bury, and was sold for 300 gs., is dead. Mr. Jaques now wants, it is said, £2,500 for Weatherbit, whom the Yorkshiremen like much for his own and their beloved Sheet Anchor's sake. Hobbie Noble is at Cawston Paddocks once more, where Birdcatcher is lively and well, after having his back well shampooed and iodined; and Honey Dear has been to see him. This was the mare poor Cook's executors made some work about. We saw his grave the other day. There is no tombstone; and pilgrims' feet have kicked a great hole in the side of the mound, to search for memorial pebbles to sell or take away. "S. Timmis, Corn-merchant," lives in Palmer's house, and Ben Thirlby thrives among his calomel; but "Jerry Smith" died on New Year's Day. Miss Palmer has married the young gentleman who came to Rugeley in full Highland costume, determined to woo and win her, and they live with the old lady opposite the church.

The

The Four-in-Hand Club had their fourth and last meet of the season on Friday last, and mustered 19 strong at the Hercules Statue. Duke of Beaufort (president); the Marquis of Stafford (vice-president); the Earl of Sefton, Sir M. S. Stewart, Hon. W. G. Craven, Captains Baillie, Wingfield, and Cooper, and Messrs. W. Morritt, Macgenis, Thornhill, and Hughes, &c., being among the number. The president's team is not great, but none excel him in his style of sitting and driv ing. The Earl of Sefton's turn-out was quite a new one, in his father's fashion; in fact, the Sefton colours everywhere-bay horses and darkblue drag, picked out with yellow. Captain Cooper is one of, if not the best driver, and gets out of difficulties at a glance. His drag also derives a good deal of character, from its red blinds. Mr. Macgenis's team of browns is perhaps as good as any for work; though, take it altogether, Mr. W. G. Craven's turn-out-a dark-blue, picked out with red and white can challenge anything, as the horses are remarkably showy. One of them, a bay leader, with white stockings, will be long ere it finds a match. The club was originally confined to 26, but its numbers are beyond that now.

The hunter sales of May and June, excluding Sir Watkin Wynne's, have not had very many crack horses in them. Cassio (who has held endless levees along with King Dan), has been the horse of the 1858 season as Maximus and Abd-el-Kader were of the last. The latter has not, we believe, turned out particularly well, either in steeple-chasing or hunting. At Tattersall's, few have attracted more notice than Mr. S. Lucy's Grayling. Considering that they were only a twelve stone lot of horses, none have comparatively fetched such prices since Sir William Stanley's sale. The Grayling is a remarkably nice coloured grey, about eight years old, and was second with his owner up, for one of the Warwick steeple-chases. We first remember his being sold for 60 gs. by Mr. Oldaker, then for 120 gs. twice over; then came two sales, the figures of which we do not know, the last to Mr. Lucy, at which time the horse had not seen a fence, and even now he will not always have it. Mr. Padwick bought him at 280 gs., for Mr. Tredcroft, of the H.H., who is said, by-the-bye, to have more than 70 couples of hounds in his kennel. Another grey, Bluebeard, was bought by Lord Winchelsea for 220 guineas; and then Lord Chesterfield and Mr. Kench had a good rally for Brown Stout-a short-legged, long and low huntsman's horse, up to weight, and with fired hocks-and the commoner won at 230 gs. There has also been a draft of six from

