the exercise or diversion of pursuing four-footed beasts of game. See the article GAME.

Four-footed beasts are hunted in the fields, woods, and thickets, and that both with guns and gre-hounds.

Birds, on the contrary, are either shot in the air, or taken with nets and other devices, which exercise is called fowling; or they are purloined and taken by birds of prey, which is called hawking. See the articles FOWLING, HAWKING, FALCONRY, SHOOTING, BIRD-CATCHING, and DECOY.

F. de Launay, professor of the French laws, has an express treatise of hunting. From those words of God to Adam, Gen. i. 26. and to Noah, Gen. ix. 2, 3, hunting was considered as a right devolved or made over to man; and the following ages appear to have been of the same sentiment. Accordingly we find, that among the more civilized nations it made one of their diversions; and as to the wilder and more barbarous, it served them with food and necessaries. The Roman jurisprudence, which was formed on the manners of the first ages, made a law of it, and established it as a maxim, that as the natural right of things which have no master belongs to the first possessor, wild beasts, birds, and fishes, are the property of whomsoever can take them first.

But the northern nations of barbarians who overran the Roman empire, bringing with them a stronger taste for the diversion, and the people being now possessed of other and more easy means of subsistence from the lands and possessions of those they had vanquished, their chiefs and leaders began to appropriate the right of hunting, and, instead of a natural right, to make it a royal one. Thus it continues to this day; the right of hunting, among us, belonging only to the king, and those who derive it from him.

The hunting used by the ancients was much like that now practised for the rein-deer; which is seldom hunted at force, or with hounds; but only drawn with a blood-hound, and forestalled with nets and engines. Thus did they with all beasts; whence a dog is never commended by them for opening before he has discovered where the beast lies. Hence, they were not in any manner curious as to the music of their hounds, or the composition of their kennel or pack, either for deepnefs, deepness, loudness, or sweetness of cry, which is a principal point in the hunting of our days. Their huntmen, indeed, were accustomed to shout and make a great noise, as Virgil observes in the third of his Georgics: Ingentem clamore premes ad retia cervum. But that confusion was only to bring the deer to the nets laid for him.

The Sicilian way of hunting had something in it very extraordinary.—The nobles or gentry being informed which way a herd of deer passed, gave notice to one another, and appointed a meeting; every one bringing with him a cross-bow or long-bow, and a bundle of stakes shod with iron, the heads bored, with a cord passing through them all: thus provided, they came to the herd, and, casting themselves about in a large ring, surrounded the deer.—Then, each taking his stand, unbound his faggot, set up his stake, and tied the end of the cord to that of his next neighbour, at the distance of ten feet from one another.—Then taking feathers, dyed in crimson, and fastened on a thread, they tied them to the cord; so that with the least breath of wind they would whirl round.—Which done, the persons who kept the stands withdrew, and hid themselves in the next covert. Then the chief ranger entering within the line with hounds to draw after the herd, roused the game with their cry; which flying towards the line, were turned off, and, still gazing on the shaking and shining feathers, wandered about as if kept in with a real wall or pale. The ranger still pursued, and calling every person by name as he passed by their stand, commanded him to shoot the first, third, or sixth, as he pleased: and if any of them missed, or singled out another than that assigned him, it was counted a grievous disgrace. By such means, as they passed by the several stations, the whole herd was killed by the several hands. Pier. Hieroglyphic. lib. vii. cap. 6.

Hunting formed the greatest part of the employment of the ancient Germans, and probably of the Britons also, when they were not engaged in war. We are informed by some ancient historians, that this was the case even as late as the third century with the unconquered Britons who lived beyond Adrian's wall; nay, that they subsisted chiefly by the prey they took in this way. The great attachment shown by all the Celtic nations to hunting, however, proceeded most probably from its being a kind of apprenticeship to war. Thus their youth acquired that courage, strength, swiftness, and dexterity in handling their arms, which made them so formidable in time of war to their enemies. Thus also they freed the country from many mischievous animals which abounded in the forests, furnishing themselves also with materials for those feasts which seem to have constituted their greatest pleasure. The young chieftains had thus likewise an opportunity of paying court to their mistresses, by displaying their bravery and agility, and making them presents of their game; nay, so strong and universal was the passion for hunting among the ancient Britons, that young ladies of the highest quality and greatest beauty spent much of their time in the chase. They employed much the same weapons in hunting that they did in war, viz. long spears, javelins, and bows and arrows; having also great numbers of dogs to assist them in finding and pursuing their game. These dogs, we are also told, were much admired among other nations, on account of their swiftness, strength, fierceness, and exquisite sense of smelling. They were of several different kinds, called by different names, and formed a considerable article of commerce. They were highly valued by all the Celtic nations, insomuch that some very comical penalties were inflicted upon those who were convicted of stealing them (A). From the poems of Ossian also it appears, that the Britons were not unacquainted with the art of catching birds with hawks trained for that purpose; but they seem to have been absolutely ignorant of the method of catching fish; for there is not a single allusion to this art in all the works of that venerable bard. Their ignorance of this art is both confirmed and accounted for by Dio Niceus, who assures us, that the ancient Britons never tasted fish, though they had innumerable multitudes in their seas, rivers, and lakes.

"By the bye (says Dr Henry), we may observe that this agreement between the poems of Ossian and the Greek historian, in a circumstance so singular, is at once a proof of the genuine antiquity of these poems, and that the Greek and Roman writers were not so ill informed about the affairs and manners of the ancient Britons as some have imagined."

The Mexicans, whatever imbecility may be imputed to them in other respects, were very dexterous in hunting. They used bows and arrows, darts, nets, snares, and a kind of tubes named carbottone, through which they shot by blowing out little balls at birds. Those which the kings and great men made use of were curiously carved and painted, and likewise adorned with gold and silver. Besides the exercise of the chase which private individuals took either for amusement or to provide food for themselves, there were general hunting-matches, sometimes appointed by the king; at others, undertaken with a view to provide plenty of victims for sacrifices. A large wood, generally that of Zacatapex, not far distant from the capital, was pitched upon as the scene of these grand hunting-matches. Here they chose the place best adapted for setting a great number of snares and nets. The wood was inclosed by some thousands of hunters, forming a circle of six, seven, or eight miles, according to the number of animals they intended to take. Fire was then set to the grass in a great number of places, and a terrible noise made with drums, horns, shouting, and whistling. The hunters gradually contracted their circle, continuing the noise till the game were inclosed in a very small space. They were then killed or taken in snares, or with the hands of the hunters. The number of animals taken or destroyed on these occasions was so great, that the first Spanish viceroy of Mexico would not believe it without making the experiment himself. The place chosen for his hunting-match was a great plain in the country of

(A) Si quis canem veltraum aut segutium vel petrunculum, praesumserit involare, jubemus ut convictus, coram omni populo, posteriora ipsius osculetur. Hunting the Otomies, lying between the villages of Xilotepec and S. Giovani del Rio; the Indians being ordered to proceed according to their usual customs in the times of their paganism. The viceroy, attended by a vast retinue of Spaniards, repaired to the place appointed, where accommodations were prepared for them in houses of wood erected for the purpose. A circle of more than 15 miles was formed by 11,000 Otomies, who started such a quantity of game on the plain, that the viceroy was quite astonished, and commanded the greater part of them to be set at liberty, which was accordingly done. The number retained, however, was still incredibly great, were it not attested by a witness of the highest credit. On this occasion upwards of 600 deer and wild goats, 100 cajotes, with a surprising number of hares, rabbits, and other smaller animals. The plain still retains the Spanish name Caçadero, which signifies the "place of the chase."

