  CONTENTS.
Mr. Assheton Biddulph, M.F.H.Mr. Assheton Biddulph, Master of the King’s County Hounds, whose portrait we give in this number, was born in the year 1850. He is the second surviving son of the late Francis M. W. Biddulph, of Rathrobin, in the King’s County, now the residence of the Master’s elder brother, Lieutenant-Colonel M. W. Biddulph, late 5th Fusiliers. Mr. Francis Biddulph, from whom his son inherits his love of hunting, was a well-known sportsman in his day. The late Mr. O’Connor Morris, in his book “Memini,” remarks that he was “one who knew as much as most men about horses of all sorts, hounds, hunting, racing, &c.; in fact, he was an encyclopÆdia of sport, and could ride to perfection.” There are not now living many who remember the sad period, sixty years ago, when Ireland was devastated by famine. Speaking of this time, an old hunting man, long since gone to his rest, said to the writer, “I never made such preparation for hunting as I did that year, but before a third of the season was over there was scarcely a pack of hounds in Ireland.” Hunting was only kept going in the King’s County by some energetic gentlemen, as the country began to recover, keeping small private packs and hunting in their own neighbourhood. Of these Mr. Biddulph was one. He was at the same time a staunch patron of the Turf, and owned many good racehorses. It was thus with his father’s pack the present Master was entered to hounds. In 1869 Mr. Assheton Biddulph was gazetted to the 57th Regiment, the old “Diehards” (now 1st Battalion Middlesex), with which he was stationed for some time in Devonport, where, whenever free from duty, he devoted his spare time to the chase of fox, deer, and otter. Here, too, he made the acquaintance of Squire Trelawney and Mr. Jack Russell, the sporting parson. The regiment afterwards moved to Ireland, and thus gave him the opportunity of again hunting in his native country. In 1873, the battalion being about to proceed to Ceylon, and the outlook seeming to offer but little opportunity of active service, Mr. Biddulph sent in his papers, and began devoting his energies to his favourite sport. For two or three seasons he hunted principally in Galway as the guest of the famous Burton Persse, of whom he always speaks as his principal tutor in the art. At the same time he confesses to dipping stealthily into authorship; as “Vagrant” he used regularly to write hunting sketches in the Irish Sportsman for his old pedagogue, W. J. Dunbar. Previous to this the late Earl of Huntingdon, then Lord Hastings, had undertaken the task of reviving sport in the district, and hunted both the original King’s County and also the country now occupied by the Ormond Hunt, in Tipperary, till the year 1876. The countries were then separated, the latter being taken over by Mr. W. T. Trench. They were, however, again united in 1879 under Lord Huntingdon, an arrangement which lasted till 1882; and during this period Lord Huntingdon received the greatest assistance from Mr. Biddulph, who acted as both hunt secretary and first whipper-in. In the beginning of the season 1881–82 political troubles stopped hunting in the district; the hounds were sold, the country was broken up and left derelict for two seasons. In 1884 Mr. Assheton Biddulph faced all obstacles, and, with hardly a fox left in the country, finding hounds, horses, and everything for himself, started to resuscitate the fortunes of the Ormond and King’s County Hunt. Those who know Ireland understand how difficult it is to keep clear of politics in that country. Mr. Biddulph, however, determined from the first to avoid contentions, and the wisdom of this resolution, though not wholly approved by those with whom he was most strongly in sympathy, has been fully proved by his success. Thus for thirteen years he hunted the great district occupied by both hunts, until in 1897 the countries were again separated, the Ormond being taken over by the present Earl of Huntingdon. Mr. Assheton Biddulph’s success during this period is best testified by the following resolution, passed at the annual meeting of the Hunt on May 5th, 1895:— “That his many friends and the members of the Hunt accord a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Assheton Biddulph for his unceasing zeal and untiring energy during his past eleven seasons of mastership, and that they take this public opportunity to express a deep sense of their appreciation of the grand pack of hounds he has bred in the country, the able manner he has managed and hunted them, the fine sport he has shown, the tact with which he has in troublous times overcome many and various difficulties, thus raising to a high position amongst the Hunts of Ireland the standard of the Ormond and King’s County Hunt, over which they sincerely hope he may be spared to preside for many years to come.” In 1898, on the division of the country and on the occasion of the Annual Puppy Show at Monyguyneen, Mr. and Mrs. Biddulph were the recipients of a very valuable presentation of plate, accompanied by the following address in an illuminated album, which also contains the signatures of about three hundred subscribers, members of every class in the country: “Your numerous friends in the King’s and adjoining counties in recognition of the lengthened period during which you have hunted the country at very considerable expense, and kept up sport in trying and difficult times when it was abandoned in so many other places, beg your acceptance of the accompanying pieces of plate, and trust that the inscription which they bear (embracing Mrs. Biddulph’s name as well as your own) will show how thoroughly we appreciate the admirable manner in which she has always seconded your efforts to popularise sport by her constant presence and prowess in the field. It will also, we feel assured, gratify you to know that this testimonial has been subscribed to over a very large area, and we all most heartily and warmly unite in hoping that you and Mrs. Biddulph will be spared for many years to maintain the best traditions of the hunt over which you so well preside.” Since that time Mr. Biddulph has added to the King’s County a large portion of the Queen’s County, which was unoccupied, hunting three days a week with a splendid pack of hounds bred by himself from the best blood in the kingdom. Many of his fine stud of hunters are also home-bred. Among the latter must be mentioned Billy Boy, a gallant grey who carried his master for thirteen seasons. Never was a horse so well known over so large a district. Latterly Mr. Biddulph had given him to his children to ride, and he often carried the Master’s eldest daughter, Miss Kathleen Biddulph. During all the years he carried Mr. Biddulph any place Billy Boy and his master did not get over or force a passage through no one else attempted. In the dining-room at Monyguyneen hangs a fine oil painting, by Lynwood Palmer, of the Master on Billy Boy, while Mrs. Biddulph, in the same picture, is portrayed on her own favourite of so many years, “Noirine,” now a pensioner, and half sister to Billy Boy. Outside his own district Mr. Biddulph takes great interest in all hunting matters; he was the originator of puppy shows in Ireland, the first having been held at Monyguyneen in 1887. He was also one of the originators of the Irish Hound Show, at first intended to be held in Mullingar, but the scene of which, in consequence of difficulties, was changed to Clonmel, where it is still held. In his spare time he is a keen angler. He is fond of shooting over dogs, which he always trains himself, but does not care for the modern systems of shooting. A noted walker, no day is too long nor hillside too difficult. Besides personally looking after all details of his kennel and management of his pack, which he, of course, hunts himself, Mr. Biddulph manages a large farm, from the produce of which the stable is principally