ter's setters, and we'll put the retriever on her foot-he manages these things well."

This was quickly done, and we separated so as to command the opposite ends of the potato ridges. Following the hot stain it was not long before" Hector" disturbed and pushed her, and then commenced an amusing and exciting scene. Running up and down the furrows the hare was seldom visible; the dog evidently thinking that a greater height would enable him to detect her, sprung high into the air perpetually, and floundered furiously about like a mad thing. At last on our side, about thirty yards distant, out came puss, and, seeing us, squat in an instant."Shall we shoot her in that helpless position?" thought we. "No; much as we want her and the like of her, she shall escape utterly rather than we would perform so cowardly an Let her have the benefit of motion, and then the result be on her own head.' The dog nearing her, instead of returning to the covert she had left, she made, as luck happened, for an old meuse in the hedge nearly opposite her. Bang! over she rolled-once, twicethen turning on her back, she gathered herself up, stretched her limbs slowly out to their full length, and expired.

act.

Of hares, as we well remember, there was remarkable paucity that season: this and two more (killed in a hop-yard, a place this game much affects) were all we saw throughout the day; where in moderation we ought to have moved a dozen. After this we advanced through orchards, stubbles, pastures, and turnip fields in succession; but, why we are unable to say, met with much less sport than we had anticipated. An alder covert near a mill, however, made us compensation; there we found pheasants plentiful, and fared successfully among them. We had a long and interesting search for a winged bird which was cleverly recovered, after every wile had been exhausted by the running game.

A retriever with a wounded pheasant in his mouth is at all times an interesting sight; and this apart from the pleasure one naturally feels at the recovery of a crippled bird. The docility of the one, and despairing submission of the other, are to our mind equally striking and touching. Often-though it might have no better foundation than our fancy-have we detected an expression of pride and triumph on the sagacious features of our faithful Hector, when, probably after a long chase, he had brought back a winged bird to our feet. The latter, too, seems fully to comprehend the hopelessness of his position. As long as chance offers an escape he spars no exertions to effect it; when that has passed he submits unconditionally; and the humane sportsman-for there is a humanity in the chase-will charitably put him out of suffering as speedily and effectually as possible.

It was nearly dark when, with feelings of unmingled pleasure at the review of the day, we returned to our inn. After the luxury of an entire change of apparel, we sat down to a well-cooked dinner, which we disposed of with a relish that none but hungry sportsmen can understand.

Immediately the cloth was removed, the village surgeon, whom we both knew, dropped in

"By accident that looked much like design.",

Honest fellow! he was welcome, were it for no better reason than that for years he had served his country in her wars. No wonder, too, that in a place such as that-" so dismally slow," as a man about town would term it, he should clutch eagerly at every opportunity of giving variety to life. Full of anecdote, humour, and not without just pretensions to wit, we found him a charming addition to our table. The red wine flashed brilliantly in our glasses, and the joke, the laugh, the song went merrily round. The hunter's moon-oh, tell it not in Gath!--had long passed the zenith ere we parted that night, each to pursue his several road.

THE MIDSHIPMAN.

BY JOHN PERCIVAL.

I thought of thee as o'er the deep,
My bark in pride rode gaily on;
When peacefully to ocean-sleep,
The daylight's golden rays had gone.
I thought of thee in tranquil night,

When stars shone o'er the azure sea,
And thought when Cynthia shed her light,
She look'd all meekness, love, like thee!

I thought of thee 'mid tempests' roar,
When rattling thunder peal'd above;
And when the stormy strife was o'er,
I thought of nought-save thee and love.
I thought of thee in battle's hour,
When carnage
fed the blood-stain'd sea;
My arm had then a sov'reign power,
I fought for England, and for thee!

I thought of thee as through the foam
Our gallant vessel near❜d the shore,
And when I longed to see my home,

It was to gaze on thee once more.
I think of thee in midnight dreams,
And visions of thy beauty see,
And when the sunlit morning beams,
Oh! then, my love, I think on thee!

SPORTING WRITERS.

BY NIMROD.

Chapter XII. treats of the management of a hunting country, commencing with a recommendation to gentlemen to promote the sport of fox-hunting, either by keeping hounds or subscribing to them, in their own county, if possible-that is to say, if it be one adapted to the said sport. Mr. Radcliff, however, implies that all countries are capable of improvement, if their resident gentlemen will but pull well toge ther, with the aid of a well-organized club. The character of the master of the pack also is, he says, a matter of no small consideration, as regards the welfare of fox-hunting. He recommends him to "do his utmost to promote the breed of horses and the growth of crops, and cherish every friendly relation with the agricultural part of the community;" adding his belief that, by thus ingratiating himself with his neighbours, he will add a zest to the interest which they are disposed to feel in the prosperity of the whole concern. He is, however, averse from making regular compensation for damage done by foxes; for, desirable as it may be in individual cases, the yearly accumulation of such demands would be by far too great. In certain cases-such as sheep or lambs being destroyed by young hounds at their walks-he makes good damage, and instances the sum of £18, as paid by himself for one night's amusement of a couple of his own puppies.

On the preservation and finding of foxes, our author proceeds at considerable length, handling his subject with much tact, as well as displaying a thorough knowledge of it from experience. It appears that in his time a sovereign was paid to keepers for every fox found by hounds in Herts; and the fees of earth-stoppers, within range of the night stop, amounted to £4 per night! This, no doubt, insures a good stock of foxes, and, as I have before stated, is perhaps the only means of insuring it, in countries near London and abounding with game preserves, although it appears that the owners of the Hertfordshire preserves are themselves friendly to foxes. The sum of £5 per day, supposing only one fox to be found, is no small tax upon the master's purse; and we cannot be surprised at Mr. Radcliffe condemning the practice, and suggesting Christmas douceurs in

its stead.

