, 124 
 
 Covert shooting, Proper gun for, - - - 157 
 Cracker, The, ....... 235 
 
 Creeps, in coverts, should be stopped, - - 267 
 
 Cross, in dogs; Utility of a, - - - 248 
 
 Curbs, and treatment, .... 86 
 
 Curlew, The, ...... 230 
 
 Curtis and Harvey's powder commended, - 168 
 
 Cushat, or Wood pigeon, The, - 236 
 
 Daker Hen, The, or Corncrake, - - - 234 
 
 Dealers in game, Regulations as to 311, 312 
 
 Decoys, The Wild-fowl, &c. in, private property, - 319 
 
 DEER STALKING, - - 226 
 
 Deputations and Gamekeepers, - 310,316 
 
 Destruction of vermin, how to be accomplished, - - 273 
 
 Destruction of Birds of Prey; How to effect the, 273 
 
 Destruction of Game, by guns, &c. - - 267 
 
 Detonating system, The, of Guns, - - - 146 
 
 Devon and Somerset staghounds, The, - - 142 
 
328 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Devonshire, Black Game shooting in, - 219 
 Diet. See Pood. 
 
 Distance to be allowed game when crossing, &c. 190, 196, 204, 217 
 
 Distemper, The, in Dogs, - 255 
 
 Distress, Treatment of the Hunter after, - - 41, 43 
 
 Diver, The Black, or Scoter, - 237 
 
 Dog; Bruise in the joint of a, treatment, - - 258 
 
 Dog; Characteristics of a good young, or puppy, - 104 
 
 Dog; How to bleed a, - 115 
 
 Dog; How to obtain a good, - - 244 
 
 Dog; Value of a good, - - - 242 
 
 Dogs, Annual duties on, - - - 317 
 
 The distemper in, - - 255 
 
 DOGS, DISORDERS of 255 
 
 How to administer medicines to, - - 254 
 
 Penalty for stealing, - - - 317 
 
 DOGS, BREAKING of; Rules for the, - - 242, 247, 249 
 
 Dogs, Canker in the ears of; Medicine for, - - 261, 262 
 
 teeth of; Cure for, - - 259 
 
 Dogs, Check Collars, &c. for; absurd," - 247 
 
 Dogs, Sporting; Breeding and Breaking of, 240, 275 
 
 Dogs, the Flogging of, how to be conducted, - - 242, 250 
 
 Dogs, Trespass of, by an unqualified person, - 318 
 
 Dog- spears, where useful or dangerous, 268 
 
 Dotterel, The, ... - 231 
 
 Double Scoter, The, - 238 
 
 Double Shots, - - - 201 
 
 Doves, tame; Shooting of, - 317 
 
 Drafting hounds, Directions for, - 124 
 
 Drawing coverts, Directions for, - 124 
 
 Dress, &c. for following hounds, - 97 
 Dress, proper and improper, for fishing, 
 
 Dress for Snipe Shooting, - 218 
 
 Ducks; wild-fowl under the title of, - 231 
 
 Duck-gun, its proper qualities, - 157 
 
 Dust shot, useless, - 171 
 
 Ear, Canker in a dog's; remedy, - - 261, 262 
 Eared grebe, The, 
 
 Early shooting, in the morning, improper, - - 208 
 
 Ears of Dogs, torn ; Medicine for, . 258 
 
 Egg, Mr. the gunmaker, and his guns, - 148 
 
 Eggs of game, Penalty for taking, 312 
 
INDEX. 329 
 
 Page 
 
 Eggs of pheasants and partridges ; Purchasing of, - - 270 
 
 ; Rearing from, 270 
 
 Egyptian geese, - - 232 
 
 Eider duck, The, - - 231 
 Eley's cartridges, for what useful - - 173, 220, 273 
 Elevation of a gun ; On the proper, ... 154,155 
 
 England the country of the perfect foxhound, - 101 
 
 Ephemerae on the waters, to be imitated, in fishing, - 294 
 
 Evening, the best time for fishing, ... 297 
 
 Exercise for greyhounds, &c. recommended, - 276 
 
 Exercise and Gallops for the Young Hunter, - 33 
 
 Exhaustion in the Hunter; Remedy for. 43 
 
 Eye of the horse, Disorders of, - - - 83 
 
 Eyes, films over the, of dogs; cure, - 262 
 
 Fallow deer, ..... 226 
 
 Fast dogs, inconvenient, - - . 240 
 
 Fast work must be done, by dogs, to obtain fine condition, 277 
 
 February, Flies proper in, for fishing, - 295 
 
 Feeding of hounds, - 111 
 Feet of horses, Treatment of, - - 56, 68, 73 
 Feet, Disorders of dogs', - - 260,261 
 