supplied. The family descends from the ancient one of the same name in Staffordshire, which is derived from one Ormus le Guidon, Lord of Darlaveston, Buckinghall, Biddulph, &c., who lived in the time of “Doomsday,” as mentioned by Erdeswick in his history of Staffordshire. Mr. Biddulph married in 1880 Florence Caroline, younger daughter of the late Rev. Cunningham Boothby, of Holwell Rectory, Burford, Oxon. Mrs. Biddulph is as well known in the hunting-field as the Master himself. The family sporting traditions are carried on by their son, now a boy at Harrow, who must inherit the sporting instinct, descended as he is on his mother’s side from Thomas Boothby, who, as history records, was in the eighteenth century the first man to keep hounds for the purpose of hunting foxes only. Thomas Boothby’s horn is at present preserved as a treasured heirloom in the Corbet family, of Cheshire, into whose possession it passed through intermarriage. We should add that Mr. Biddulph is the second oldest Master in Ireland, having carried the horn for twenty-two seasons. Englishmen’s Sport in Future Years.It is an almost universally acknowledged fact that the passion for sport in its wildest and least artificial forms, which is inherent in the Anglo-Saxon race, has contributed not a little towards putting that race in the position which it now occupies in the world. It is the love of sport which makes it possible for Englishmen of good birth to endure long years of exile in the wilderness while doing the empire’s work, without suffering that mental, moral and physical deterioration which is so painfully apparent in men of Latin race in tropical Africa and America. It is the influence of sport, to which he is bound not only by individual taste but by the ties of heredity and tradition, which brings the English gentleman to the fore in any enterprise requiring nerve, independence, resolution and stamina, a cool head and a strong hand. It is the sportsman’s training which has made British officers the best officers in the world. The question occurs to one, what will future generations do for their sport? If the British empire is to maintain her place and fulfil her destiny, it is absolutely necessary that the young men of the upper and upper-middle classes should have that sportsman’s training which is now happily within reach of most of them. The sports which are probably the most useful in the mental, moral and physical training which they give are hunting, the pursuit of large game, and in a lesser degree game shooting in the British Isles. And these three sports are all in danger, if not of extinction, at any rate of eventual restriction to the few and the rich. It is obvious that other sports and games have their uses in the training of the youth of the nation, and most of them are likely to flourish as long as Britons remain Britons. Racing, for instance, was probably never more prosperous than now in England and Australia, and the sport has taken a good hold in South Africa; the class of horses run was never better, and the standard of turf morality, low as it undoubtedly is, shows signs of eventual improvement under the stern hand of the Jockey Club. And while it may be doubted whether “following the meetings” does a young man much good, except in so far as it teaches him which is the most foolish way of spending his money, yet, if he goes racing regularly and be not quite an idiot, he must pick up some little knowledge of horse-flesh and of mankind. Polo is altogether admirable so far as it goes. It calls for nearly all the qualities which we are wont to approve of in our fellow countrymen. But it is too expensive an amusement and too limited as to the number of men who can join in it to be really useful as a training school. Cricket, football and rowing are very well in their way, but they are games as opposed to sports, and do not from their nature appeal to the wild pagan instincts which we have inherited from our Saxon, Norse, and Briton forefathers. Foxhunting and the chase of the wild red deer undoubtedly head the list of British sports. But how long will they continue in their present state? The growth of London and other large towns is pushing hunting further and further away. The increase of population and the growing wealth of the middle class is dotting the countryside with villas, “week-end residences” (odious phrase), and fruit and flower farms. Much of the South of England which a generation ago was good wild hunting country is now completely spoilt, from that point of view, by bricks and mortar. Foreign competition and the lack of agricultural labour are forcing the farmer to practise the strictest economy and to fence his land with barbed wire. The leasing of shootings to rich men from the towns tends to make fox-hunting a less natural and more artificial sport every year, and to limit its scope. Every year more men and women want to hunt, and ought to hunt, and every year there is less room for them. A melancholy sign of the times is apparent in the number of masters of hounds who find “the game not worth the candle,” and resign. It appears that fox-hunting in a generation or two will be an amusement for the rich only, and for comparatively few of them, and it can never again be the glorious, wild, unartificial sport which our forefathers enjoyed. Numbers of men find healthy and wholesome amusement in shooting; but shooting under the influence of the plutocrat has become terribly artificial, and its conditions are too carefully “cut and dried.” To find true wild pagan sport, such sport as stirs the blood and brings to the top the hardiest and manliest instincts in human nature, one must go to the hills of Northern India or the wildernesses of tropical Africa. And even in these areas, vast as they are, the wild game is quickly disappearing. Much of the best shooting ground in Kashmire is “shot out,” and nothing short of very drastic remedies can enable the game to live in its original haunts. In South Africa the vast herds of antelope, the elephants and rhinoceros, which roamed at will in the highlands of the Transvaal and the valleys and forests of Zululand not so many years ago, have disappeared before the rifle of the Dutchman, or, more destructive still, the rifle of the nigger, supplied to him for some paltry gain by Dutch or Portuguese trader. In Mashonaland and Matabeleland much of the game has been cleared off by rifle and rinderpest. The British South Africa Company’s Authorities (all honour to them for it) have established game preserves and a stringent game law, but still the game decreases every year. The reserves are not large enough and the precautions against infringement of the law not strict enough. Not so long ago a Dutchman in Matabeleland killed five kudu bulls in one day, and left them lying where they fell. It is true that he was detected and punished, but for every law-breaker who meets with his just reward quite twenty go free. It is a mistake to suppose that English sportsmen are responsible for the extermination of the game, for the amount which they kill is as dust in the balance compared with the wholesale slaughter committed by Dutch and Colonial settlers and traders and by natives. The British East Africa Authorities (who, by the way, have reserved a strip of country alongside the Uganda Railway which is full of game) have decreed that a “sportsman’s license” shall be issued to a visitor to the country for £50, whereas a “settler’s license” may be had for £10. A law on the same lines, though the amounts are smaller, has just come into force in North-west Rhodesia. This seems to me manifestly unjust. A man goes out from England to shoot for the sake of the sport alone. So that he obtains good specimens for his collection and kills enough meat to keep his boys he is content, and wanton slaughter is probably repugnant to him. It would be useless for him to shoot more