The Mexicans, besides the usual methods of the chase, had particular contrivances for catching certain animals. Thus, to catch young asses, they made a small fire in the woods, putting among the burning coals a particular kind of stone named cacalotl, "raven or black stone," which bursts with a loud noise when heated. The fire was covered with earth, and a little maize laid around it. The asses quickly assembled with their young, in order to feed upon the maize; but while they were thus employed, the stone burst, and scared away the old ones by the explosion, while the young ones, unable to fly, were carried off by the hunters. Serpents were taken even by the hands, seizing them intrepidly by the neck with one hand, and sevying up their mouths with the other. This method is still practised. They showed the greatest dexterity in tracing the steps of wild beasts, even when an European could not have discerned the smallest print of their feet. The Indian method, however, was by observing sometimes the herbs or leaves broken down by their feet; sometimes the drops of blood which fell from them when wounded. It is said that some of the American Indians show still greater dexterity in discovering the tracks of their enemies, which to an European would be altogether imperceptible.

Hunting was a favourite diversion of the great and bloody conqueror Jenghiz Khan, if indeed we can apply the word diversion to a monster whose mind was fet upon the destruction of his own species, and who only endeavoured to make the murder of brutes subservient to that of men, by keeping his soldiers in a kind of warfare with the beasts when they had no human enemies to contend with. His expeditions were conducted on a plan similar to that of the Mexicans already mentioned; and were no doubt attended with still greater success, as his numerous army could include a much greater space than all the Indians whom the Spanish viceroy could muster. The East Indian princes still show the same inclination to the chase; and Mr Blanc who attended the hunting excursions of Alop Ul Dowlah vish of the Mogul empire and nabob of Oude in 1785 and 1786, gives the following account of the method practised on this occasion.

The time chosen for the hunting party is about the beginning of December; and the diversion is continued till the heats, which commence about the beginning of March, oblige them to stop. During this time a circuit of between 400 and 600 miles is generally made; Hunting, the hunters bending their course towards the skirts of the northern mountains, where the country is wild and uncultivated. The vish takes along with him not only his court and seraglio, but a great part of the inhabitants of his capital. His immediate attendants may amount to about 2000; but besides these he is also followed by 500 or 600 horse, and several battalions of regular lopays with their field-pieces. Four or five hundred elephants are also carried along with him: of which some are used for riding, others for fighting, and some for clearing the jungles and forests of the game. About as many sumpter horses of the beautiful Persian and Arabian breeds are carried along with him. A great many wheel carriages drawn by bullocks likewise attend, which are used chiefly for the convenience of the women; sometimes also he has an English chaise or two, and sometimes a chariot; but all these as well as the horses are merely for show, the vish himself never using any other conveyance than an elephant, or sometimes when fatigued or indisposed a palanquin. The animals used in the sport are principally grehounds, of which there may be about 300; he has also about 200 hawks, and a few trained leopards for hunting deer. There are a great number of marksmen, whose profession it is to shoot deer; with many fowlers, who provide game: as none of the natives of India know how to shoot game with small shot, or to hunt with hook hounds. A vast number of matchlocks are carried along with the company, with many English pieces of various kinds, 40 or 50 pairs of pistols, bows and arrows, besides swords, daggers, and sabres without number. There are also nets of various kinds, some for quail, and others very large, for fishing, which are carried along with him upon elephants, attended by fishermen, so as always to be ready for throwing into any river or lake that may be met with. Every article that can contribute to luxury or pleasure is likewise carried along with the army. A great many carts are loaded with the Ganges water, and even ice is transported for cooling the drink. The fruits of the season and fresh vegetables are daily sent to him from his gardens by bearers stationed at the distance of every ten miles; by which means each article is conveyed day or night at the rate of four miles an hour. Besides the animals already mentioned, there are also fighting antelopes, buffaloes, and rams in great numbers; also several hundred pigeons, some fighting cocks, with a vast variety of parrots, nightingales, &c.

To complete the magnificence or extravagance of this expedition, there is always a large bazar, or moving town, which attends the camp; consisting of shopkeepers and artificers of all kinds, money-changers, dancing-women; so that, on the most moderate calculation, the whole number of people in his camp cannot be computed at fewer than 20,000. The nabob himself, and all the gentlemen of his camp, are provided with double sets of tents and equipage, which are always sent on the day before to the place to which he intends to go; and this is generally eight or ten miles in whatever direction most game is expected; so that by the time he has finished his sport in the morning, he finds his whole camp ready pitched for his reception. The nabob, with the attending gentlemen, proceed in a regular moving court or durbar, and thus they keep converging together and looking out for game. A great many foxes, hares, jackals, and sometimes deer, are picked up by the dogs as they pass along; the hawks are carried immediately before the elephants, and let fly at whatever game is sprung for them, which is generally partridges, bustards, quails, and different kinds of herons; these last affording excellent sport with the falcons or sharp-winged hawks. Wild boars are sometimes started, and either shot or run down by the dogs and horsemen. Hunting the tyger, however, is looked upon as the principal diversion, and the discovery of one of these animals is accounted a matter of great joy. The cover in which the tyger is found is commonly long grass, or reeds of such a height as frequently to reach above the elephants; and it is difficult to find him in such a place, as he commonly endeavours either to steal off, or lies so close to the ground that he cannot be roused till the elephants are almost upon him. He then roars and skulks away, but is shot at as soon as he can be seen; it being generally contrived that the nabob shall have the compliment of firing first. If he be not disabled, the tyger continues to skulk along, followed by the line of elephants; the nabob and others shooting at him as often as he can be seen till he falls. The elephants themselves are very much afraid of this terrible animal, and discover their apprehensions by shrieking and roaring as soon as they begin to smell him or hear him growl; generally attempting to turn away from the place where he is. When the tyger can be traced to a particular spot, the elephants are disposed of in a circle round him; in which case he will at last make a desperate attack, springing upon the elephant that is nearest, and attempting to tear him with his teeth or claws. Some, but very few, of the elephants, can be brought to attack the tyger; and this they do by curling up their trunks under their mouths, and then attempting to toss, or otherwise destroy him with their tusks, or to crush him with their feet or knees. It is considered as good sport to kill one tyger in a day; though sometimes, when a female is met with her young ones, two or three will be killed.

The other objects of pursuit in these excursions are wild elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses. Our author was present at the hunting of a wild elephant of vast size and strength. An attempt was first made to take him alive by surrounding him with tame elephants, while he was kept at bay by crackers and other fire-works; but he constantly eluded every effort of this kind. Sometimes the drivers of the tame elephants got so near him, that they threw strong ropes over his head, and endeavoured to detain him by fastening them around trees; but he constantly snapped the ropes like pack-threads, and pursued his way to the forest. Some of the strongest and most furious of the fighting elephants were then brought up to engage him; but he attacked them with such fury that they were all obliged to desert. In his struggle with one of them he broke one of his tusks, and the broken piece, which was upwards of two inches in diameter, of solid ivory, flew up into the air several yards above their heads. Orders were now given to kill him, as it appeared impossible to take him alive; but even this was not accomplished without the greatest difficulty. He twice turned and attacked the party who pursued him; and in one of these attacks struck the elephant obliquely on which the prince rode, threw him upon his side, but then passed on without offering farther injury. At last he fell dead, after having received as was supposed upwards of 1000 balls into his body.