 Fever in the feet of horses, . - - 73 
 
 Films over the eyes of dogs ; cure, ... 263 
 
 Fish hooks, Directions for choosing, - 306 
 
 FISHING, - - - - - 293 
 
 Fishing lines, Management of, - - - 305 
 
 Fishing rods, Wood for, proper qualities of, &c. 303 
 
 Fits of dogs ; Treatment for, .... 262 
 
 Flasks, Powder ; Egg's and Sykes', - - 183 
 
 Fleas, in dogs ; preventive and cure, - - 260 
 
 Flies, knowledge of, the first requisite in a fisher, 293 
 
 Flies in general use, in each month, - - - 295 
 
 Flies (Water) change their hues, ... 296 
 
 Flint gun, Parts of the lock of a, - - - - 181 
 
 Flint guns superior in force to detonating, - - 150 
 
 Flogging of dogs, how to be regulated, - - - 242 
 
 Food for brood mares, . 21 
 
 Food of Hunters, previous to going to hounds, - - 31 
 
 Food of greyhounds, when training, - 277 
 
 Food, proper and improper, for hounds, - - 114 
 
 Food for young partridges and pheasants, - 271 
 
 Foot-lameness in the Hunter ; Causes and treatment of, - 59 
 
330 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Forests, Penalty for trespassing on the royal, - 313 
 
 Forrester, Mr. of Willy Hall, Anecdote of, 98 
 
 FOXHOUND, BREEDING of the, - 100 
 
 FOXHUNTING,- - - 101 
 Foxhunting, formerly and now, compared, - - 26, 98 
 Free Warrens and Decoys, Game in, private property, - 319 
 
 French partridge, The, " 233 
 
 Frog; Errors of Professor Coleman as to the, 63 
 
 Gallinule, The spotted, 238 
 
 Gallops and Exercise for the young Hunter, 33 
 
 Game; Beating for, - 201 
 
 Game, Destruction of, by gins, &c. - 267 
 
 Game, Liberty to sell, - 311 
 
 Game, Penalty for poisoning, - 308 
 
 Game, Prohibited time for killing, 308 
 
 Game, Preservation of; directions for the, - - 266 
 
 Game, Penalty for having, at a prohibited time, 309 
 
 Game, the property of the landlord, - 309 
 
 Game, The, in free warrens, private property, - 319 
 
 Game, what, under the Game Acts, 308, 316 
 
 GAME usually followed by sportsmen, List of, 228 
 
 Game certificates, - 309, 316 
 
 Game certificate, Production of, may be called for, - 315 
 
 Game dealers, Regulations as to, - 311 
 
 Gamekeeper's Certificate, 316 
 
 Gamekeepers, Certificate for servants hired as, - - 315 
 
 Gamekeepers and deputations, 310 
 
 Gamekeepers outstepping the bounds of the manor, - 316 
 
 Gamekeepers, Persons admissible as, - 311 
 
 Gamekeepers, Register of, - - 311 
 
 GAME LAWS, Abridgment of the, - 308 
 
 Game laws, Old, not repealed, - -315 
 
 Gannet, Gan, or Solan Goose, 231 
 
 Gapes, The; cure for, in young pheasants, - 272 
 
 Gaps in coverts, should be stopped, - 267 
 
 Garganey, The, - 231 
 
 Gate, riding over a, unnecessarily, - 139 
 
 Gauge, The proper, for gun-barrels, - 149 
 
 General rules of coursing, 283 
 
 Getting well away with hounds, Necessity of, 131 
 
 Gid, or jacksnipe, 234 
 
 Gin, The common, the most destructive of game, - - 267 
 
INDEX. 331 
 
 Page 
 
 Gins, recommended for the destruction of vermin, - 273 
 
 Godwit, The, - - 231,233 
 
 Golden-eye, The, - - - - 232 
 
 Golden plover, The, - 235 
 
 Good dog; how to obtain one, - - 244 
 
 Goodwin on the diseases of the feet of Hunters, - 75 
 
 Goose, Different kinds of Wild, - - 232 
 
 Goose, The Brent, ..... 229 
 
 Gorcock, or Moorcock, The, - - 234 
 
 Grain of gunpowder, proper size of, - 168 
 
 Grasp, or grip, of a gun, - 158, 163 
 
 Grass, a summer's, and a summer's rest, 47 
 
 Grass; Treatment of the Hunter when coming from, 27 
 
 Graylag, or Wild-goose, 232 
 Gray Plover, The, - ... 235 
 
 Great Black Duck, The, - - 238 
 
 Great Plover, The, - - - - - 235 
 
 Grebes, Various kinds of, - 233 
 
 Greekshanked Godwit, or Greenlegged Horseman, - 233 
 
 Green wound, in a dog, Medicine for, 259 
 
 GREYHOUNDS, their breeding and treatment, - 275 
 
 Grooms, Errors of, in practice, - - 33 
 
 Grouse, Various kinds of, - - - - 233 
 
 GROUSE SHOOTING, - - - 212 
 
 Guernsey or French Partridge, - - 233 
 
 Guns, accidents with; How to guard against, - 186 
 
 GUN, Directions for the choice of a, - - 147 
 
 Gun, Directions for cleaning a, - 176 
 
 Gun, Names of the parts of a, - - 164 
 GUN, Proper management of the, - 146, 166, 183, 185 
 
 The Flint and the Detonating, 146, 150 
 
 Which barrel of a, should be first discharged, - 199 
 
 GUNMAKERS, London; List of, - 321 
 
 Gunmakers recommended, - 147, 148 
 Gunpowder. See Powder. 
 