than his allowance of each kind of game, for an attempt to take the heads out of the country would lead to instant detection. Dutchmen, on the other hand, and, alas, many “English” colonials, are, like natives, hampered by no sportsmanlike considerations whatever. They kill game so that they may sell the hides for a few miserable shillings, and they kill it in season and out of season, bulls, cows and calves alike, careless of whether they can use or keep the meat or not. Moreover, they are not likely to run any risk of punishment for this wanton and indiscriminate slaughter, for the tell-tale heads are left upon the veldt. This kind of thing has been going on for years in Southern Rhodesia, and with the advance of “civilisation” it will proceed merrily in the territories to the north of the Zambesi, until all South and Central African big game has been either killed off or driven away to the fastnesses of the Bechuanaland deserts and the equatorial swamps. More ominous than anything else for the future of the great game is the fact (which the British South African officials may deny if they like) that the natives in their Northern territories have many rifles and plenty of ammunition. I have attempted to show that, to my way of thinking, there will arise during the next few years two very pressing needs:— (1) To find a new sporting training-ground for Englishmen. (2) To save the great game of Africa and India from final extinction. And I think if the British, Colonial and Indian Governments be sufficiently enterprising and large-minded, these two objects might be effected conjointly, without much real difficulty and without great outlay. My scheme is:—In the mountains of Northern India, in the Northern Transvaal, in Zululand, Mashonaland, Matabeleland, Bechuanaland, Northern Rhodesia, Uganda, British East Africa and Somaliland, there exist thousands of square miles of country, either mountain ranges, poor veldt, sandy desert, forest, bush, or swamp, which can never be used for either agricultural or pastoral purposes, but which are the natural homes of the great game. Let enormous reserves be formed in these places, the larger the better, in which no game at all may be shot for market purposes. Rangers may be appointed, these being Government officials, and these rangers would have power to grant licenses to kill game to any approved British subject. The applicant would have to produce proofs that he was a respectable individual, and would have to make a statement upon oath that he wished to kill game merely for sport—for the sake of the trophies—or for scientific purposes, and not with any idea of making money out of it. He would have to pay for his license, the amount varying according to where he wished to go and what he wished to shoot. These licenses could be granted by the home or Colonial Governments for particular districts, subject to the approval of the local rangers, which of course would not be withheld except for good reason. The money paid for the licenses would go towards the necessary expenses of maintaining the reserves. The duties of a ranger would be:— (1) To prevent unauthorised persons from shooting in the reserve; this should not be difficult, for news travels with amazing rapidity in savage countries, and a ranger would be sure to hear of any white man shooting within fifty miles of his camp. (2) To prevent as far as possible the killing of game by natives, either with firearms, pits or deadfalls. This would be far more difficult. (3) To check the sale of guns and ammunition to the natives by Dutch, Portuguese, or Arab traders. (4) To see that no one is allowed to trade for ivory or skins within the reserves, and as far as possible to see that the natives are not in possession of these commodities. (5) To keep himself acquainted as far as possible with the amount of different kinds of game in his reserve. Sportsmen would be licensed to kill only a certain number of certain animals, at the discretion of the ranger. The latter would then be able to make sure that no particular kind of game was being unduly persecuted. For instance, if he thought the stock of kudu, let us say, on his reserve was getting too low, he would issue no licenses to kill kudu until he thought fit. No white settlements would be allowed within the reserve, except the camps of the ranger and his assistants, and no trading would be allowed except by special permit from the ranger. I am afraid my scheme will seem Utopian to most people. At the same time, I am convinced that only by some such drastic measures as I have outlined can the destruction of great game by traders and market hunters be checked, and the wild places of the empire be maintained for the enjoyment of British sportsmen. Blackthorn. A Plea for the Hare.I never see a hare when out for a country walk or ride—it is different, I fear, when I have a gun in my hand or am following beagles—without thinking to myself, “Poor devil!” For here is an animal, one of the few mammals remaining to us in England, which is the essential to one branch of sport, and which plays a leading part in two others, absolutely unprotected by law even at the breeding season of the year, when all but the vilest vermin should enjoy immunity from persecution. “Unprotected by law,” however, is too mild a term, for the iniquitous Ground Game Act even goes so far as to actually sanction the destruction of hares the whole year round. I do not propose herein to deal with the manifold objections to this Act beyond what I may call this “all-the-year round” principle and the fact that it is framed without any knowledge of the natural history of the animal it professes to deal with. For though in some parts of Norfolk and elsewhere the enormous number of hares may possibly offer some defence for its perpetration, other localities in England are naturally so denuded of hares that the creatures demand almost as much protection as would a pair of golden eagles in Hyde Park. There is, in fact, just about as much common-sense in allowing this Act to have indiscriminate power all over our country as there would be in allowing the indiscriminate persecution of partridges all over Europe just because they happen to be especially numerous in Hungary! To quote a case in point. I spent the first twenty years of my life in a part of Surrey which, if not very prolific in game, certainly produced a fair quantity. I never saw a hare in that district except on occasions when I was following the harriers, whereas in Norfolk I have over and over again counted ten or a dozen in one field; and yet the same law of extermination reigns supreme in either county. But if we feel aggrieved with those legislators who gave us the Ground Game Act, and whom no one in their wildest flights of imagination would accuse of being sportsmen, how much more indignant ought we to be with those who claim this title, and in that guise continue to persecute the hare long after the legitimate period of winter well into the months of spring? Opinions may differ as to the usual time for the appearance of the first litter of leverets; or perhaps I should leave out the word “litters,” as does often produce only a single youngster at a birth. I do not think, however, that I shall be unjust if I claim that naturalists will hold to the theory that young hares have in mild winters been found in January and February, and very commonly in March, while only those who wish to continue hunting or coursing through the mad month will advance the somewhat convenient idea that it is unusual to see leverets much before the end of April. This very winter, on January 19th, I watched several groups of hares busily occupied in the pursuit of love-making. Assuming that their courtship lasted a full week, which is extremely unlikely, and that the period of gestation is anything between four and five weeks, it is fair to expect that several of the