Notwithstanding the general passion among most nations for hunting, however, it has by many been deemed an exercise inconsistent with the principles of humanity. The late king of Prussia expressed himself on this subject in the following manner. "The chase is one of the most sensual of pleasures, by which the powers of the body are strongly exerted, but those of the mind remain unemployed. It is an exercise which makes the limbs strong, active, and pliable; but leaves the head without improvement. It consists in a violent desire in the pursuit, and the indulgence of a cruel pleasure in the death, of the game. I am convinced that man is more cruel and savage than any beast of prey: We exercise the dominion given us over these our fellow-creatures in the most tyrannical manner. If we pretend to any superiority over the beasts, it ought certainly to consist in reason; but we commonly find that the most passionate lovers of the chase renounce this privilege, and converse only with their dogs, horses, and other irrational animals. This renders them wild and unfeeling; and it is probable that they cannot be very merciful to the human species. For a man who can in cold blood torture a poor innocent animal, cannot feel much compassion for the distresses of his own species. And, besides, can the chase be a proper employment for a thinking mind?"

The arguments used by his majesty against hunting seem indeed to be much confirmed by considering the various nations who have most addicted themselves to it. These, as must be seen from what has already been said, were all barbarous; and it is remarkable, that Nimrod, the first great hunter of whom we have any account, was likewise the first who oppressed and enslaved his own species. As nations advanced in civilization, it always became necessary to refrain by law the inclination of the people for hunting. This was done by the wise legislator Solon, lest the Athenians should neglect the mechanic arts on its account. The Lacedaemonians, on the contrary, indulged themselves in this diversion without control; but they were barbarians, and most cruelly oppressed those whom they had in their power, as is evident from their treatment of the Helots. The like may be said of the Egyptians, Persians, and Scythians; all of whom delighted in war, and oppressed their own species. The Romans, on the other hand, who were somewhat more civilized, were less addicted to hunting. Even they, however, were exceedingly barbarous, and found it necessary to make death and slaughter familiar to their citizens from their infancy. Hence their diversions of the amphitheatre and circus, where the hunting of wild beasts was shown in the most magnificent and cruel manner; not to mention their still more cruel sport of gladiators, &c.

In two cases only does it seem possible to reconcile the practice of hunting with humanity; viz. either HUNTING

Hunting, when an uncultivated country is overrun with noxious animals; or when it is necessary to kill wild animals for food. In the former case, the noxious animals are killed because they themselves would do so if they were allowed to live; but if we kill even a lion or a tyger merely for the pleasure of killing him, we are undoubtedly chargeable with cruelty. In like manner, our modern foxhunters expressly kill foxes, not in order to destroy the breed of these noxious animals, but for the pleasure of seeing them exert all their power and cunning to save their lives, and then beholding them torn in pieces after being half dead with fatigue. This refinement in cruelty, it seems, is their favourite diversion; and it is accounted a crime for any person to destroy these animals in self-defence, as appears from the following passage in Mr Beckford's treatise on hunting.

"Besides the digging of foxes, by which method many young ones are taken and old ones destroyed, traps, &c. are too often fatal to them. Farmers for their lambs, (which, by the bye, few foxes ever kill), gentlemen for their game, and old women for their poultry, are their inveterate enemies. In the country where I live, most of the gentlemen are sportsmen; and even those who are not, show every kind of attention to those who are. I am sorry it is otherwise with you; and that your old gouty neighbour should destroy your foxes, I must own concerns me. I know some gentlemen, who, when a neighbour had destroyed all their foxes, and thereby prevented them from pursuing a favourite amusement, loaded a cart with spaniels, and went all together and destroyed his pheasants. I think they might have called this very properly lex talionis: and it had the desired effect; for as the gentleman did not think it prudent to fight them all, he took the wiser method, he made peace with them. He gave an order that no more foxes should be destroyed, and they never afterwards killed any of his pheasants."

In the first volume of the Manchester Transactions we have a dissertation upon the diversions of hunting, shooting, &c. as compatible with the principles of humanity. One argument used by the author is, that death is no positive evil to brutes. "It would perhaps (says he) be too hasty an assertion to affirm, that death to brutes is no evil. We are not competent to determine whether their existence, like our own, may not extend to some future mode of being, or whether the present limited sphere is all in which they are interested. On so speculative a question little can be advanced with precision; nor is it necessary for the investigation of the subject before us. If we may be allowed to reason from what we know, it may be safely conjectured, that death to brutes is no positive evil: we have no reason to believe they are endowed with foresight; and therefore, even admitting that with them the pleasures of life exceed its pains and cares, in terminating their existence, they only suffer a privation of pleasure."

On this extraordinary piece of reasoning we may observe, that it would hold much more against the human species than against the brutes. There are few amongst us willing to allow that the pleasures we enjoy are equivalent to our pains and cares: death therefore must be to us a relief from pain and misery, while to the brutes it is a privation of pleasure. Hence, if it be no positive evil for a brute to suffer death, to a man it must be a positive good: add to which, that a man lives in hope of an endless and glorious life, while a brute has no such hope; so that, if to kill a brute, on our author's principles, be no cruelty, to kill a man must be an act of tenderness and mercy!

Another argument, no less inconclusive, is our author's supposing that death from disease is much more to be dreaded in a brute than a violent death. Were brutes naturally in as helpless a state as man, no doubt their want of support from society in cases where they are attacked by sickness would be very deplorable; but it must be considered that the parallel betwixt the two species is in this respect by no means fair. A brute has everywhere its food at hand, and is naturally capable of resisting the inclemencies of the weather; but man has not only a natural inability to procure food for himself in the way that the brutes do, but is, besides, very tender and incapable of resisting the inclemency of the air. Hence, a man unassisted by society must very soon perish; and, no doubt, it would be much more merciful for people to kill one another at once, than to deprive them of the benefits of society, as is too frequently done in various ways needless to be mentioned at present. A brute, however, has nothing to fear. As long as its stomach can receive food, nature offers an abundant supply. One that feeds upon grass has it always within reach; and a carnivorous one will content itself with worms or insects, which, as long as it is able to crawl, it can still make a shift to provide; but so totally helpless is man when left to himself in a state of weakness, that many barbarous nations have looked upon the killing of their old and infirm people to be an act of mercy.

Equally unhappy is our author in his other arguments, that the quick transition from a state of perfect health to death mitigates the severity. The transition is not quick. The sportsmen estimate their diversion by the length of the chase; and during all that time the creature must be under the strongest agonies of terror; and what person of humanity is there who must not feel for an animal in this situation? All this is affented to by our author, who says, "Hard is the heart who does not commiserate the sufferer." Is not this an acknowledgment on his part, that before a person can become a thorough sportsman, he must harden his heart, and stifle those amiable sensations of compassion, which on all occasions ought to be encouraged towards every creature, unless in cases of necessity. But in the present case no necessity is or can be pretended. If a gentleman chooses to regale himself with venison of any kind, he may breed the animals for the purpose. We call Domitian cruel, because he took pleasure in catching flies, and flabbing them with a bodkin. A butcher is excluded from fitting on a jury on account of his being accustomed to sights which are deemed inhuman; but whether it is more inhuman to knock down an ox at once with an axe, or to tear him in pieces with dogs, (for they would accomplish the purpose if properly trained), must be left to the sportsmen to determine.