 Half-cock, when proper and improper, - 187, 196 
 
 Hare, The Common, and the White or Alpine, - - 234 
 
 HARE, Coursing the, - - 278 
 
 Harrier, The, - . . 143 
 
 Hawker, (Colonel,) on the elevation of a Gun, 154 
 
 Hawker, (Colonel,) on Wild-fowl shooting, - - 160 
 
 Heading a fox back, on breaking covert, - - 129 
 29 
 
332 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Hens, employed to rear pheasants and partridges, - 269 
 
 Hinds, Mr., on colds of hunters, 80 
 
 Hold a gun safely, when shooting; How to, - 200 
 
 Honey wood's (Mr.) beagles, - 145 
 
 Hoof of the Hunter; its proper form, - 58 
 
 Hooks, Fish-, directions for choosing, 306 
 
 Hooks to whip on, How to make, - 306 
 
 Horse, A, should be known before riding to hound, - 141 
 
 Discretion to be observed in bleeding, - 43 
 
 Knowledge of, before use, indispensable, 141 
 
 See also Hunter. 
 
 Horses, Blindness in, - 83 
 
 Treatment of the feet of, 56, 68, 73 
 
 Horses, age of, Marks of the, - 93 
 
 HOUNDS, BREEDING of, - - - 100,103 
 
 Directions for Drafting, - - , - 124 
 
 Dress proper for following the, 
 
 Getting well away with; Necessity of, - - 135 
 
 Lifting; Unsportsmanlike practice of, 127 
 
 Hounds, beauty of a level pack of, - - 106 
 
 HOUNDS, Method of RIDING STRAIGHT TO, - 135 
 
 Hound, The pace of the, formerly and now, 26 
 
 Hounds, now, very different from those of other days, 103 
 
 How to administer medicine to dogs, - - 254 
 
 HUNTING, - 97,117,135 
 
 In the remote periods of history, - 101 
 
 Past and present state of, contrasted, - - 26, 98 
 
 Hunters, Diseases of the eye in, - 
 
 Disorders of; and treatment, 59, 68, 76 
 
 Hunters, lords of manors, &c., Privilege of, 
 
 Mr. Apperley on the condition, 38 
 
 HUNTERS, their breeding and condition, 19 
 Hunter, the; Bringing him into work, 
 Hunter, Treatment of the, previous to going to hounds, - 
 Hunter, Treatment of the, after being out with hounds, 
 
 Hunter, Treatment of the, at the close of the season, 46, 51 
 
 Hutch traps, Utility and inconvenience of, - 273 
 HUNTSMAN, Qualifications and duties of the, 
 Hydrophobia, Preventive for, 
 
 Inflammation of the eye, in horses, - 84 
 
 kidneys, in horses, - 90 
 
 Inner-sole of horses' feet, Disorders of the, - 74 
 
INDEX. 333 
 
 Page 
 
 Jacksnipe, Judcock, Gid, or .Tetcock, - 234 
 Jetcock or Jacksnipe, - 
 
 Judcock, or Jacksnipe, ----- 234 
 July, Flies proper in, for fishing, 
 
 June, Flies proper in, for fishing, - - 295 
 
 Keep your temper, ----- 195, 251 
 
 KENNEL, The, - - - - - - 1 07 
 
 Kennel management, - 
 
 Kennel, proper construction of, - - 108 
 
 Kennel servants, should be overlooked, 114 
 
 Kennels of the Dukes of Bedford, Richmond, &c. - 108, 109 
 
 Kidney, Distemper hanging in a dog's, 259 
 
 Kidney's, Inflammation of the, in horses, - - 90 
 
 Killing game handsomely, explained, - 
 
 Kincs of England great foxhunters, - - ^102 
 
 Knot, The, - - - - - - 234 
 
 Know your horse before riding to hounds, 141 
 
 Lameness, in the Hunter ; Causes, and treatment, 
 
 Lancaster's barrel-boring commended, - - - 147 
 
 Lancaster's and Long's side-primer, - - - 159 
 
 Landlord, Game the property of the, - 309 
 
 Landlords, Increased privilege of, 310 
 
 Landrail, Daker Hen, or Corncrake, - 234 
 
 Lapwing, Bastard' Plover, or Pee-wit, - - 235 
 
 Lash, The, to be rarely used to dogs, - 242, 250 
 
 Laughing goose, - - - - 233 
 
 LAWS of COURSING, - - - - - 280 
 
 Leaping, Directions and cautions as to, - - 140 
 
 Legs of Hunters; Disorders of the, - 77, 87 
 
 Level, Necessity of obtaining, in shooting, - - 190 
 
 Level pack of hounds, Beauty of a, - - - 106 
 
 Licence for killing game, - 311, 315, 316 
 
 selling game, - - - 311 
 
 Licensed dealers in game, Regulations as to, - - 311,312 
 
 Lifting greyhounds ; when to be practised, - 279 
 
 Lifting fox-hounds; when proper and improper, 126 
 
 Lights, A dog seized with hovering in the ; cure, - - 263 
 
 Lines, Fishing-; management of, - 305 
 
 Litters, bitches with ; Management of, - 104 
 
 Little Grebe, The, - 233 
 
 Loading a gun, Directions for, - - - 166, 186 
 
334 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Local Rules of Coursing, ----- 285 
 Locks of a gun, .... 150,164,178 
 