hares which I saw produced young ones early in March, and for at least the last ten days of February were in a totally unfit state to run before greyhounds, harriers, or beagles. And although the month in which I write is March, and in less than a week April will have arrived, I find in my copy of the Field the fixtures of no less than ten packs of harriers and beagles announced for the next seven days, and some of these without the welcome words, “to finish the season.” I hope the omission is accidental. From the same source I gather an account of a coursing meeting held as late as March 22nd, and it is quite safe to infer that many other less reputable clubs are still gaily continuing their season, and that there are a few packs of hounds still hunting puss who do not advertise their meets. And all through this time, which should be held sacred to the rites of love, in addition to coursing and hunting, the farmer continues to pump lead into the hind quarters of this unfortunate bundle of timidity. I have mentioned as briefly as I could what we have done for the hare, let us now consider what she has done for us, and will continue to do, if we will only permit her. Out shooting we all know her charm. She may not be a very satisfactory animal to shoot at or even to kill, but the bag is not complete when we cannot add her to the total we gather round the covert-side or behind the hedges. Chiefly when partridge-driving we could least spare her cheery and monotony-breaking presence, that confiding way she has of sitting in the hedge opposite us and almost entering into conversation with us, and then her maddening habit of preferring the society of the beaters to our own. And, too, what a test of skill and quickness she affords in covert to the walking guns; and let us not forget how once—an all unconscious humourist—she beguiled an unfortunate M.F.H. into shooting a fox in mistake for her russet self! But it is not in the shooting-field that her chief business—her raison d’Être, so to speak—lies; she plays a bigger part in the world of sport than that. There are, I believe, in England no less than one hundred and nineteen packs of harriers and forty-eight packs of beagles, making in all a total of a hundred and sixty-seven packs of hounds kept simply and solely to hunt the hare. Some of these, it is true, contain a considerable quantity of foxhound blood, but many are free from any taint of it whatsoever, and are as separate and distinct from foxhounds both in themselves and in their ancestors for all times as chalk is from cheese. These hounds exist chiefly in Lancashire, and also in Wales and Devonshire. But whether a hound is a true harrier, a diminutive foxhound, or a cross-bred, is of little importance in illustrating my point, so long as he is kept only for the purpose of pursuing the hare. If we will consider the number of servants that each hunt has to employ, the quantity of food and fodder consumed by hounds and horses, where these latter are necessary, and multiply that result by a hundred and sixty-seven, we shall gain a rough estimate of the hare as an employer of labour and as a virtual principal in necessary purchases from farmers and various dealers. I have not been able to accurately ascertain the number of coursing clubs existant in this country, but though they have diminished somewhat from the “good old days,” there are quite sufficient remaining to admit the claim that the cult of the greyhound resembles in a less degree the cult of the racehorse. The hare and the greyhound are quite inseparable; it is safe to say that without the former the latter would never have existed, nor would, even at this late stage of his evolution, continue to exist. If then, again, we will make a mental note of the quantity of kennels throughout the country, the work entailed by the Waterloo Cup and other less important meetings, the various employees of the Barbican Repository and Aldridge’s—though these places, of course, have other functions—we shall be bound to admit that in this branch of sport, again, the hare indirectly gives scope for a vast amount of labour. And she makes the money change hands, too, as witness the large prices now paid for greyhounds and the railway fares of spectators to various coursing meetings. It is possible to gather from these rough facts something of the economic importance of this sandy mistress of the woods and fields; it is quite impossible to estimate how much health-giving pleasure she gives to the devotees of sport or to what enormous numbers she gives it. This point I can safely leave to the imagination of the reader. I have explained that the hare is entirely responsible for the existence of greyhound, harrier, and beagle, and to these three species I would add the Norfolk lurcher, an animal of unenviable reputation, but sometimes of extraordinary beauty, and an incalculable and perfectly legitimate assistance to the warrener. It remains only for me to touch lightly on her culinary value, to call to mind how she may be jugged, roasted, braised, hidden away in soups and game-pies, served as an entrÉe in a dozen different forms, and I have finished an extraordinary catalogue of virtues for one little animal. The sporting kings that came before us, the Richards, the Williams, and the Georges, knew her worth, and with divers pains and penalties forbade her indiscriminate destruction. Their actions gave us a goodly heritage of hares; and for what? That we should treat her with as little consideration as we show to a stoat or a rat, although she is less defenceless in her habits than these; that we should ruthlessly proceed to exterminate the goose that lays so many golden eggs. Hunted and coursed till far too late in the season, shot and snared all the year round, without a hole or burrow wherein to hide her inconveniently large body, how long will she survive these methods save in the sacred precincts of the large game preserves whose owners—good luck to them!—drive a motor-car through the Ground Game Act? The Hare Preservation Act, the only legislation in her favour at present existant, is not worth the parchment the precious document is written on; for it only prohibits the sale of English hares during March, April, May, June and July. Of foreign hares it says nothing, and many foreign hares differ so little from the English ones that no one can tell the difference! And poor puss does not ask for much, she would like, as would all her friends, the abolition of the Ground Game Act; but, failing this, she only wants one little Act to give her immunity from death or danger from February 28th—or a little earlier if possible—to September 1st; and does she not deserve it? Alan R. Haig Brown. Pelota.To the ball-playing English, the introduction to their notice of the ball-game of some other nation appears but in the light of a fulfilment of its natural destiny. Sooner or later all games come to England, on approval, as it were. In this way the vigorous Italian game of pallone was many years since exhibited in London, without any expectation of its being adopted by the English; whilst in 1875 lacrosse, the rough-and-tumble game of the Red Indian, put into playable shape by the Canadian, made its appearance to take up a permanent residence. It was inevitable that Pelota, the game of the Basques, should some day be brought to England, and the event duly took place in January last. I should have regarded it as little short of a calamity had I been deprived of a sight of the spectacle, but, although at the very time that the imported players were exhibiting their skill at Olympia I was travelling out of England, I was, strange to say, on my way to the Basque country and Northern Spain, where the game is assiduously played, though not more so than in those countries of the American continent which have been peopled by the Spaniards. The derivation of the name of the game is