Lastly, the great argument in favour of hunting, that it contributes to the health of the body and exhilaration of the spirits, seems equally fallacious with the rest. It cannot be proved that hunters are more healthy or long-lived lived than other people. That exercise will contribute to the preservation of health, as well as to the exhalation of the mind, is undoubted; but many other kinds of exercise will do this as well as hunting. A man may ride from morning to night, and amuse himself with viewing and making remarks on the country through which he passes; and surely there is no person will say that this exercise will tend to impair his health or sink his spirits. A man may amuse and exercise himself not only with pleasure, but profit also, in many different ways, and yet not accustom himself to behold the death of animals with indifference. It is this that constitutes the cruelty of hunting; because we thus wilfully extinguish in part that principle naturally implanted in our nature, which if totally eradicated would set us not only on a level with the most ferocious wild beasts, but perhaps considerably below them; and it must always be remembered, that whatever pleasure terminates in death is cruel, let us use as many palliatives as we please to hide that cruelty from the eyes of others, or even from our own.

The gentlemen and masters of the sport have invented a set of terms which may be called the hunting-language. The principal are those which follow:

1. For beasts as they are in company.—They say, a herd of harts, and all manner of deer. A bay of roes. A sounder of swine. A rout of wolves. A riches of martens. A brace or leaf of bucks, foxes, or hares. A couple of rabbits or coney.

2. For their lodging.—A hart is said to harbour. A buck lodges. A roe bed. A hare seats or forms. A coney fits. A fox kennels. A marten trees. An otter watches. A badger earths. A boar couches.—Hence, to express their dillooding, they say, Unharbour the hart. Rouse the buck. Start the hare. Bolt the coney. Unkennel the fox. Untree the marten. Vent the otter. Dig the badger. Rear the boar.

3. For their noise at rutting time.—A hart belleth. A buck grown or troats. A roe bellows. A hare beats or taps. An otter whines. A boar freams. A fox barkes. A badger shrieks. A wolf howls. A goat raffles.

4. For their copulation.—A hart or buck goes to rut. A roe goes to tourn. A boar goes to brim. A hare or coney goes to buck. A fox goes to clickitting. A wolf goes to match or make. An otter hunteth for his kind.

5. For the footing and treading.—Of a hart, we say the slot. Of a buck, and all fallow-deer, the view. Of all deer, if on the grass and scarce visible, the foiling. Of a fox, the print; and of other the like vermin, the footing. Of an otter, the marks. Of a boar, the track. The hare when in open field, is said to fore; when the winds about to deceive the hounds, she doubles; when she beats on the hard highway, and her footing comes to be perceived, the pricketh: in snow, it is called the trace of the hare.

6. The tail of a hart, buck, or other deer, is called the jingle. That of a boar, the wreath. Of a fox, the brush or drag; and the tip at the end, the chape. Of a wolf, the fern. Of a hare and coney, the scut.

7. The ordure or excrement of a hart and all deer, is called fernets or sewming. Of a hare, crotiles Hunting. or crotising. Of a boar, leffes. Of a fox, the billiting; and of other the like vermin, the faunts. Of an otter, the spraints.

8. As to the attire of deer, or parts thereof, those of a stag, if perfect, are the bur, the pearls, the little knobs on it, the beam, the gutters, the antler, the sur-antler, royal, sur-royal, and all at top the croches. Of the buck, the bur, beam, brow-antler, black-antler, advance, palm, and spellers. If the croches grow in the form of a man's hand, it is called a palmed head. Heads bearing not above three or four, and the croches placed aloft, all of one height, are called crowned heads. Heads having double croches, are called forked heads, because the croches are planted on the top of the beam like forks.

9. They say, a litter of cubs, a nest of rabbits, a squirrel's dray.

10. The terms used in respect of the dogs, &c. are as follow.—Of grehounds, two make a brace; of hounds, a couple. Of grehounds, three make a leaf; of hounds, a couple and half.—They say, let slip a grehound; and, cast off a hound. The string wherein a grehound is led, is called a leaf; and that of a hound, a lyome. The grehound has his collar, and the hound his couples. We say a kennel of hounds, and a pack of beagles.

Hunting, as practised among us, is chiefly performed with dogs; of which we have various kinds, accommodated to the various kinds of game, as, hounds, grehounds, bloodhounds, terriers, &c. See CANIS, HOUND, &c.

In the kennels or packs they generally rank them under the heads of enterers, drivers, flyers, tyers, &c.

On some occasions, nets, spears, and instruments for digging the ground, are also required: nor is the hunting horn to be omitted.

The usual chases among us are, the hart, buck, roe, hare, fox, badger, and otter.—We shall here give something of what relates to each thereof: first pre-miffing an explanation of some general terms and phrases, more immediately used in the progress of the sport itself; what belongs to the several sorts of game in particular being referred for the respective articles.

When the hounds, then, being cast off, and finding the scent of some-game, begin to open and cry; they are said to challenge. When they are too busy ere the scent be good, they are said to babble. When too busy where the scent is good, to bawl. When they run it endwife orderly, holding in together merrily, and making it good, they are said to be in full cry. When they run along without opening at all, it is called running mute.

When spaniels open in the string, or a grehound in the course, they are said to laple.

When beagles bark and cry at their prey, they are said to yearn.

When the dogs hit the scent the contrary way, they are said to draw amiss.

When they take fresh scent, and quit the former chase for a new one, it is called hunting change.

When they hunt the game by the heel or track, they are said to hunt counter. When the chase goes off, and returns again, traversing the same ground, it is called hunting the foil.

When the dogs run at a whole herd of deer, instead of a single one, it is called running riot.

Dogs set in readiness where the game is expected to come by, and cast off after the other hounds are passed, are called a relay. If they be cast off ere the other dogs be come up, it is called vauntlay.

When, finding where the chase has been, they make a proffer to enter, but return, it is called a blemish.

A lesson on the horn to encourage the hounds, is named a call, or a recheat. That blown at the death of a deer, is called the mort. The part belonging to the dogs of any chase they have killed, is the reward. They say, take off a deer's skin; strip or cafe a hare, fox, and all sorts of vermin; which is done by beginning at the snout, and turning the skin over the ears down to the tail.

Hunting is practised in a different manner, and with different apparatus, according to the nature of the beasts which are hunted, a description of whom may be found under their respective articles, infra.

With regard to the seasons, that for hart and buck-hunting begins a fortnight after midsummer, and lasts till Holy-rod day; that for the hind and doe, begins on Holy-rod day, and lasts till Candlemas; that for fox-hunting begins at Christmas, and holds till Lady-day; that for roe-hunting begins at Michaelmas, and ends at Christmas; hare-hunting commences at Michaelmas, and lasts till the end of February; and where the wolf and bear are hunted, the season for each begins at Christmas, the first ending at Lady-day, and the latter at the Purification.

When the sportsmen have provided themselves with nets, spears, and a hunting horn to call the dogs together, and likewise with instruments for digging the ground, the following directions will be of use to them in the pursuit of each sort of game.