Lord Yarborough's, two of which-Provost by the Provost, and Sleight-of-Hand by Sleight-of-Hand-were knocked down to Mr. Anderson, of Piccadilly. Another black horse only fetched 35 gs.; and Tom Smith (who has not been so well mounted as his whips) was no doubt not sorry to get rid of him. Mr. Beavan's were all bought in, save Hornpipe, who went at 190 gs., or thereabouts, to Lord Sandwich-we trust for Davis. Buying-in was also all the order of the day in the Cheshire sale, on which the Times has fastened. This was the drop-scene of the Cheshire trago-comedy. It had been freely said, for weeks before, that after the manner in which Captain Mainwaring had treated the M. F. H. committee, and the announcement of his expulsion from Boodle's in consequence, many great hunting men would not bid; and it was no doubt owing to his cognizance of their intentions that he determined to protect himself by heavy reserves in the hands of friends, and took eleven horses back. Magnet, a yellowish bay, was as much talked about as anything, but he is said to be very warm with hounds. He ran in one of the Brixworth Steeple-chases this year, and is now in Sir George Wombwell's hands, at 240 gs. Lord Grosvenor has not been to Tattersall's for his Cheshire horses, but is picking them up by agents in the country. Two have been got near Melton, and some more in Lincolnshire-the figure generally between 80 to 150 gs., or perhaps hardly so high. Some of Earl Shelbourne's carriage-horses were very handsome, and Mr. Banks, the dealer, gave 220 gs. for a black one with white legs for Mr. Todd Headley; while Mr. M'Almont bought another, a rather Roman-nosed dappled-brown, which was not so gaudy, for 175 gs.

Tom Sebright's favourite, Ottoman, who has run six seasons tohead in his hands, has been lent to Mr. Arkwright, who has long been anxious to have him. The two couple of bitches by him out of Rally are doing well, and with another litter, will form part of the sixteen couple Tom is putting forward this year. Last season he was unlucky, and hence there was only one dog and bitch entered by him. Since then he dipped into him pretty deep, and several of the puppies out at quarters are by him. Will Goodall (who has borrowed Norman from Mr. Meynell Ingram) has a very good Ottoman in his pack, and John Walker and Charles Payne, Mr. Scratton, and many other kennels, have sent bitches to him. Two couple of bitches out of the three, which the latter gentleman sent to Milton, were so destined. He is a low, lengthy dog, with especially great bone, and requires rather an airy cross. Dick Christian's grandson, who was second whip here, has gone to Badminton's, and is succeeded by a lad from the Danebury stable.

The Earl of Yarborough's prize hunting whips, for the best dog and bitch puppy, have been awarded to Mr. Frere Holgate, of Keelby Grange, and Mr. Thomas Brooks, of Croxby. Fifty-two couples were out at quarters (which is 35 couple short of what have been put out), and 32 couple came in. Of these 14 couple were selected, but Tom Smith put two couple back, and only brought 5 couple of dog-hounds and 63 couple of bitches before Captain Percy Williams, who was the sole judge on this occasion. There was no question as to Nero by Nelson (by the Duke of Rutland's Falstaff), out of Flourish, being the best dog; though Notable, a son of old Noble's, and bred by Mr. Bingham, of Swallow, was very clever. Nelson is an old blue dog, and has gone to

the Duke of Buccleugh's. Noble by Ranter has been lent to Will Goodall, and Tom Smith has got in exchange Comus by their Champion, out of their Barmaid. Noble is rather a shabby hound, somewhat long and weak below the knee, and knocked down a bit by seven seasons of work. Mr. Brooks has never won a whip since they were first given ten years ago, and in this case his bitch Prattler by Villager (by Mr. Foljambe's Royster), out of Parody by the Duke of Beaufort's Remus, was hard pressed by Needful, who was walked by Mr. William Brookes, of Fonnerby. She was a sister to the prize dog, and was fully as clever as Prattler, but hardly big enough. The whips are made in Callow and Son, of Park-Lane's best style, of Malacca cane, ornamented with a silver-band, on which is represented a fox at full speed, and pounds after him.