the simplest. “Pelota” merely means “ball,” and the ball game of the Basques became “pelota,” just as the Canadian Indians, in the language of one of their tribes, designated what we now call lacrosse, “bagattaway,” i.e., the ball-game. The French Basques call the ball pelote, and the game pelota. Goya, in one of his many delightful pictures to be seen in Madrid, depicts a game of pelota in which the players, in the open, are using battledores. Goya (1746–1828) depicted the scenes of his own day. If he lived at the present time he would have to be satisfied with a couple of errand boys snatching a furtive game at hand-ball against a back wall or gateway. That is called “pelota” nowadays, just as was Goya’s picnic game, and on the walls of public buildings in Spain we read that the playing of pelota against them is forbidden. It is as well to insist upon the universality of the meaning of the word “pelota,” for quite recent visitors to Spain have recorded it as evidence of the avidity with which the game, meaning the scientific one of the courts, is played throughout Spain, that even the walls of churches would not be sacred to players but for these prohibitory notices. The error reminds one of the man who, seeing on the front at Hove, Brighton, a notice prohibiting hawking, took it to refer to some bygone practice of illegal falconry. If he was a foreigner, then he would be in precisely the same position as the flitting Englishman taking “pelota” to mean the court game, not being aware of its wide application. The statement has been made more than once that pelota is the national game of Spain, numbers of Spaniards themselves being of this opinion. Pelota is the national game of the Basques, and it appears in Castilian and Catalonian towns, through their paid agency, as a spectacle, much after the manner of bull-fighting, although, in places where courts are established, the amateur is to be met with. Better informed Spaniards call the game the “Sport Vasco,” The large enclosed courts, such as one sees at Madrid and Barcelona, are commercial affairs and admirably arranged for spectators. The best is probably at Barcelona. The length of the cement floor there is sixty-eight metres, with a width of eleven metres. The front wall is the same width as the court and eleven and a half metres high. On the left, extending the whole length of the court, is a wall of the same height, and there is an end wall the full width of the court, nine metres high. Statements to the effect that the front wall should be sixty feet high, must be made on a misconception. The wall of the building may approach that height, but the playing wall is as stated; and surely about thirty-six feet is high enough for anything. Let any one look at a wall sixty feet high and wonder what a ball could be doing at the top of it. The end wall is called the rebote (hence jeu de rebote), and it is probably this feature to which the Basques refer as being inferior, since it does away with fine length strokes played to keep an opponent on the back line; with the end wall he can take his time, waiting for the ball to come back. Such is the power put into the stroke that the ball frequently bounds from front to back wall, without touching the floor, and rebounds half way back again, although the end wall is not a quick one like the frontis. The ball for the game with the chistera must weigh between 118 and 122 grammes, and of this the rubber core must weigh between 90 and 94 grammes. The pace at which this missile can be propelled out of the chistera is terrific, it being greater than the hardest “force” ever seen at tennis, which is only reasonable, the one being the result of percussion, the other of a centrifugal motion, so to speak. The side wall introduces difficulties into the catching and also some very attractive corner play, necessarily absent from the single wall game. Appreciation of this fact is shown in the case of some open air courts to the front wall of which a short side wall has been added. Balls secured at short range, and fired into the corner just over the line (at Barcelona one metre twenty centimetres from the floor) are nearly always fatal, so sharp is the angle at which they come off, but if the ball be gathered—and to see this done on the rise at the pace the ball is travelling is a fine thing—then the boot is on the other leg. It is by the corner shot that most “won” points are secured, many more points being “lost” by failure to catch, or by returning out of court. In this direction rackets makes a far superior game; and although not cheap in the matter of balls, pelota would not have any advantage here. A split ball is useless, and a considerable number are required in each match. Balls are divided into “extra fina,” “fina,” and “renovado,” i.e., renovated, and a player must name which he is using and also the maker before commencing. The ball is bounced behind the service line decided upon and the server, dashing forward, “swishes” it, with one movement, against the frontis. It must rebound so as to touch the floor, if it is allowed to do so by the striker-out, between the fourth and sixth chase lines, called cuadros, of which there are seventeen at Barcelona, each four metres apart from the other. The indoor game is nearly always four-handed—a game at singles being a poor affair—two playing back and two forward. The back play is really very fine, for the ball has to be kept out of the reach of the forwards ready to pounce upon a short one. JACK SHEPHERD ON WHITETHORN. In the extreme unlikelihood of pelota being introduced into England, seeing that the much more economical open air rackets has been allowed to die, it may hardly be worth while to consider its suitability. But the suggestion has been put forward, so it may be mentioned that all with whom I came into contact who had knowledge of the game spoke of its extreme severity. A game of fifty or sixty points can last along while, and a ball is commonly returned twenty or thirty times in deciding a single point. The keynote to the game is severity, and from this there is no rest from start to finish, the opportunity for finessing with a slow one coming perhaps only once in a game, or not even once. The effect of the stroke with the chistera is very different from that effected with the racket, and exceedingly trying to the player. As a spectacular game pelota is a great success, one side of the huge building being available for spectators, and the galleries at Barcelona will hold some thousands. The ground floors are occupied by the bettors, who are catered for by regular bookmakers and the pari-mutuel. Such an arrangement would no doubt answer well in England, but we need not think about that. E. T. Sachs. Jack Shepherd.AN OLD HUNT SERVANT. The accompanying portrait of Jack Shepherd, who for fifty-three years was so familiar a figure with the Fife Hounds, is reproduced from a photograph of a picture recently painted by Mr. A. F. Lucas Lucas as a companion to that of old Tom Carr, a former huntsman of the Bentley Harriers, also the work of Mr. Lucas Lucas. Jack Shepherd has a great record as a hunt servant. Born in 1835, he was very early entered to the work of the kennel, for at the age of 8 years he went to assist his father, who for thirty-five years held the office of feeder to the Fife Hounds. During the fifty-three years that Jack Shepherd was with the Fife there were naturally many changes in the Mastership of the pack; and as kennel huntsman he served under the late Colonel Anstruther Thompson and Colonel Cheape, Colonel Babington, Sir Arthur Halkett, Mr. R. Wemyss, and Major Middleton. In commemoration of his fifty years’ service with the Fife Hounds, Jack Shepherd was presented with a silver horn and a purse of gold subscribed by nearly two hundred of his admirers in Fifeshire. Last year he went as kennel huntsman to the Bentley Harriers, of which