 Locks of a gun, How to take to pieces and put together, - 179 
 
 London Gunmakers, - - - - 147, 321 
 
 Long's Side Primer, - - - 159 
 
 Long shots ; how to be taken, 205 
 
 Long-legged Plover, The, - 236 
 
 Lord of the manor, only, can sport on waste lands, - 319 
 
 Lords of manors, &c., Exemption in favour of, - 313 
 
 MASTER of FOXHOUNDS; Duty, and Troubles of a, 118 
 
 Madness, Canine ; Preventive for, 259 
 
 Maggots, a good substitute for ants' eggs, - 271 
 
 Magistrates, &c., Actions against, in game matters, - 317 
 
 Mainspring of a gun, The, 151,164 
 
 Mallard, the drake of the wild duck, - 235 
 
 Mange, Causes of, and cure, 259, 264 
 
 Manor, Lord of the, only, can sport on waste lands, - 319 
 
 Manors, lords of, &c., Exemption of, - 313 
 
 Manton's (Joe,) elevation of a gun, - - 155 
 
 March, Flies proper in, for fishing, - 295 
 MARES, BROOD, Choice of; their requisites and treatment, 20 
 
 Marked in ; How to act when game is, - 203 
 
 Markers, when highly expedient, - 210, 215 
 
 Master, Eye of the, necessary in the kennel, &c. 114 
 
 MASTER of FOXHOUNDS; DUTY of a, ^ 117 
 
 May, Flies proper in, for fishing, - 295 
 
 MEDICINE to DOGS, How to administer, - 254 
 
 Meets, Hints for proper fixing of the, 122 
 
 Method of riding straight to hounds, - 135 
 
 Minnows, proper for trout-fishing, - - 299 
 
 Minnow, Spinning a; for killing trout, - - 298 
 
 Moor hen, or Water hen, The, - - 238 
 
 Moorcock, The, - - - - - 233 
 
 Moore, Mr. the gunmaker; his guns, - 148 
 
 Morillon, The, - ... - 235 
 
 Morning shooting, unproductive, - 208 
 
 Mouth of a horse at different ages, 94 
 
 Names, &c., of persons shooting, may be demanded, - 316, 317 
 
 Nets; Snipes and Woodcocks may be taken with, - 316 
 
 New Forest, Somersetshire; Black Game Shooting in, - 218 
 
 Newfoundland dog, the best retriever, - - 253 
 
INDEX. 335 
 
 r* "" 
 
 Page 
 
 Nervousness in shooters, - 188 
 
 Nipple, The, of a gun, - - 152,181 
 
 Nipple probe, a necessary appendage, - 183 
 
 Nock, Mr. the gunmaker; his guns, - 148 
 
 North American Quail, The, - - 236 
 
 Ointments, detergent, for sore backs of Hunters, 78 
 
 Old dogs to be preferred, - 250 
 
 Old Game Laws not repealed, 316 
 
 Old School, The, as to dress and appointments, - 97 
 
 Over-reach, precautions against the, - 66 
 
 Partridges, their rarity and wildness now; and causes, - 207 
 
 Partridges' eggs; Purchasing of, for rearing, - 269 
 
 Partridges' nests destroyed by being cut out of grass, - 270 
 
 PARTRIDGE SHOOTING, 207 
 PARTRIDGES, REARING of, under DOMESTIC HENS, 269 
 
 Partridges reared under liens; Courage of, - 271 
 
 Pee-wit, The, or lapwing, - 235 
 
 Pellets in the various Nos. of patent shot, - 173 
 
 Penalties, Imprisonment on failure of paying, - 313 
 
 Penalties, Time for prosecuting for, - 314 
 
 PERCH FISHING, 301 
 
 Pheasants; How to keep them at home, - - 268 
 PHEASANTS, REARING of, under DOMESTIC HENS, 269 
 
 PHEASANT SHOOTING, - - 213 
 
 Pheasants' eggs, "Purchasing of, for rearing, - 269 
 
 Piiysic for the hunter, - - 26, 30 
 
 Pigeons, Varieties of the, - 235 
 
 Pigeons, tame, or house dove; Shooting of, - 317 
 
 Pigeon gun, its proper qualities, - 162 
 
 PIKE FISHING, - - 300 
 
 Pintail duck, The, - 235 
 
 Playing a fish till he be tired, absurd, - - 296 
 
 Plover, Varieties of the, - 234,235 
 
 Poacher, The ancient and the modern, - - 208 
 
 Poacher, his use of the gin, - 267 
 Poacher, patronized, by the Purchase of the eggs of game, 269 
 
 Poaching and trespassing, Penalties for, 308, 313, 315, 316 
 
 POINTER; BREEDING and BREAKING of the, - 240 
 
 Pointer, Description of the points of a, 248 
 
 Points of a Hound described, - 100 
 
 Points of a Greyhound, - - 275 
 
 29* 
 
336 INDF.X. 
 
 Page 
 
 Points of a Setter, - 248 
 
 Poisoned; Cure when a dog is, - 259 
 
 Poisoning game, Penalty for, - - 308 
 
 Poking shot, A, contemptible, 192 
 
 Pole-cats, weasels, &c. How to destroy, - 273 
 
 Pool-snipe, The, or Sand-cock, 236 
 
 Position to be selected, at the covert, - - 137 
 
 Powder flasks, - 182 
 
 Powder proper for shooting, - 167 
 
 Powder, Proper measure of, - - - - 171 
 
 PRESERVATION OF GAME. - - 266 
 Preserve your temper, - 195, 251 
 
 Prince Albert; Beagles of, 145 
 
 Prohibited time for killing Game, - 308 
 
 Prohibited time, Penalty for having game at, - 309 
 Prosecution of trespassers, - 313,315,319 
 