Badger-HUNTING. In doing this, you must seek the earths and burrows where he lies, and in a clear moonshine night go and stop all the burrows, except one or two, and therein place some sacks, fastened with drawing strings, which may shut him in as soon as he straineth the bag. Some use no more than to fet a hoop in the mouth of the sack, and so put it into the hole; and as soon as the badger is in the sack and straineth it, the sack flippeth off the hoop, and follows him to the earth, so he lies tumbling therein till he is taken. These sacks or bags being thus fet, cast off the hounds, beating about all the woods, coppices, hedges, and tufts, round about, for the compass of a mile or two; and what badgers are abroad, being alarmed by the hounds, will soon betake themselves to their burrows; and observe, that he who is placed to watch the sacks, must stand close and upon a clear wind: otherwise the badger will discover him, and will immediately fly some other way into his burrow. But if the hounds can encounter him before he can take his sanctuary, he will then stand at a bay like a boar, and make good sport, grievously biting and clawing the dogs for the manner of their fighting is lying on their backs, using both teeth and nails; and by blowing up their skins, defend themselves against all bites of the dogs, and blows of the men upon their noses. And for the better preservation of your dogs, it is good to put broad collars about their necks made of gray skins.

When the badger perceives the terriers to begin to yearn him in his burrow, he will stop the hole betwixt him and the terriers, and if they still continue baying, he will remove his couch into another chamber or part of the burrow, and so from one into another, barricading the way before them, as they retreat, until they can go no further. If you intend to dig the badger out of his burrow, you must be provided with the same tools as for digging out a fox; and besides, you should have a pail of water to refresh the terriers, when they come out of the earth to take breath and cool themselves. It will also be necessary to put collars of bells about the necks of your terriers, which making a noise may cause the badger to bolt out. The tools used for digging out of the badger, being troublesome to be carried on men's backs, may be brought in a cart. In digging, you must consider the situation of the ground, by which you may judge where the chief angles are; for else, instead of advancing the work, you will hinder it. In this order you may besiege them in their holds, or castles; and may break their platforms, parapets, casements, and work to them with mines and countermines until you have overcome them.

Having taken a live and lusty badger, if you would make sport, carry him home in a sack and turn him out in your court-yard, or some other inclosed place, and there let him be hunted and worried to death by your hounds.

There are the following profits and advantages which accrue, by killing this animal. Their flesh, blood, and grease, though they are not good food, yet are very useful for physicians and apothecaries for oils, ointments, salves, and powders for shortness of breath, the cough of the lungs, for the stone, sprained finews, colt-aches, &c.; and the skin being well dressed, is very warm and good for old people who are troubled with paralytic distempers.

Boar-HUNTING. See Boar.

Buck-HUNTING. Here the same hounds and methods are used as in running the stag; and, indeed, he that can hunt a hart or stag well, will not hunt a buck ill.

In order to facilitate the chase, the game-keeper commonly selects a fat buck out of the herd, which he shoots in order to maim him, and then he is run down by the hounds.

As to the method of hunting the buck. The company generally go out very early for the benefit of the morning. Sometimes they have a deer ready lodged; if not, the coverts are drawn till one is roufed: or sometimes in a park a deer is pitched upon, and forced from the herd, then more hounds are laid on to run the chace. If you come to be at a fault, the old staunch hounds are only to be relied upon till you recover him again: if he be sunk, and the hounds thrust him up, it is called an imprime, and the company all sound a recheat; when he is run down, every one strives to get in to prevent his being torn by the hounds, follow deer seldom or never standing at bay.

He that first gets in, cries hoo-up, to give notice that he is down, and blows a death. When the company are all come in, they paunch him, and reward the hounds, and generally the chief person of quality amongst them takes say, that is, cuts his belly open, to see how fat he is. When this is done, every one has a chop at his neck, and the head being cut off is showed to the hounds, to encourage them to run only at a male deer, which they see by the horns, and to teach them to bite only at the head: then the company all standing in a ring, one blows a single death; which being done, all blow a double recheat, and so conclude the chase with a general halloo of hoo-up, and depart the field to their several homes, or to the place of meeting; and the huntman, or some other, hath the deer cast across the buttocks of his horse, and so carries him home.

Fox-HUNTING makes a very pleasant exercise, and is either above or below ground.

1. Above ground. To hunt a fox with hounds you must draw about groves, thickets, and bushes, near villages. When you find one, it will be necessary to stop up the earth, the night before you design to hunt, and that about midnight; at which time he is gone out to prey: this may be done by laying two white sticks across his way, which he will imagine to be some gin or trap laid for him; or else they may be flopped up with black thorns and earth mixed together.

Mr Beckford is of opinion that for fox-hunting the pack should consist of 25 couple. The hour most favourable for the diversion is an early one; and he thinks that the hounds should be at the cover at sunrise. The huntman should then throw in his hounds as quickly as he can, and let the two whippers-in keep wide of him on either hand; so that a single hound may not escape them; let them be attentive to his halloo, and let the sportsmen be ready to encourage or rate as that directs. The fox ought on no account to be halloed too soon, as in that case he would most certainly turn back again, and spoil all the sport.—Two things our author particularly recommends, viz. the making all the hounds steady, and making them all draw. "Many huntsmen (says he) are fond of having them at their horse's heels; but they never can get so well or so soon together as when they spread the cover; besides, I have often known where there have been only a few finders, that they have found their fox gone down the wind, and been heard of no more that day. Much depends upon the first finding your fox; for I look upon a fox well found to be half killed. I think people are generally in too great a hurry on this occasion. There are but few instances where sportsmen are not too noisy, and too fond of encouraging their hounds, which seldom do their business so well as when little is said to them. The huntman ought certainly to begin with his foremost hounds; and I should wish him to keep as close to them as he conveniently can; nor can any harm arise from it, unless he should not have common sense. No hounds can then slip down the wind and get out of his hearing; he will also see how far they carry a scent, a necessary requisite; for without it he never can make a cast with any certainty.—You will find it not less necessary for your huntman to be active in pressing forward his hounds when the scent is good, than to be prudent in not hurrying them beyond it when it is bad. It is his business to be ready at all times to lend them that assistance which they so frequently need, and which when they are first at a fault is then most critical. - A fox-hound at that time will exert himself most; he afterwards cools and becomes most indifferent about his game. Those huntsmen who do not get forward enough to take advantage of this eagerness and impetuosity, and direct it properly, seldom know enough of hunting to be of much use to them afterwards. Though a huntsman cannot be too fond of hunting, a whipper-in easily may. His business will seldom allow him to be forward enough with the hounds to see much of the sport. His only thought therefore should be to keep the hounds together, and to contribute as much as he can to the killing of the fox: keeping the hounds together is the surest means to make them steady. When left to themselves they seldom refuse any blood they can get; they become conceited; learn to tie upon the scent; and besides this they frequently get a trick of hunting by themselves, and are seldom good for much afterwards.

"Every country is soon known; and nine foxes out of ten, with the wind in the same quarter, will follow the same track. It is therefore easy for the whipper-in to cut short, and catch the hounds again. With a high scent you cannot pull on hounds too much. Screams keep the fox forward, at the same time that they keep the hounds together, or let in the tail-hounds: they also enliven the sport; and, if discreetly used, are always of service; but in cover they should be given with the greatest caution. Halloos seldom do any hurt when you are running up the wind, for then none but the tail hounds can hear you: when you are running down the wind, you should halloo no more than may be necessary to bring the tail hounds forwards; for a hound that knows his business seldom wants encouragement when he is upon a scent.—Most fox-hunters wish to see their hounds run in a good style. I confess I myself am one of those; I hate to see a string of them; nor can I bear to see them creep where they can leap. A pack of harriers, if they have time, may kill a fox, but I defy them to kill him in the style in which he ought to be killed; they must hunt him down. If you intend to tire him out, you must expect to be tired also yourself; I never with a chance to be less than one hour, or to exceed two: It is sufficiently long if properly followed: it will seldom be longer unless there be a fault somewhere; either in the day, the huntman, or the hounds.