Mrs. Cheape is “Master.” It will be remembered that Mrs. Cheape, well known as “The Squire,” hunted the Bentley herself for many years; in fact, until she met with an accident last season. The picture, which was painted for Mrs. Cheape, represents Jack on his favourite mare, Whitethorn, with three and a half couple of the Bentley Harriers—Willing, Racket, Wanderer, Butterfly, Demon, Druid, and Lancelot by name. The Preparatory School.The last half century has seen a very great increase in the number of preparatory schools. As demand and supply always depend on each other, it is not difficult to see from this that the practice of sending boys to preparatory schools is becoming yearly more customary, and it must be admitted that this is of the greatest value in laying the foundations of a sound education and healthy constitution. It is impossible to overrate the important effect which the preparatory school may have upon a boy’s life. It is the gradual substitution of school discipline for the unfettered liberty of home-life, and a gradual hardening process whereby the weakling gathers strength. At the age of eight and a half or nine the bitterness of leaving home is very great, and those who have the misfortune to be sent to a big school at that tender age find the plunge very cold indeed. The preparatory is a sort of half-way house between home and the public school, and not only in the matter of work but in every department of school life it has the greatest influence. The intellect of the average boy, when first he goes to school, is frequently quite frozen, and it sometimes requires several weeks of untold patience and individual attention before the thaw sets in. But not only is the mind of the small boy often in the most primary stages of development, but his physical strength is sadly deficient: and to plunge him suddenly into the midst of a number of boys far bigger and stronger than himself may very likely cause him to overtax his forces and to do himself real physical injury. Further, neither in the class-room nor in the playing field can he hope to have the same individual care and attention which is part and parcel of the preparatory curriculum. It is obvious, for instance, that the ordinary day at a public school is too long for most boys under fourteen years of age, and it is interesting to note that the headmaster of Eton is advocating more sleep for growing boys. Neither is the average boy under fourteen physically strong enough to rough it in the same way as older boys; he has no idea of taking care of himself, and would no more think of voluntarily changing his stockings because they were wet than of voluntarily going to bed because he was tired. When first a boy goes to school he cannot, as a rule, think for himself, and the first service which a preparatory school does for him is to teach him how to think, and the necessity of so doing. It may be argued that a boy will learn to think and act for himself far quicker if he is sent at once to a big school, but this is akin to the argument that throwing a man overboard is the best way to teach him to swim. It must be admitted, however, that there is a tendency nowadays to do too much for the boy, and that feeling of responsibility—which always has such a steadying and beneficial effect upon a boy’s character—is not sufficiently stimulated, owing to the overanxiety of parents and masters. Perhaps the most charming and fascinating of God’s creations is the manly little boy of three or four years of age, and when first a boy goes to a preparatory school he retains much of this innocent charm. He is, as a rule, simplicity itself, and credulous to a degree, whilst probably at no time in his career is he so impressionable. It is, therefore, not difficult to see that, at no time in his life, is the influence which is brought to bear on him of more vital importance. After four or five years at a preparatory a boy has, or should have, a certain feeling of self-reliance, and a strong feeling of self-respect—two very essential attributes to his character when he enters the larger field of the public school. An excellent feature in the education of the modern boy is that he is continually rising to the top, and having to begin at the bottom again; when he is just beginning to feel a bit big for his boots at the preparatory, he goes on to the public school, where he is nobody, and has to start climbing up again. Arrived at the top he goes, or may go, to the ’Varsity, where again—for a time, at any rate,—he is nobody. Many a man’s character has been spoilt through the rise and fall not being sufficiently pronounced, and it is no uncommon thing to hear it said of a man that he was not kicked enough at school. Whilst a boy’s self-reliance is trained and stimulated, he learns continually that he is not the only person in the world, and that self-assertion is not the golden road to success. It is, however, in the nature of things that the home estimate of a boy should be somewhat different to that which is formed of him at school, and thus a boy frequently fails to realise the expectation of his fond parents. The state of mental ignorance in which some boys come to school is quite phenomenal, and it is no uncommon thing to find a new boy who actually cannot spell his own name or add three and four together. His very ignorance has led him to make droll remarks at home, which have, of course, been regarded as the soul of wit, and by mistaking instinct for intelligence, an entirely false estimate of his capabilities is frequently arrived at. So many small boys dislike reading, but are quite content to be read to—one of the primary causes of backwardness—the result being that when they come to school they have the greatest difficulty in keeping up with the others. It is most unfair, both to the master and to the boy, to send a child to school in this lamentable state of ignorance, and a great deal of valuable time has to be devoted to teaching a boy the most elementary things which are so easily learnt at home. A boy of this description could have little or no chance at a big school with forms of twenty or thirty boys in them, as it would be quite impossible for the master to give him the necessary amount of individual attention, whilst even at the preparatory, his progress is sadly hampered. The effect of this is that he fails to reach the higher forms of the preparatory school, and some of that essential grounding has to be hurried over or skipped altogether. If, on the other hand, he has learnt to read and write well, and knows his arithmetic tables thoroughly—quite an unusual accomplishment—and has also a slight idea of what is meant by a substantive or an adjective, he has a fair chance of being in the swim, and at the end of his four or five years at the preparatory he will have passed through the different forms, each with their fixed standards, and will have received a thorough grounding which is of the most vital importance to his subsequent work. The usual number of boys in a form being nine or ten, it is easy to see that a master will be able to give each boy a considerable amount of individual attention, and will insist upon his work being very thorough. It is a mistake for boys to be kept at home too long, nine years of age being quite the limit, for unless a boy is exceptionally quick he will not get through the work necessary to enable him to take a good form at his public school, the advantage of which cannot be overrated, as he may otherwise vegetate in the lower forms, and lose all chance of getting to the top of the school. Next in importance to his mental training, comes the physical development of the boy. That more attention is being paid nowadays to the health and strength of small boys is generally admitted. To quote from a paragraph in the Field of February 10th: “The modern preparatory schoolmaster has for more than a generation