 Ptarmigan, or white grouse, - 234 
 
 Pumiced feet, preventives and cure, - 69 
 
 Punch for cutting wadding, - 175 
 
 Punt gun, proper qualities of the, - 159 
 
 PUPPIES, PROPER MANAGEMENT OF, - - 240 
 
 Puppy, Characteristic of a good, 104 
 
 Purdey, his guns commended, - - 148 
 
 Purges for Hunters, 28, 91 
 
 Purges for Dogs, - 261 
 
 Quail, The, - 236 
 
 Qualification for killing game, - - 309 
 
 Quick-shooting and snap- shooting, - 193 
 
 Quiet, necessary for the Preservation of game, - - 267 
 Quietness while shooting, recommended, - 201, 210 
 
 Rabbit, The, - 236 
 
 Ram-rod, Qualities of a good, 154 
 
 Rapid firing, generally improper, - 191 
 
 Rarity of Game now-a-clays, - 20". 
 
 Rating hounds, when and how proper, - - 131 
 REARING PHEASANTS and PARTRIDGES under 
 
 DOMESTIC HENS, - 269 
 
 Reckless and rash riding, deprecated, 138 
 
 Recoil of duck guns, how to prevent, - 161 
 
 Red taint, or Mange; Cure for the, - 263 
 
 Red-breasted geese, 232' 
 
INDEX. 337 
 
 Page 
 
 Red deer, ...... 226 
 
 Red-legged Horseman, The, - 236 
 
 Red-shank, or Sand-cock, The, - - - 236 
 
 Reeve, The, - 237 
 Refusal to give names, or produce certificates, - -317 
 
 Register of gamekeepers, - - - - 311 
 
 Rest and refreshment, necessary after sport, - - 197 
 
 Retrievers, What dogs the best, ... 253 
 
 Rheumatism in dogs; Treatment for, ... 263 
 
 Richards, Westley; character of his guns, 147 
 
 Richmond, Duke of ; his kennel at Goodwood, - - 108 
 
 RIDING STRAIGHT to HOUNDS; Directions for, 135 
 
 Riding timidly, Danger in, ... 138 
 
 Ring dove, or Wood pigeon, The, ... 236 
 
 Ring dotterel, Ring plover, or Sea lark, - - 231 
 
 ROARING; 4ts causes and treatment, 79 
 
 RODS, FISHING; Wood for, &c., - - 303 
 
 Roebuck, The, - - 226 
 
 Ruff, The, --.... 237 
 
 Running-rein Fraud, - ... 93 
 
 Rutland, Duke of; his kennel at Belvoir, - - 108 
 
 Sand-crack, and its cure, ... 74 
 
 Scaup duck, or Spoonbill, The, - - 237 
 
 Scear of the lock of a gun, - - 164 
 
 Scotch snuff and gin, a cure for Fleas, ... 260 
 Scoter, Black difck, or Black diver, The, - - 237 
 
 Sea Lark, The, - - 231 
 
 Sea Pheasant, The, - .... 235 
 
 Season, Treatment of a hunter after the, - - - 46 
 
 Sell game, Liberty to, 311 
 
 Selling game, Regulations as to, - - -311,312,313 
 
 September, the 1st; Directions for, - - - 188 
 
 September, Flies proper in, for fishing - 296 
 
 SETTER, The, utility of, treatment, &c., - - 252 
 
 Severity of punishment of dogs, mischievous, - 241,250 
 
 Sheldrake, or Burrough Duck, The, - - 237 
 
 Shoeing of horses, .... 55,60,63,66 
 
 SHOOTING, - 146, 185 
 
 Shooting in company, Regulations for, ... 198 
 Shooting high and shooting forward, - 190 
 
 Shooting without Certificate, Penalties for, 312, 315 
 
 Shot, proper sizes of, for various shooting, - - 169 
 
338 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Shot Mould, - 173 
 Shot, Patent drop, - 
 Shot, Pellets in the various Nos. of Patent, 
 Shot-belt and Shot-pouch, 
 Shyness, Occasional, of Birds, 
 
 Side Primer, Lancaster's and Long's, 159 
 
 Sight of a gun, - - 154 
 
 Single gun, best at the end of the season, 171 
 
 Sit-fast, in hunters, and the cure, - * - 
 
 Size of the hound; the proper, 106 
 
 Skin; To make a dog fine in his, - - 263 
 
 Skitty, or Water Crake, the, - 238 
 
 Slow and quick Shooting, discussed, - 191 
 
 Slow Dogs, when inconvenient, 240 
 
 Small-sized Shot, advantages of, - - 170 
 
 Smith, Mr. the gurtmaker; his guns, - 148 
 
 Snap-shooting, only sometimes proper, - - 194 
 
 Snipe, The, - - 237 
 Snipes and Woodcocks, may be taken with nets and springes. 316 
 
 SNIPE-SHOOTING, - - 216 
 
 Soland Goose, The, - - 231 
 Sore backs of hunters, and their cure, 
 
 Sore Feet in do^s, treatment of, - 260 
 Soundness, in the Hunter, never regained, when once lost, - 58 
 