"Changing from the hunted fox to a fresh one is as bad an accident as can happen to a pack of fox-hounds, and requires all the ingenuity and observation that man is capable of to guard against it. Could a fox-hound distinguish a hunted fox as the deer-hound does the deer that is blown, fox-hunting would then be perfect. A huntsman should always listen to his hounds while they are running in cover; he should be particularly attentive to the headmost hounds, and he should be constantly on his guard against a skirter; for if there be two scents, he must be wrong. Generally speaking, the best scent is least likely to be that of the hunted fox: and as a fox seldom suffers hounds to run up to him as long as he is able to prevent it; fo, nine times out of ten, when foxes are halloed early in the day, they are all fresh foxes. The hounds most likely to be right are the hard-running line-hunting ones; or such as the huntman knows had the lead before there arose any doubt of changing. With regard to the fox, if he break over an open country, it is no sign that he is hard run; for they seldom at any time will do that unless they are a great way before the hounds. Also if he run Hunting up the wind;—they seldom or never do that when they have been long hunted and grow weak; and when they turn their foil, that also may direct him. All this requires a good ear and nice observation; and indeed in that consists the chief excellence of a huntsman.

"When the hounds divide, and are in two parts, the whipper-in, in floppings, must attend to the huntsman and wait for his halloo, before he attempts to stop either: for want of proper management in this respect, I have known the hounds stopped at both places, and both foxes lost. If they have many scents, and it is quite uncertain which is the hunted fox, let him stop those that are farthest down the wind; as they can hear the others, and will reach them soonest: in such a case there will be little use in stopping those that are up the wind. When hounds are at a check, let every one be silent and stand still. Whippers-in are frequently at this time coming on with the tail hounds. They should never halloo to them when the hounds are at fault; the least thing does them harm at such a time, but a halloo more than any other. The huntsman, at a check, had better let his hounds alone; or content himself with holding them forward, without taking them off their noses.—Should they be at a fault, after having made their own cast (which the huntsman should always first encourage them to do), it is then his business to assist them further; but except in some particular instances, I never approve of their being cast as long as they are inclined to hunt. The first cast I bid my huntsman make is generally a regular one, not choosing to rely entirely on his judgment: if that should not succeed, he is then at liberty to follow his own opinion, and proceed as observation or genius may direct. When such a cast is made, I like to see some mark of good sense and meaning in it; whether down the wind, or towards some likely cover or strong earth. However, as it is at best uncertain, I always wish to see a regular cast before I see a knowing one; which, as a last resource, should not be called forth till it be wanted: The letting hounds alone is but a negative goodness in a huntsman; whereas it is true this last shows real genius; and to be perfect it must be born with him. There is a fault, however, which a knowing huntsman is too apt to commit: he will find a fresh fox, and then claim the merit of having recovered the hunted one. It is always dangerous to throw hounds into a cover to retrieve a lost scent; and unless they hit him in, is not to be depended on.

"Gentlemen, when hounds are at fault, are too apt themselves to prolong it. They should always stop their horses some distance behind the hounds; and if it be possible to remain silent, this is the time to be so. They should be careful not to ride before the hounds or over the scent; nor should they ever meet a hound in the face, unless with a design to stop him. Should you at any time be before the hounds, turn your horse's head the way they are going, get out of their track, and let them pass by you. In dry weather, and particularly in heathy countries, foxes will run the roads. If gentlemen at such times will ride close upon the hounds, they may drive them miles without any scent.—High-mettled fox-hounds are seldom inclined to stop while horses are close at their heels. No one should ever ride in a direction which if persisted in would carry him amongst the hounds, unless he be at a great distance behind them.

"The first moment that hounds are at fault is a critical one for the sport people, who should then be very attentive. Those who look forward may perhaps see the fox; or the running of sheep, or the pursuit of crows, may give them some tidings of him. Those who listen may sometimes get a hint which way he is gone from the chattering of a magpie; or perhaps be at a certainty from a distant halloo: nothing that can give any intelligence at such a time ought to be neglected. Gentlemen are too apt to ride all together: were they to spread more, they might sometimes be of service; particularly those who, from a knowledge of the sport, keep down the wind: it would then be difficult for either hounds or fox to escape their observation.—You should, however, be cautious how you go to a halloo. The halloo itself must in a great measure direct you; and though it afford no certain rule, yet you may frequently guess whether it can be depended upon or not. At the sowing time, when boys are keeping off the birds, you will sometimes be deceived by their halloo; so that it is best, when you are in doubt, to send a whipper-in to know the certainty of the matter."

Hounds ought not to be cast as long as they are able to hunt. It is a common, though not very just idea, that a hunted fox never stops; but our author informs us that he has known them stop even in wheel-ruts in the middle of a down, and get up in the middle of the hounds. The greatest danger of losing a fox is at the first finding him, and when he is sinking; at both which times he frequently will run short, and the eagerness of the hounds will frequently carry them beyond the scent. When a fox is first found, every one ought to keep behind the hounds till they are well settled on the scent; and when the hounds are catching him, our author wishes them to be as silent as possible; and likewise to eat him eagerly after he is caught. In some places they have a method of treeing him; that is, throwing him across the branch of a tree, and suffering the hounds to bay at him for some minutes before he is thrown among them; the intention of which is to make them more eager, and to let in the tail hounds; during this interval also they recover their wind, and are apt to eat him more readily. Our author, however, advises not to keep him too long, as he supposes that the hounds have not any appetite to eat him longer than while they are angry with him.

2. Under-ground. In case a fox does so far escape as to earth, countrymen must be got together with shovels, spades, mattocks, pick-axes, &c. to dig him out, if they think the earth not too great. They make their earths as near as they can in ground that is hard to dig, as in clay, flony ground, or amongst the roots of trees; and their earths have commonly but one hole, and that is straight a long way in before you come at their couch. Sometimes craftily they take possession of a badger's old burrow, which hath a variety of chambers, holes, and angles.

Now to facilitate this way of hunting the fox, the huntsman must be provided with one or two terriers to put into the earth after him, that is, to fix him into an angle; for the earth often consists of many angles: the use of the terrier is to know where he lies; for as soon as he finds him, he continues baying or barking, so that which way the noise is heard that way dig to him. Your terriers must be garnished with bells hung in collars, to make the fox bolt the sooner; besides, the collars will be some small defence to the terriers.

The instruments to dig withal are these; a sharp-pointed spade, which serves to begin the trench where the ground is hardest and broader tools will not so well enter; the round hollowed spade, which is useful to dig among roots, having very sharp edges; the broad flat spade to dig withal, when the trench has been pretty well opened, and the ground softer; mattocks and pick-axes to dig in hard ground, where a spade will do but little service; the coal rake to cleanse the hole, and to keep it from stopping up; clamps, wherewith you may take either fox or badger out alive to make sport with afterwards. And it would be very convenient to have a pail of water to refresh your terriers with, after they are come out of the earth to take breath.