Mr. Smith's plan of earth-stopping at once for the entire season, by doing away with the earths in October and re-opening them in April, appears to meet with the approval of Mr. Radcliffe, although he states some objections, which no doubt do exist. The question

с с

then is, to which side would the scale turn when the objections are placed against the advantages.

This chapter concludes with an account of the expenses of a fourdays-a-week country, taken from our author's own ledger, and which amounts to £1885: 11s. ; the establishment consisting of fifty couples of hounds, twelve horses, a huntsman, and two whippers-in. The amount stated by Colonel Cook, for a similar purpose, is £1935, which, as it does not include the £5 per day for keepers and earth-stoppers, is at the higher rate of the two. It must, however, be borne in mind, that there is a difference of amount paid in the article of taxes, that stated by Colonel Cook being £120, and the same by Mr. Radcliffe being only £72.

The thirteenth and the last chapter of this interesting work is devoted to a description of Mr. Thomas Assheton Smith's new kennels and stables, at Tidworth House, Hants, from which I deem it worth while to select the following passage, as affording useful information to future builders of kennels:

"The Tedworth kennel is built on high ground, falling on two sides-an advantage precluding the necessity of under-drains. Gutter-bricks are laid round each yard, emptying into a gutter on the outside. A pail or two of water, followed by a broom, will sluice the gutter to the cess-pool, which is placed at some distance from the lodging-houses. The bricks in all the yards being laid highest in the middle, the water thrown down falls each way to the gutters. The bricks are dry in a few minutes-a consideration of no slight importance, as all will admit who are acquainted with kennel lameness and its causes. From having no under-ground drains, a rat has never been seen upon the premises. Water is laid on by pipes in the walls, and a tap in each yard. The lodging-houses are thatched with reeds, which form the most desirable roofing, with regard to coolness in summer and warmth in winter. Each lodging-house will contain thirty couples of hounds. The huntsman's and feeder's windows look immediately into the yards, so that they are both within earshot of the slightest riot. The boiling-house and flesh-house are sixty-three yards from the feeding-house, through a plantation, so that no smell can at any time affect the kennel. On each side of the huntsman's house and kennel are a whole row of commodious leantoes, for bitches with puppies, with a green-yard fenced off. The principal green-yard, in front of the kennels, is one of the most beautiful spots imaginable, as a space for airing the hounds, and for the purpose of inspecting a pack at leisure.”

A plan of the kennel, with a reference to it, a list of Mr. Smith's pack, and a plan and description of his stables for fourteen horses, in stalls, five boxes, and five stalls for hacks, with some observations on Mr. Smith's hounds, conclude this chapter.

Appended to this volume are short biographical sketches of the celebrated Mr. Meynell, and of his (Mr. Meynell's) intimate friend, the late Mr. Loraine Smith, a sportsman of great repute, and a most worthy man withal. As both these eminent persons attained a great age, it may not be amiss to quote one means of doing so pursued by the former. "Mr. Meynell was somewhat particular in his diet,"

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says his biographer, as every one should be who cares for the preservation of those capabilities for bodily exercise,

Whose use

Depends so much upon the gastric juice.'

He endeavoured to take the greatest amount of nourishment in the smallest possible compass. His usual hunting breakfast consisted of as much as a small tea-cup would contain of a pound of veal, condensed to that quantity. His pocket was always fortified with a small bottle of stimulus; but instead of eau-de-vie, Curaçoa, or cherry-bounce, it contained a far better stomachic, in the shape of tincture of rhubarb, to the use of which he was constantly addicted."

A statement is given of the number of foxes killed by Mr. Meynell's hounds in nine consecutive seasons, making the annual amount thirty-five brace. This would be considered a short show of noses for modern days; but, be it remembered, that he hunted only three days in the week, and that the foxes of his day took a deal of killing, from the wild state of a great portion of his country, and the paucity of gorse covers, compared with their over-abundance now. His pack was hunted by John Raven, whipped-in by Skinner and cork-legged Jones, and afterwards by Joe Harrison, still, I believe, alive. With the first and the last-named of these renowned sportsmen I was often in the field.

As a frontispiece to this work, is a sketch of Mr. Meynell in the act of addressing John Raven, who stands before him, with a favourite hound by his side. The picture from which the plate is taken is by the pencil of Mr. Loraine Smith, and partakes a little of caricature, which might be expected from that of one of the first caricaturists of his day. There is also in this appendix an excellent portrait of Mr. Loraine Smith himself, taken in his latter years, but an exact resemblance of the man.

I now dismiss "The Noble Science"-for such is the title Mr. Radcliffe has given to his book-with as hearty a wish for its success as for the noble sport of which its pages treat. Independently of the gentlemanlike, classic style of the language, there is a becoming diffidence in the writer's own pretensions to instruct, together with a proper deference to the opinions of others more experienced than himself, which cannot fail to please; and the frequent confirmation of the truth of his theories by the production of corresponding facts, stamps a value on them which his readers cannot fail to appreciate. Then his language is strictly technical, when technicality is required; and so far from his having considered it necessary to apologise for "having quoted too freely from Greek, Roman, or British poets, wherever the aptness of the quotation is admitted"-for having endeavoured to convey, in fact, in the beauty of language, ideas which could not otherwise have been so well expressed-he has only added one to the many proofs lately given that, to use the words of a celebrated Leicestershire sportsman on perusal of my late work, "The Life of a Sportsman"-"it does not follow that, because a man is passionately fond of field-sports, he should on that account be possessed of a rough and uncultivated mind." Having said this, I