 Southern breed of Hounds, The, 103 
 
 SPANIELS, essential qualities of, - 253 
 
 Spanish Pointer, The, - - 240 
 
 Spavin, arid its treatment, - 88 
 
 Spinning a Minnow, for killing trout, - 298 
 
 Splents, and the treatment of, - 87 
 
 Splinters in the legs of hunters, - 77 
 
 Spoonbill, or Scaup Duck, The, - 237 
 
 SPORTING TERMS in general use, 288 
 
 Sporting Dogs, Annual Duties on, - 317 
 
 Sporting Dogs, Breeding and Breaking of, 100, 107, 240, 275 
 
 Sporting; The time for, 208 
 
 Sportsmen, Appointments of, - - 97 
 
 Spotted Gallinule or Water Crake, The, 238 
 Sprinffes, Woodcocks and Snipes may be taken with, - 316 
 
 Springs, The, of a gun-lock, - - - 150 
 
 Stables, Public, - 19 
 
 STABLES, Private; their requisites, - 36 
 
 Stag, The; See Deer-Stalking, - - - 142, 226, 238 
 
INDEX. 
 
 339 
 
 Page 
 
 Staggering of dogs; treatment of, - - 261 
 
 Staghoimd, The, described, - 142 
 
 STAG-HUNTING, - - 141 
 
 STALLION, Proper condition of the 21 
 
 Stanchion, or punt gun, - 159 
 Stealing Dogs; Penalty for, - - 
 
 Stock of a gun its proper qualities, - 149 
 
 Stopping, the means of preventing foot disease, 69 
 Stopping hounds, how to do it properly, 
 
 Strain, Medicine for a, in dogs, 258 
 Strangles, and their treatment, - 
 
 Stubs in the legs of hunters, - 78 
 
 SUBSCRIPTION PACK, Master of a; his duties, 117, 119 
 
 Summering horses in the house and in the field, 47, 54 
 
 Swan, The Wild, - 238 
 
 Sweating the Hunter; Proper mode of, 30 
 
 Swelled the seats of dogs, Cure for, - 258 
 
 Swelling after bleeding, in dogs, - - 258 
 
 Sykes, Mr., his patent powder flasks, - - 183 
 
 Talbot, The, ..... 102 
 
 Teal, - - - - - - - 238 
 
 Teeth, the marks of age in horses, - 94 
 
 Temper, The preservation of, necessary, 195, 251 
 
 Tenant allowing people to shoot, Penalty for the, - 310 
 
 TERMS USED IN SPORTING, - 288 
 
 Thorns in the legs of hunters, - 77 
 
 Thorough-pin, and its treatment, 89 
 
 Three years old; Treatment of the Hunter, when, 24 
 
 Thrush, preventive and cure, 70 
 
 Timid riding, deprecated, - 138 
 
 Time for prosecuting for penalties, - 314 
 
 Time, The, for Sporting, 208, 223 
 
 Time within which actions against Magistrates, &c. - 315 
 Time within which actions for Trespass must be brought, 319 
 
 Time when killing game is prohibited, - - 308 
 
 Tippet Grebe, The, 233 
 
 Torn ears of dogs, Medicine for, - 258 
 Trespass, Exemption from penalty, to Hunters, Lords of 
 
 Manors, &c. - 313 
 
 Trespass of Dogs,, by an unqualified person, - 318 
 
 Trespass, Option of the prosecutor for, - - 314 
 Trespass, Old action for, still in use, - - - 314, 318 
 
340 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Trespasser, How to warn off a, - - 318 
 