The distemper has been very bad in the kennel, and 6 couple have been lost, dying in fact, almost eighteen hours from the time of their seizure. It seemed to attack and paralyze the loins at once; and when they were opened, there were long deep furrows of matter on each side of the back-bone. One or two have since been blistered instantly, which seemed to arrest the complaint. The reports of foxes are still not great, and it will be long before the county gets over the effects of the foolish counsellor who whispered to the second Lord Yarborough that foxes were far too thick, and caused some seventy brace to be dug out, killed, or transported. They are making great exertions to get foxes again, but it is said that eight cubs have been worried. Hunting, owing to the scarcity, ceased late in February, and they did not renew it when the frost broke up. They had, however, one more, and that a tremendously fast thing of twenty-five minutes, when they were out at exercise, early in April. Crossing the line of a fox, off they went; and the whips and huntsmen, who were merely on cubbers, could not stop them, and so to ground at Kexby. Last year the three gorse covers were sown down, and this year Chase Hill has been taken in hand, and several views in the woods going towards the Mausoleum, which had been devoted to barley, have been turned to gorse account once more. Rockwood and his son Regent seem the fashionable hounds of the kennel; and Jack Morgan has sent some bitches to the latter and Villager. Sir John Trollope has got two couple of the draft this year, and Tocock took a couple with him to Surrey. Mr. Arkwright has bespoken the draft for next year; and we hear that Lord Dacre and Mr. Drake have divided Will Goodall's between them this year. Francis Beers, who whipped in here a couple of seasons, has not gone to Pau, but to a hunting-box near Odessa, where he is huntsman to Count Brunetsky's wolf-hounds.

Among later changes, we hear that Mr. George Cooke has taken the Tiverton. The Craven men ought to scratch fifteen or twenty couple together, and let old Ben Foote try his hand again twice a-week; for no one understands their "cold, cheerless country" so well. Mr. Theobald intended to have taken it, but a friend who would have joined with him in the responsibility, died very suddenly, owing to a severe fall from a póny. Powell, who was first whip to Lord Southampton for a few weeks, has gone to Lord Middleton's; and Charles Neale, who was second horseman at Lord Henry Bentinck's, has entered with the Southwold. John Jones is now hunting the Linlithgowshire and Stirlingshire. The complaint is everywhere, that decent first-whips are not to be got, and

that even if they do understand their business, very few of them can take a horse across country. "The King of the Butchers" in this respect is, however, we see, in place again; and after losing two places from that cause, it is to be hoped he will mend. Very excellent new kennels are being built in the Park at Birdsall; so the hopes that Lord Middleton would ere long take to the Cottesmore have come to naught.

Jack Morgan is fast getting Southwold back to its old Musters, Sutton and John Walker form, and the cub reports are good; in fact, one litter is said to have eleven in it. Last season they killed thirteen brace of old, and nine and a-half of cubs, and drove seven brace to ground. They had only 43 couple of hounds in the kennels for the four days, but this year they have put forward ten couple of their own breeding, and swelled their numbers to fifty. They began their 1857-58 season with 20 couple from Captain Thompson, 18 from Lord Middleton, 12 from the Yarborough, and 3 from Sir Watkin Wynne's; and certainly, they have a hound Lounger, or brother to Lounger, which takes our fancy quite as much, if not more, than anything we have seen this year. He has a great deal of quality, and a great deal of the Comus type about him, a sort in which our untutored eye especially revels. Old Jem sent Jack a present of Barrister, who has done the kennel immense good, to judge from the style of the entries by him, which form quite a family group of ten or eleven; and Lord Middleton's Corporal, and Lord Yarborough's Clinker, were the other sires. Distemper has visited both Ben and Jack's kennels lightly, and the latter has lost three puppies, only one of which he wished to keep. This season, besides Lord Yarborough's two, he has sent bitches to five of the Duke of Rutland's, to wit, Trusty, Notary, Grappler, Chaser, and Rallywood; and he has borrowed Sir Watkin's Pyrrhus. The kennels at Belsford are very natty, and the £400 has been well laid out. There is loose-box stalling for 14 horses, and Morgan's house is an eccentric, but a comfortable piece of architecture. In short, after the melancholy knocking about this rare country has had, things seem to have taken a good turn, and every one is satisfied; though, perhaps, the horses are not exactly such as "Tearaway Jack" has been used to for these 14 seasons past. There is a story of his screwing through a wonderful cubhunting run on a little bit of a dun pony; but he still continues very nimble and slight, and scarcely pulls 10st. 7lbs down.

