ludicrously ignorant
of the history of modern fox-hunting, which is altogether founded on the
experience and maxims of hare-hunters. The two oldest fox-hound packs in
England--the Brocklesby and the Cheshire--were originally formed for
hare-hunting. The best book ever written on hounds and hunting, a
text-book to every master of hounds to this day, is by Beckford, who
learned all he knew as master of a pack of harriers.

"The great Meynell and Warwickshire Corbett both entered their young
hounds to hare, a practice which cannot, however, be approved. The late
Parson Froude, in North Devon, than whom a keener sportsman never
holloaed to hounds, and the breeder of one of the best packs for showing
sport ever seen, hunted hare, fox, deer, and even polecats, sooner than
not keep his darlings doing something; and, while his hounds would
puzzle out the faintest scent, there were among the leaders several
that, with admirable dash, jumped every gate, disdaining to creep. Some
of this stock are still hunting on Exmoor. There are at present several
very good M.F.H. who began with hare-hounds.

"The intense pretentious snobbishness of the age has something to do
with the mysterious manner in which many men, blushing, own that they
have been out with harriers. In the first place, as a rule, harriers are
slow; although there are days when, with a stout, well-fed,
straight-running hare, the best men will have enough to do to keep their
place in the field: over the dinner-table that is always an easy task;
but in this fast, competitive age, the man who can contrive to stick on
a good horse can show in front without having the least idea of the
meaning of hunting. To such, harriers afford no amusement. Then again,
harrier packs are of all degrees, from the perfection of the Blackmoor
Vale, the Brookside, and some Devon or Welsh packs with unpronounceable
names, down to the little scratch packs of six or seven couple kept
among jovial farmers in out-of-the-way places, or for the amusement of
Sheffield cutlers running afoot. The same failing that makes a
considerable class reverently worship an alderman or a city baronet
until they can get on speaking terms with a peer, leads others to boast
of fox-hunting when the Brighton harriers are more than they can
comfortably manage."

The greater number of what are called harriers now-a-days are dwarf
fox-hounds, or partake largely of fox-hound blood.

If Leicestershire is the county for "