These are certainly very reasonable regulations, and are applicable to all the modern forms of coursing. But the mode now in use is far more simple. A number of horsemen form a line, at about three or four yards asunder, and having a brace of dogs loose at the heels of their owner, or divided in the line, the cavalcade beat the covers, which should be very low, such as hethcr, or grass, or fallow lands, and all look out sharp for hares sitting. When a hare is seen, the call " Soho" gives no tice to the whole party, which then file off, so as to give the hare that offset which may appear mow favourable to the sport. The dogs are kept back, until the hare is roused from her form, and has some law, when a horseman gallops after her, calling " Hilloo," " Hilloo," so as to lay the dogs in ; after which the whole party refrain from crossing her path, and in general ride at some distance behind, so as to avoid checking the course : but in case the dogs should lose the hare among any high grass, &c. one or more horsemen follow her, and again cheer the dogs, until they have her again in view.
Some most extraordinary courses have been made : in 1800 a brace of grey hounds ran a hare for twelve minutes, during which she was often turned, and died before the dogs, at four miles from the spot whence she started. Greyhounds have run with such violence against each other in coursing, that both have been killed on the spot. The finest coursing is in Yorkshire and Wiltshire, in both which counties remarkably fine grey hounds are bred. The following old say ing is, perhaps, as good a description as can be given, in few words, of the prin cipal points in a well formed greyhound.
" Head like snake, Neck like drake, Back like beam, (i. e. cambered, or arched.) Side like bream (i. e. deep chested, and finely keeled.) Tail like rat, Foot like cat." The best age to enter a dog is about a year ; some enter them when only ten months old ; but one or two severe courses generally ruin them: in truth, coursing is too laborious for any dog not fully formed, and possessed of a good constitution. Greyhounds are very de licate while young ; and are perhaps, of all dogs, most subject to distemper. They are not full grown until two years old. The bitches generally have most speed, and the dogs most strength. To give them good wind, biscuit soaked in broth is their beat diet; but no good brothbe given for four hours, at least, before a dog is to run.
Hare-hunting generally commences so soon as all the crops are fairly off the 'ground, and that the leverets, or young hares, have acquired strength enough to stand before the hounds. The dogs most ly employed in this sport are the north country beagle, which is nimble and vigo.
rows, pursues a hare with impetuosity, gives her no time to double, and, if the scent lies high, will easily run down two brace before dinner. These dogs are
kept by the dashing class of sportsmen, who are usually well mounted, and pride themselves on the quantity of game kill ed in a day. But the breed mostly used for hare-hunting are the deep-tongued, thick-lipped, broad and long-hung, south ern hounds. These ordinarily give a long chase, and succeed by dint of perse verance; for their pace is rather slow, but their cry is peculiarly musical.
A middle breed is sometimes seen, having rough wire-haired backs, thick quarters, and rather thin shoulders; many suppose it to have been obtained by a cross with the Pomeranian dog, or the Russian hound. The whole may be mixed without disadvantage. There is an other sort, preferred from their acuteness of smelling, and because they are easily subsisted; but they are apt to be great chatterers: these are very small, line boned, long eared, and peculiarly hand some in their fore-quarters. The late Colonel Hardy bad a cry consisting of about eleven couples of this diminutive race, which used to be carried to and from the field in a pair of panniers, slung across a horse. They were all stolen one night, together with the panniers, and not the least trace was afforded, whereby to discover either the robbers or their booty. As that gentleman resided not far from the coast, it is probable his pigmy pack were sentenced to transportation beyond sea; and, no doubt, fetched a good price on the continent.
The nature of the country should de termine with regard to the choice of hounds. Where the dogs are very fleet, and the country well inclosed, they act nearly on a par with slower hounds in an open district. When a dog is too fleet for the pack, lie should be loaded with a collar, filled with small shot, so as to make him carry weight, and bring him down to the level of speed. When a hound is too slow, he should be drawn, unless he happens to be peculiarly well gifted ; in which case, though he will constantly tail, (or lag,) he will rarely fail, when the precursors are at fault, to dash through them without losing the scent, and thus set the pack on the cry again.
The choice of a hound, of whatever breed, may be summed up in a few words : select the dog of a middle size, broad backed, wide nostrils, capacious and deep chest, fillets great and high, haunches large, hams straight, well curved rump, round feet with firm dry soles, large claws, broad ears, full eyes, and a heavy upper lip. But with all this form, he will not be worth a groat, if his olfactory powers be defective, if he be given to babble, or that he steals away afl er his game without giving tongue. Many dogs, however, of great value, run mute, but they possess fine action, and always show themselves to be on scent, or eventually whimper as they hit it off.