We shall not attempt a stern chase, after the full account "in another place" of Mr. Farquharson's sale. The twenty couples of big hounds and the three of young which were bought in were sold, through Mr. Tattersall, the next Monday, to Mr. H. Villebois, who bid rather stiffly for them at the sale; and Treadwell, who had reached the Wimborne station with his wife, and was just starting for a tour, was sent for back again post-haste. He will not take a place this summer; but we sincerely trust that he will not think of retiring at fifty-eight, with so many good seasons in him yet. There is far too much early putting forward of first-whips now, before they are fitted either by experience or temper to take the head of a kennel; and there has been, as we all know, a very sad instance of the kind lately. Old Percy was there, rather feeble after his illness, and sitting on the corn-box, chatting to his friends about the bygone racing days of Langton. The great heat was the only drawback, and under the wall of the kennels it was quite overpowering; but that did not quench the sympathetic flow of the men

on the wall. Mr. Stratton quite carried out their injunction to "mind and take care of Rosamond," as, when we got into the train at Wimborne that night, he was taking her home in his personal charge. The George Carters, father and son, and both in top-boots were there, and reported favourably of Mr. Assheton Smith's health. The general power of Autocrat, and the exquisite form of the rightly-termed Rarity, we shall not easily forget.

The Old Berkshire Hounds have removed from Tubney to Oakley, where Mr. Morell lived before he built Headington Hill. Sir Warwick, who was bought in for 190 gs. at the sale, has been sold to the Duke of Beaufort, so that Clark has, like Harris, two mementoes; and Marlborough, the mighty water-jumping black, has died of lock-jaw, so that the Surrey Union will not have the pleasure of seeing him perform. It is very singular that this horse should have died, in his new hands, almost as soon as Golumpus died in Mr. Morell's; and, moreover, the gentleman who bought him bid second for one, if not both, of these welters, when Mr. Greaves sold them. Foxes are reported very plentiful both there and in Leicestershire; but neither Harriet nor Firebrand will live to rout them from Thorpe Trussells or Cream Gorse, as they died, with four couple of others, not long after their arrival at Quorn. There is no doubt that they had had the distemper before; and the seeming distemper of which they died has been rife at Quorn, and was of the most virulent kind, with, probably, a good deal of yellows mixed up with it. Hence Treadwell has only put eleven couple forward. From reasons which need not be dwelt on, fox-hunting does not go on comfortably in the Harborough country; and we heard of two bitchfoxes being poisoned lately. The Leicestershire people have got a notion that Goodricke's Gorse is to be destroyed; and we hear that the idea has been mooted, though we do not believe it will be carried through. Five times last season it was drawn blank; but it seems that a strange dog lived in it all those months, and was not shot till April and the day after, a huge yellow cat, which had been seen once or twice when the hounds were there, was also disposed of. Between the two, the cover must have been made pretty uncomfortable for game of all kinds. However, when the rabbiters went, they dug down to a litter of five cubs; and as the old bitch was seen by a truly enthusiastic watcher, on the wettest of nights, to come, and not object, they are most probably there still, or close by: so that the character of the cover, dear to all Meltonians for Sir Harry's sake, is saved. Thorpe Arnold, the new cover in the Duke's country, will no doubt be ready this season. They talk of throwing a bridge across the river; and thus, with a little management, their fox will always point for Little Dalby and Burrow Hills, and Will Goodall get those bursts over Leicestershire for which his soul so craves. Foxes have been there, and among the sandbanks of the neighbouring dry channel of the Melton and Oakham Canal, cubs have been laid up; so that, in due time, Will may love it even better than Piper's Hole.