 Trespasser, Penalties exgible from, 313, 314, 318 
 
 Trespassers, Game may be taken from, 314 
 
 Trespassers, when more than five; Penalty, - 312 
 
 Trigger, and trigger steel-yard, 151 
 Trolling for pike, .... 390 
 
 TROUT-FISHING, 293 
 
 Unglazed shot recommended, - 172 
 
 Unlicensed Person selling game, Penalty for, - 313 
 
 Unqualified Person shooting, - 309, 318 
 
 Urine of hunters, Disorders of the, - 90 
 
 Value of a good dog, - 242 
 
 Velvet duck, or Double Scoter, The, 238 
 
 Velvet runner, or Bilcock, The, - 238 
 
 Vent-hole of a detonator, - 153 
 
 Vermin, how to be destroyed, - - 273 
 
 Wadding, the most proper, - 174 
 
 Wales, exclusive privilege, as to gamekeepers, in, - 311 
 
 Walton, Izaac, on spinning a minnow, - - 298 
 
 Warn off a trespasser, How to, 318 
 
 Warrens, Conies in, &c. may be destroyed, 316 
 
 Washing of hounds, recommended, - 113 
 
 Washes, recommended for Sore Backs of Hunters, 78 
 
 Waste-land, Sporting on; the Lord of the Manor, only, 318 
 
 Water crake, or Water rail, The, - 238 
 
 Water hen, or Moor hen, The, 238 
 
 Water rail, Bilcock, or Velvet runner, The, 238 
 
 Waterproof Boots, for snipe-shooting, recommended, - 218 
 
 Weaning the Colt, (Hunter,) Time for, - 22 
 
 Weazels, Polecats, &c. How to destroy, 273 
 
 Weight, Proper, of a gun, - 150 
 
 Whelps are liable to the Distemper, &c. 105 
 
 Which barrel should first be discharged ? - 199 
 
 WHIPPER-IN, The, his qualifications and duties, - 131 
 
 Whipping with an artificial fly, for trout, 296 
 
 White Grouse, or Ptarmigan, 233 
 
 White fronted, or Laughing Goose, 233 
 
 Widgeons, - - - 239 
 
 WILD-FOWL SHOOTING, - - 221 
 
 Wild fowl shooting, Colonel Hawker on, - - 160 
 
INDEX. 341 
 
 Page 
 
 Wild-fowl on the Coast, or from a public path, may be shot, 319 
 
 Wild-fowl, The, in Decoys, private property, - 319 
 
 Wild-fowl usually followed by Sportsmen ; List of, - 228 
 
 Wild-goose, different kinds of, - - 295 
 
 Wild-swan, The, - - 238 
 
 Wilkinson's counter parabolic breeching, - - 150 
 
 Wind of Horses, Disease in the ; and treatment, 79 
 
 Windgalls, and their treatment, - 89 
 
 Winter duck, The, - - 235 
 
 Winterton, Lord ; his Beagles, - - - 145 
 
 Witnesses refusing to attend, in Trespass actions, 314 
 
 WOODCOCK SHOOTING, - - 215 
 Woodcocks, and Snipes, may be taken with nets and springs, 310 
 
 Woodpigeon, or Ringdove, The, 23G 
 
 Work, Bringing the hunter into, - 29 
 
 Worms, a disease of dogs, - - - - 217 
 
 Worms, in dogs ; How to destroy, - - 265 
 
 Wound, an Old, or sore, in Dogs; Remedy, - 2G1 
 
 Wounds in Dogs, Treatment of, - - 260 
 
 Young hounds, proper treatment of, - 105 
 
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PUBLISHED BY LEA AND BLANCHARD, 
 
 Now ready, in One Volume 8w>. with Illustrations. 
 
 THE HORSE, 
 
 BY WILLIAM YOU ATT. 
 
 A NEW EDITION, WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS; 
 CONTAINING A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE 
 
 DISEASES OF THE HORSE, 
 
 WITH THEIR MODE OF TREATMENT ; 
 HIS ANATOMY, 
 
 AND THE USUAL OPERATIONS PERFORMED ON HIM; 
 HIS BREEDING, BREAKING, AND MANAGEMENT; 
 
 AND HINTS ON HIS SOUNDNESS, AND THE 
 PURCHASE AND SALE. 
 
 TOGETHER WITH A 
 
 GENERAL HISTORY OF THE HORSE; 
 
 A DISSERTATION ON 
 
 THK AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE, 
 
 HOW TRAINED AND JOCKEYED, 
 AN ACCOUNT OF HIS REMARKABLE PERFORMANCES; 
 
 AND 
 
 AN ESSAY ON THE ASS AND THE MULE, 
 
 BY J. S. SKINNER, 
 
 Assistant Post Master General, and Editor of the Turf Register. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 LEA AND BLANCHARD. 
 
 1844. 
 
 REPUBLISHED FROM THE NEW EDITION JUST ISSUED IN LONDON, 
 BY THE SOCIETY FOR DIFFUSING USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
EVERY MAN 
 HIS OWN CATTLE DOCTOR: 
 
 C ONTAINING 
 
 THE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENT OF ALL THE 
 DISEASES INCIDENT TO 
 
 OXEN, SHEEP, AND SWINE; 
 
 AND A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 
 
 OP 
 
 NEAT CATTLE. 
 BY FRANCIS CLATER. 
 
 EDITED, REVISED, AND ALMOST REWRITTEN, 
 
 BY WILLIAM YOUATT, 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE HORSE," &C. 
 
 WITH NUMEROUS ADDITIONS, 
 
 EMBRACING 
 
 AN ESSAY ON THE USE OF OXEN, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 IMPROVEMENT IN THE BREED OF SHEEP, &c. 
 BY J. S. SKINNER, 
 
 ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL. 
 
 WITH NUMEROUS CUTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS, 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 LEA AND BLANCHARD. 
 
 184-1. 
 
WHITE'S UNIVERSAL HISTORY. 
 
 The work is divided into three parts, corresponding with Ancient, Middle, and 
 Modern History; which parts are again subdivided into centuries, so that the various 
 events are presented in the order of time, while it is so arranged that the annals 
 of each country can be read consecutively, thus combining the advantages of both 
 the plans hitherto pursued in works of this kind. To guide the researches of the 
 student, there will be found numerous synoptical tables, with remarks and sketches 
 of literature, antiquities, and manners, at the great chronological epochs. 
 
 As to the method to be adopted in using this manual, " the compiler deems it 
 unnecessary to offer any lengthened directions ; the experienced teacher will readily 
 adopt that best suited to those under his charge. The work may be used simply 
 as a reading-book ; but a certain portion should be given out for the attentive study 
 of the pupil, after which he should be closely questioned, not only as to the more 
 general facts, but also the most trivial circumstances recorded." To facilitate this 
 exercise on the part of the teacher, the American Editor, Mr. J. S. Hart, has 
 added a series of Questions, which will be found very useful to those who prefer 
 this mode of instruction. 
 