introduced greater comforts and more liberal diet for small boys, and the physical effect of it is visible to the eye that can recall and compare the average size of the twelve-year-old school-boy half a century ago with his modern representative.” The old Spartan idea of hardening boys by a system of roughing it can be carried too far and may have the most detrimental effects. Montesquieu was not far from the mark when he advocated a liberal diet and moderate exercise till the age of twenty-one, by which time a man is fully formed and more fitted to undergo a stricter diet and more violent physical exertion. Till recent years, however, the reverse has been the case; school fare was synonymous with the bare necessities of life, plus the unwholesome concoctions which were eaten at all times of the day at the tuck-shop, whilst most violent exercise was taken immediately after dinner, the one square meal of the day. It is a popular fallacy that a boy has a digestion like an ostrich, but there are many men whose health has been permanently impaired by the trials to which their digestions were subjected when they were boys at school. One has memories of what, in school-boy parlance, were called “stodgers” (being square slabs of warm dough made palatable by a covering of burnt sugar), to say nothing of ices and sweetmeats and such like unwholesome things. Needless to say, the tuck-shop is a thing unknown at the preparatory school. The ordinary day at the preparatory generally begins at about 7.30 a.m. At some schools the boys are taken for a short walk of about twenty minutes’ duration, with a sprint of a hundred yards about half way to warm them up and fill their lungs with fresh air, but this has the disadvantage of being somewhat dependent on the weather, and therefore liable to be irregular, when it ceases to be beneficial. At other schools it is the custom to do half-an-hour or an hour’s work before breakfast, which, in summer, at any rate, is no hardship, and this has the advantage of lengthening the play hours later in the day. If, however, small boys are to do much work before breakfast, they should have a cup of cocoa or milk before they begin. Breakfast, which should be a liberal meal, is generally at eight or half-past, and in winter this should always begin with a plate of well-cooked porridge. A doctor in the north was once heard to complain that he got nothing to do because “all the inhabitants began the day by putting themselves outside a big poultice of porridge.” If this is followed by either fish, eggs, bacon, or sausages, with plenty of marmalade, there is little danger of colds or chills. Weather permitting, the boys go out for half-an-hour after breakfast in the grounds, or there are classes with easy exercises in the gymnasium—a very necessary adjunct to every preparatory, especially in wet weather. From two and a half to three hours is the usual amount of work done in the morning, leaving an interval of three-quarters of an hour or an hour before lunch. At some schools an interval is taken in the middle of the morning, and work then goes on till dinner time; but the hour or three-quarters of an hour before dinner is very useful, especially in the summer, when the senior boys have cricket practice in the nets and are individually coached by the masters; whilst some of the boys have boxing, fencing, carpentry, or music lessons. Most preparatory schools possess swimming baths, and those boys who are not otherwise employed are generally permitted to bathe before dinner, under the supervision of a master, and nearly every boy learns to swim before he leaves school. The bathe seldom is allowed to exceed five or six minutes. Dinner is always a liberal meal, with plenty of vegetables, milk puddings, and so forth. In the summer it is sometimes found advisable to work for an hour or an hour and a-half after dinner, leaving the cooler part of the day for cricket, which is continued till tea time. In the winter, on the other hand, the boys change fairly soon after dinner, and play football for an hour (generally Association, which is more suitable for small boys), after which they are free to carpenter, play racquets, or, at some schools, play golf. If the grounds are fairly large, a small nine-hole golf course is very easily laid out, and affords a vast amount of amusement and gentle exercise, and teaches a boy to keep his eye on the ball. Several schools are making little rifle ranges, which should serve a most useful purpose. The training of the eye cannot be begun too young, and every boy should be taught to handle a rifle. Work in the gymnasium should be as light as possible, heavy exercises having a tendency to develop the larger muscles at the expense of the smaller ones, and boys should never be in the gymnasium without someone in attendance. In winter, afternoon school generally begins at 4.30 and continues till 6 p.m., the usual hour for tea all the year round. At some schools the boys do an hour’s preparation after tea, but it is generally found that at this early age they are, for the most part, unable to concentrate their attention on one thing without assistance for any great length of time, and very frequently school continues from 6.30 or 7 till 8 p.m. After evening prayers or chapel they have a light supper of milk and buns, going off to bed about half-past eight. As most boys “live every minute of the day,” they are generally ready for bed and sleep without rocking. To quote from the Field again: “Nine hours between the sheets is not a moment too much for growing boys who have been taxing mind or muscle, or both, from rÉveille to tattoo, barring interludes of meal times. Among luxuries for the young few are greater than sleep, and none does less harm even when bountifully conceded.” Every attempt is made at the preparatory to discover and foster any hobby which a boy may have, and the school library will probably contain many books on natural history, engineering, locomotion, electricity, shooting, fishing, sailing, and so forth, in addition to the usual novels. Perhaps no books are in greater demand than those of William J. Long, “Beasts of the Field,” “Fowls of the Air,” “School of the Woods,” and of Seton Thompson; though Rider Haggard, Conan Doyle, Stanley Weyman, and Max Pemberton are great favourites. Kingsley, Merriman, and R. L. Stevenson are mostly read by the bigger boys. Some schools have a small natural history museum, with collections of birds’ eggs, fossils, moths and butterflies; but the small boy has not, as a rule, sufficient patience and perseverance to make him a good collector. Stamp-collecting has many devotees, but by far the commonest hobby is photography, though good results are seldom obtained by the majority. It is also a common idea for boys to have little plots of garden, over which they spend no end of time and trouble; although their industry has frequently little to show for it, a love for flowers and an interest in gardening is often engendered. Anything, in fact, which serves to occupy boys’ minds, and which makes them think, is of the utmost value. The boy who can amuse himself is quite the exception, and it is one of the objects of the preparatory school to teach him how to do so. In conclusion, it may be said that the chief functions of the preparatory school are the gradual substitution of school discipline for the liberty of home, the gradual training of a mind, generally quite unaccustomed to think, till it is able to understand and think for itself; the gradual development of the body, the encouragement in every form of manly pastimes and interesting hobbies; last, but not least, the engendering of that spirit of self-reliance and self-respect which are the safest armour a boy can have in the battle of life. Magister. The Late Mr. John R. Gubbins.At no time can we afford to lose a good sportsman, least of all at present, when the old type, once