Hare-HUNTING. As, of all chases, the hare makes the greatest pastime, so it gives no little pleasure to see the craft of this small animal for her self-preservation. If it be rainy, the hare usually takes to the high-ways; and if the come to the side of a young grove, or spring, the feldom enters, but squats down till the hounds have over-shot her; and then she will return the very way she came, for fear of the wet and dew that hangs on the boughs. In this case, the huntsman ought to stay a hundred paces before he comes to the wood-side, by which means he will perceive whether she return as aforesaid; which if she do, he must halloo in his hounds; and call them back; and that presently, that the hounds may not think it the counter the came first.

The next thing that is to be observed, is the place where the hare sits, and upon what wind she makes her form, either upon the north or south wind: she will not willingly run into the wind, but run upon a side, or down the wind; but if she form in the water, it is a sign she is foul and meached: if you hunt such a one, have a special regard all the day to the brook-fides; for there, and near plathes, she will make all her crossings, doublings, &c.

Some hares have been so crafty, that as soon as they have heard the sound of a horn, they would instantly start out of their form, though it was at the distance of a quarter of a mile, and go and swim in some pool, and rest upon some rush bed in the midst of it; and would not stir from thence till they have heard the sound of the horn again, and then have started out again, swimming to land, and have stood up before the hounds four hours before they could kill them, swimming and using all subtilties and crossings in the water. Nay, such is the natural craft and subtilty of a hare, that sometimes after she has been hunted three hours, she will start a fresh hare, and squat in the same form. Others having been hunted a considerable time, will creep under the door of a sheep-cot, and hide themselves among the sheep; or, when they have been hard hunted, will run in among a flock of sheep, and will by no means be gotten out from among them till the hounds are coupled up, and the sheep driven into their pens. Some of them (and that seems somewhat strange) will take the ground like a coney, and that is called going 'to the vault.' Some hares will go up one side of the hedge, and come down the other, the thickness of the hedge being the only distance between the courses. A hare that has been forely hunted, has got upon a quickset hedge, and run a good way upon the top thereof, and then leapt off upon the ground. And they will frequently betake themselves to furze bushes, and will leap from one to the other, whereby the hounds are frequently in default.

Having found where a hare hath relieved in some pasture or corn-field, you must then consider the season of the year, and what weather it is: for if it be in the spring-time, or summer, a hare will not then set in bushes, because they are frequently infested with pit-mires, snakes, and adders; but will set in corn-fields, and open places. In the winter-time, they set near towns and villages, in tufts of thorns and brambles, especially when the wind is northerly or southerly. According to the season and nature of the place where the hare is accustomed to fit, there beat with your hounds, and start her; which is much better sport than trailing of her from her relief to her form.

After the hare has been started and is on foot, then step in where you saw her pass, and halloo in your hounds, until they have all undertaken it and go on with it in full cry: then recheat to them with your horn, following fair and softly at first, making not too much noise either with horn or voice; for at the first, hounds are apt to overfoot the chase through too much heat. But when they have run the space of an hour, and you see the hounds are well in with it, and stick well upon it, then you may come in nearer with the hounds, because by that time their heat will be cooled, and they will hunt more soberly. But above all things, mark the first doubling, which must be your direction for the whole day; for all the doublings that she shall make afterwards will be like the former; and according to the policies that you shall see her use, and the place where you hunt, you must make your compasses great or little, long or short, to help the defaults, always seeking the moistest and most commodious places for the hounds to scent in.

To conclude: Those who delight in hunting the hare must rise early, lest they be deprived of the scent of her footsteps.

Hart or Stag HUNTING. Gesner, speaking of hart-hunting, observes, that this wild, deceitful, and subtle beast, frequently deceives its hunter by windings and turnings. Wherefore the prudent hunter must train his dogs with words of art, that he may be able to set them on and take them off again at pleasure.

First of all, he should compass the beast in her own layer, and so unharbour her in the view of the dogs, that so they may never lose her hot or footing. Neither must he set upon every one, either of the herd or those that wander solitary alone, or a little one; but partly by sight, and partly by their footing and fumets, make a judgment of the game, and also observe the largeness of his layer.

The huntsman, having made these discoveries in order to the chase, takes off the couplings of the dogs; and some on horseback, others on foot, follow the cry, with the greatest art, observation, and speed; remembering and intercepting him in his subtle turnings and Hunting headings; with all agility leaping hedges, gates, pales, ditches; neither fearing thorns, down-hills, nor woods, but mounting a fresh horse if the first tire. Follow the largest head of the whole herd, which must be singled out of the chace; which the dogs perceiving, must follow; not following any other. The dogs are animated to the sport by the winding of horns, and the voices of the huntmen. But sometimes the crafty beast fends forth his little squire to be sacrificed to the dogs and hunters, instead of himself, lying close the mean time. In this case, the huntman must find a retreat, break off the dogs, and take them in, that is, learn them again, until they be brought to the fairer game; which riseth with fear, yet still striveth by flight, until he be wearied and breathless. The nobles call the beast a wise hart, who, to avoid all his enemies, runneth into the greatest herds, and so brings a cloud of error on the dogs, to obstruct their further pursuit; sometimes also bearing some of the herd into his footings, that so he may the more easily escape by amusing the dogs. Afterwards he betakes himself to his heels again, still running with the wind, not only for the sake of refreshment, but also because by that means he can the more easily hear the voice of his pursuers whether they be far from him or near to him. But at last being again discovered by the hunters and sagacious scent of the dogs, he flies into the herds of cattle, as cows, sheep, &c., leaping on a cow or ox, laying the fore parts of his body thereon, that so touching the earth only with his hinder feet, he may leave a very small or no scent at all behind for the hounds to discern. But their usual manner is, when they see themselves hard beset and every way intercepted, to make force at their enemy with their horns, who first comes upon him, unless they be prevented by spear or sword. When the beast is slain, the huntman with his horn windeth the fall of the beast; and then the whole company comes up, blowing their horns in triumph for such a conquest; among whom, the skillfullest opens the beast, and rewards the hounds with what properly belongs to them, for their future encouragement; for which purpose the huntmen dip bread in the skin and blood of the beast to give to the hounds.

It is very dangerous to go in to a hart at bay; of which there are two forts, one on land and the other in water. Now, if the hart be in a deep water, where you cannot well come at him, then couple up your dogs; for should they continue long in the water, it would endanger their furbating or founding. In this case, get a boat, and swim to him, with dagger drawn, or else with rope that has a noose, and throw it over his horns: for if the water be so deep that the hart swims, there is no danger in approaching him; otherwise you must be very cautious.

As to the land-bay, if a hart be furnished, then you must consider the place; for if it be in a plain and open place, where there is no wood nor covert, it is dangerous and difficult to come in to him; but if he be on a hedge-fide, or in a thicket, then, while the hart is flaring on the hounds, you may come softly and covertly behind him, and cut his throat. If you miss your aim, and the hart turn head upon you, then take refuge at some tree; and when the hart is at bay, couple up your hounds; and when you see the hart turn head to fly, gallop in roundly to him, and kill him with your Hunting sword.