 In preparing this edition, the American Editor has paid particular attention to 
 those portions of the work which treat of American History, making them more 
 full, and correcting those mistakes which are inevitable in one residing at such a 
 distance from the source of information. His extended and well-earned reputation 
 as a teacher, is a sufficient guarantee that whatever has passed under his revision 
 will be free from all errors of importance. 
 
 In conclusion, the publishers have to observe, that during the short time in which 
 this work has been before the public, it has received the most flattering testimonials 
 of approbation. Already it has been introduced into many of the highest class of 
 institutions for instruction, and three editions have been called for in less than a year. 
 
 A few recommendations and notices are subjoined. 
 
 Messrs. Lea <$ Blanchard: 
 
 GENTLEMEN I return the volume of "Elements of Universal History" you 
 left with me a few days since. On a cursory examination, it appears to me to be 
 much the best of the elementary works on the subject which I have met with. 
 The author has executed his method with a great deal of skill, and by this means 
 has avoided much of the confusion which is apt to occur in manuals of Universal 
 History. The book is a very comprehensive one, and must have cost Mr. White 
 great labor in collating, and still more in arranging his materials. He shows, more- 
 over, a direct acquaintance with many of the best historical authorities, among 
 them, those of late y^ears. I have turned to several periods of history which I 
 thought would be most likely to show its character, and find them treated with 
 considerable fairness and accuracy ; indeed, it is unusually free from the prejudices 
 that often disfigure books of this sort I mean on questions of history. 
 
 The book is one that might, I am inclined to think, be introduced with advan- 
 tage as an historical text-book for the younger classes in our colleges. It will be 
 found, too, I believe, a convenient manual for private students, which is one of the 
 uses contemplated by the author. Let me add that, judging from the passages I 
 have looked at, the book is written in good, unaffected English. 
 Truly and respectfully, 
 
 HENRY REED, 
 Professor of Belles Lettres in the University of Pennsylvania. 
 
A NEW WORK FOR SCHOOLS. 
 
 CLINTON ST., PHILA. SEPT. 15, 1844. 
 Messrs. Lea $ Blanchard : 
 
 GENTLEMEN, I thank you for the copy of "White's Elements of Universal His- 
 tory," which you were so kind as to send me. After a somewhat careful examination 
 of it, I was so much pleased with its arrangement, with the judgment evinced in 
 it in the selection of facts, and in the high moral tone which pervades it through- 
 out, that I determined to introduce it into my s'cnbol. My first class have been 
 studying it since the commencement of the term, and I am increasingly pleased 
 with it. Respectfully yours, C. D. CLEAVELAND, A.M. 
 
 Author of "Grecian Antiquities," (J-c. 
 
 Messrs. Lea $ Blanchard: 
 
 I am indebted to your politeness for an opportunity of examining White's Ele- 
 ments of Universal History, lately published by you. It gives me pleasure to add 
 my suffrage to the respectable testimonials of teachers and others, with which the 
 work has been favoured. 
 
 In my opinion, it affords to teachers and students a facility for imparting and ac- 
 quiring a knowledge of history, superior to any single volume I have ever met 
 with, while it proves an invaluable addition, as a book of reference, to every pri- 
 vate gentleman's library. JOSEPH P. ENGLES, 
 
 Classical Institute. 
 
 Philadelphia, August 2CM, 1844. 
 
 Messrs. Lea $ Blanchard: 
 
 GENTLEMEN I offer you my sincere thanks for the copy of " White's Universal 
 History," which you were so kind as to send me a few days ago. The work 
 pleases me so much, that I have determined to use it in my academy. 
 
 I am, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 CHA'S PICOT. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE PRESS. 
 
 The Westminster Review, in noticing the work, 
 remarks " Without branching out into unneces- 
 sary or minute details, it contains a succinct nar- 
 rative of the principal events in our world's his- 
 tory, from the earliest ages to the present time, 
 drawn up in a simple and luminous style. 
 
 The author makes no pretensions to originality; 
 " If he shall be pronounced fortunate in the 
 choice and condensation of his materials, he 
 will," he says, "have attained the object of his 
 wishes." This modest claim we, for our part, 
 unhesitatingly accord to his labours. The present 
 summary will not only prove a valuable class- 
 book, but may be advantageously consulted by 
 those who have not in youth been systematically 
 trained in historical knowledge." 
 
 " The Elements of Universal History" is en- 
 titled to great praise ; the writer has taken firm 
 grasp of his subject : he exhibits a just estimate of 
 
 things, and separates, by typographical changes, 
 the narrative of events from the commentary on 
 them." Spectator. 
 
 "This work has been compiled with skill." 
 MhencBum. 
 
 " This work appears to us to supply a want 
 which has long been felt in American Schools 
 and Colleges. The History of the World, from 
 the Creation down to the present time, has been 
 arranged by Mr. White in such a way as to ren- 
 der the study of his elegant synopsis easy and 
 agreeable. From its character, we believe that 
 this book is ultimately destined to supersede eve- 
 ry other in the same department that has hitherto 
 appeared. The style in which it is ' got up' 
 does credit to the enterprising publishers." JVew 
 World. 
 
 " We were induced, by several notices of this 
 
ID IU<1H7