Directions at the Death of a Hart or Buck. The first ceremony, when the huntman comes in to the death of a deer, is to cry "ware launch," that the hounds may not break into the deer; which being done, the next is the cutting his throat, and there bleeding the youngest hounds, that they may the better love a deer, and learn to leap at his throat: then the mort having been blown, and all the company come in, the best person who hath not taken say before, is to take up the knife that the keeper or huntman is to lay across the belly of the deer, some holding by the fore legs, and the keeper or huntman drawing down the pizzle, the person who takes say, is to draw the edge of the knife leisurely along the middle of the belly, beginning near the brisket, and drawing a little upon it, enough in the length and depth to discover how fat the deer is; then he that is to break up the deer, first slits the skin from the cutting of the throat downwards, making the arber, that so the ordure may not break forth, and then he paunches him, rewarding the hounds with it.

In the next place, he is to present the same person who took say, with a drawn hanger, to cut off the head of the deer. Which being done, and the hounds rewarded, the concluding ceremony is, if it be a stag, to blow a triple mort; and if a buck, a double one; and then all who have horns, blow a recheat in concert, and immediately a general whoop, whoop.

Outer-HUNTING is performed with dogs, and also with a sort of instruments called otter-pears; with which when they find themselves wounded, they make to land, and fight with the dogs, and that most furiously, as if they were sensible that cold water would annoy their green wounds.

There is indeed craft to be used in hunting them; but they may be caught in snares under water, and by river-fides: but great care must be taken, for they bite sorely and venomously; and if they happen to remain long in the snare, they will not fail to get themselves free by their teeth.

In hunting them, one man must be on one side of the river, and another on the other, both beating the banks with dogs; and the beast not being able to endure the water long, you will soon discover if there be an otter or not in that quarter; for he must come out to make his spraints, and in the night sometimes to feed on grass and herbs.

If any of the hounds finds out an otter, then view the soft grounds and moist places, to find out which way he bent his head; if you cannot discover this by the marks, you may partly perceive it by the spraints; and then follow the hounds, and lodge him as a hart or deer. But if you do not find him quickly, you may imagine he is gone to couch somewhere farther off from the river; for sometimes they will go to feed a considerable way from the place of their rest, choosing rather to go up the river than down it. The persons that go a-hunting otters, must carry their spears, to watch his vents, that being the chief advantage; and if they perceive him swimming under water, they must endeavour to strike him with their spears, and if they miss, must pursue him with the hounds, which, if they be good and perfectly entered, will go chanting. ing and trailing along by the river-side, and will beat every root of a tree, and offer-bed, and tuft of bulrushes; nay, they will sometimes take water, and bait the beast, like a spaniel, by which means he will hardly escape.

Roe-buck HUNTING is performed divers ways, and very easily in the woods.

When chased, they usually run against the wind, because the coolness of the air refreshes them in their course; therefore the huntmen place their dogs with the wind: they usually, when hunted, first take a large ring, and afterwards hunt the hounds. They are also often taken by counterfeiting their voice, which a skilful huntsman knows how to do by means of a leaf in his mouth. When they are hunted, they turn much and often, and come back upon the dogs directly; and when they can no longer endure, they take foil, as the hart does, and will hang by a bough in such a manner, that nothing of them shall appear above the water but their snout, and they will suffer the dogs to come just upon them before they will stir.

The venison of a roe-buck is never out of season, being never fat, and therefore they are hunted at any time; only that some favour ought to be shewn the doe while she is big with fawn, and afterwards till her fawn is able to shift for himself; but some roe-does have been killed with five fawns in their bellies.

He is not called, by the skilful in the art of hunting, a great roe-buck, but a fair roe-buck; the herd of them is called a bevy: and if he hath not bevy-grease upon his tail, when he is broken up, he is more fit to be dog's meat than man's meat. The hounds must be rewarded with the bowels, the blood, and feet slit alunder, and boiled altogether; this is more properly called a dofe than a reward.

HUNTING-Match. The first thing that is to be considered by one who designs to match his horse for his own advantage, and his horse's credit, is not to flatter himself with the opinion of his horse, by fancying that he is a swift, when he is but a slow gallopper; and that he is a whole-running-horse, that is, that he will run four miles without a sob at the height of his speed, when he is not able to run two or three. Very probably some gentlemen are led into this error, by their being mistaken in the speed of their hounds, who for want of trying them against other dogs that have been really fleet, have supposed their own to be so, when in reality they are but of a middling speed; and because their horse, when trained, was able to follow them all day, and upon any hour, to command them upon deep as well as light earths, have therefore made a false conclusion, that their horse is as swift as the best; but, upon trial against a horse that has been rightly trained after hounds that were truly fleet, have bought their experience perhaps full dear. Therefore it is advisable for all lovers of hunting to procure two or three couple of tried hounds, and once or twice a-week to follow after them at train-scent; and when he is able to top them on all sorts of earth, and to endure heats and colds stoutly, then he may better rely on his speed and toughness.

That horse which is able to perform a hare-chase of five or fix miles briskly and courageously, till his body be as it were bathed in sweat; and then, after the hare has been killed, in a nipping frosty morning, can endure to stand till the sweat be frozen on his back, so that he can endure to be pierced with the cold as well as the heat; and then, even in that extremity of cold, to ride another chase as briskly, and with as much courage as he did the former; that horse which can thus endure heats and colds is most valued by sportmen. Therefore in order to make a judgment of the goodness of a horse, observe him after the death of the first hare, if the chase has been any thing brisk: if, when he is cold, he shrinks up his body, and draws his legs up together, it is an infallible sign of want of vigour and courage: the like may be done by the slackening of his girths after the first chase, and from the dulness of his teeth, and the dulness of his countenance, all which are true tokens of faintness and being tired; and such a horse is not to be relied on in case of a wager.

Here it will not be improper to take notice of the way of making matches in former times, and the modern way of deciding wagers. The old way of trial was, by running so many train-scents after hounds, as was agreed upon between the parties concerned, and a bell-course, this being found not so uncertain, but more durable than hare-hunting; and the advantage consisted in having the trains led on earth most suitable to the qualifications of the horses. But now others choose to hunt the hare till such an hour, and then to run this wild-goose chase; a method of racing that takes its name from the manner of the flight of wild-geese, which is generally one after another; so the two horses after running of twelvecore yards, had liberty, which horse ever could get the leading, to ride what ground he pleased, the hindmost horse being bound to follow him, within a certain distance agreed on by articles, or else to be whipped up by the triers or judges which rode by; and whichever horse could distance the other won the match.

But this chase, in itself very inhuman, was soon found to be very destructive to good horses, especially when two good horses were matched; for neither being able to distance the other till both were ready to sink under their riders through weakness, oftentimes the match was fain to be drawn and left undecided, though both the horses were quite spoiled.

This brought up the custom of train-scents, which afterwards was changed to three heats and a straight course; and that the lovers of horses might be encouraged to keep good ones, plates have been erected in many places in Britain. The fewer of these before you come to the course, if your horse be fiery and mettled, the better; and the shorter the distance, the better. Also, above all things, be sure to make your bargain to have the leading of the first train; and then make choice of such grounds where your horse may best show his speed, and the fleetest dogs you can procure: give your hounds as much law before you as your triers will allow, and then making a loofe, try to win the match with a wind; but if you fail in this attempt, then bear your horse, and save him for the course; but if your horse be slow, but well-winded, and a true spurred nag, then the more train-scents you run before you come to the straight-course, the better. But here you ought to observe to gain the leading of the first train; which in this case you must lead. Hunting lead upon such deep earths, that it may not end near any light ground: for this is the rule received among horsemen, that the next train is to begin where the last ends, and the last train is to be ended at the starting place of the course; therefore remember to end your last on deep earths, as well as the first.