common, is now scarce. That the late Mr. John Gubbins was a sportsman of the truest old Irish type, no one who ever came in contact with him can for a moment deny, and one more generous or open-hearted was seldom met. The youngest of a large family, son of Mr. Joseph Gubbins and his wife Maria, daughter of Mr. Thomas Wise, of Cork, he was born at the old family seat, Kilfrush, in the county Limerick, in 1839. On Tuesday, March 20th, Mr. Gubbins died suddenly of bronchitis at Bruree House, in the same neighbourhood, having for a long time suffered from general ill-health. He was J.P. and D.L. for his county for many years, was High Sheriff in 1886, and Master of the Limerick Foxhounds for five years previously. In 1899 he married Miss Edith Legh, of the well-known Cheshire family. Mrs. Gubbins died some years ago and left no family. Settling at Bruree, hunting, coursing and salmon fishing were the sports which “Jack Gubbins,” for so he was always called, first enjoyed, and though always a heavy man, no one in Ireland went better to hounds. He was also a prime judge of the weight-carrying hunter. Some of the best horses the late Marquis of Waterford ever rode came to Curraghmore from the Bruree stable. In the early seventies he was owner of some useful steeplechasers, which were trained by Mr. Harry LindÉ at Eyrefield Lodge; and it was pleasing to see how with the best of good feeling these horses were sent to meet in friendly rivalry those of his elder brother, Captain Stamer Gubbins, of Crimean fame. Captain Gubbins at that time had the strongest stable in Ireland and trained at Mountjoy Lodge, with old Dan Broderick as head lad. Captain Gubbins, who died soon after from the effects of a broken leg sustained in a fall taken while schooling a horse, left most of his property to “Jack.” This included not only the racehorses, but the brood mares and youngsters which he had at his own place, Knockany, a few miles from Bruree, on the best managed and most extensive stud farm then in Ireland. Reserving a few, John Gubbins sold most of the stud by auction; but there was a small, mean-looking chestnut yearling by Zenophon from Lina Rivers which he kept back, not caring that so miserable a little animal should appear in the sale room. This colt was eventually known as Seaman, who, after winning the Conyngham at Punchestown, the Grand Hurdle Race at Paris, and other great races for Mr. Gubbins, won the Grand National in 1882 for Lord Manners, who paid 2,000 guineas for this quondam cast-off yearling! Beginning at once, Mr. John Gubbins improved both Bruree and Knockany out of recognition, setting up at the former a second stud farm superior even to the one he inherited from his brother; and it was not long before kennels to accommodate fifty couple of hounds were built on the best possible plan, and therein he started a pack of staghounds. After showing extraordinarily good sport for some seasons, he gave these up in 1881 to take the mastership of the County Limerick Foxhounds, which office he held for five years, giving the greatest satisfaction all round. But Land League troubles being imported into that previously peaceful county, the hunting had to be given up in 1886; the big establishment at Bruree was broken up, all but the stud farm, and Mr. Gubbins in disgust came to England. THE LATE MR. JOHN R. GUBBINS. Leaving with LindÉ an increased stud of steeplechasers, including Spahi, Ashplant, Seaman and Usna (the two latter being the best Harry Beasley ever rode), he began hunting in the Shires. To show how he acquitted himself it may be mentioned that after a brilliant forty-five minutes with the Belvoir and a kill in the open, Frank Gillard, on the part of the Duke of Rutland and members of the Hunt, welcomed the Irishman to the country, and presented him with the brush, which from find to finish he had truly earned. This brush, with inscription under, now hangs at Bruree. Inheriting another large fortune from an uncle in Cork, the subject of this notice soon after started to race on the flat in England, giving up hunting through increasing weight and continued attacks of gout. It is impossible here to enter upon the achievements of John Gubbins on the Turf—besides, are they not matters of general knowledge? Suffice to say, they were brought about at first from the stable of Jousiffe at Lambourne by such horses as Stars and Stripes, John Morgan, Bruree, Marietta, Toffey, Kinsale, Improver, Holycross, Palace Gate and others, all bred at the home farms. But it was not till the horses were sent to Sam Darling, at Beckenham, that the summit of this sportsman’s ambition was reached. From that stable were sent, amongst other good ones, Blairfinde (own brother to Galtee More), Kendal Boy, St. Jacques, St. Valentine II., Revenue, and Port Blair. While there also were prepared the great Galtee More and the still greater Ard Patrick, whose names, by the way, are taken from those of the highest peaks of the Galtee Mountains, which overlook their paddocks. It may be recorded that the race for the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July, 1903, when Ard Patrick, ridden by Otto Madden, beat at sex allowance the mighty Sceptre, both of them leaving that year’s Derby winner, Rock Sand, lengths in the rear, ranks amongst the finest contests ever witnessed on a racecourse. These horses, one the “triple-crown” winner of 1897, the other the Derby of 1902, after winning in stakes £27,019 and £26,616 respectively, were sold, the former to the Russian Government, the latter to the German, for £21,000 apiece. And it may be stated that when in May, 1898, representatives of the Russian Government came to this country purposely to buy a really high-class thoroughbred stallion, after looking over every one that was for sale (and others which were not, such as St. Simon, Carbine, Cyllene, and Galtee More), they came to the conclusion that not one could compare with the Irish horse. It was with the utmost difficulty Mr. Gubbins was persuaded to sell the celebrity. Knowing that Kendal had on two occasions beaten Ormonde in trials, Mr. John Gubbins bought him at a good price from the Duke of Westminster in the early nineties, and sending him to his stud at Bruree, the son of Bend Or and Windermere got winners with quite phenomenal success. After a few years he was sold to Mr. Platt for £18,000, with free service of mares, which brought the amount to nearly £20,000. So with the income he earned as a sire in Ireland at a fee of £200, Kendal must have done as well for Mr. Gubbins as did either his son Galtee More or Ard Patrick, who was from Galtee More’s dam, Morganette, but by St. Florian, the horse bought to take the place of Kendal. In fact, besides being one of the most successful owners ever known on the Turf with regard to stakes won, he was one of the most successful breeders, for almost all his horses were bred at home, except the stallions, Morganette herself coming from his mare, Lady Morgan. With the sum of £22,739 he headed the winning owners in 1897, and as he always backed his horses he had reason to be grateful to the Parnellites for driving him out of Ireland! The good nature of this fine old Irish gentleman was such that never would he refuse information to any one as to his horses, the absolute stranger being as welcome to ask it as the dearest friend. It is not surprising, therefore, that no more popular colours were than the never-to-be-forgotten “violet with crimson buttons and crimson cap.” And when Ard Patrick won for him his second Derby, the generous owner not only made suitable presents to those directly concerned with the horse, but gave double wages for a month to all the employees he had at home, while he remitted a half-year’s rent to all his tenants. In his young days he was himself a good man between the flags, winning the Downshire at Punchestown, on Fairyland, in 1870, carrying 13 st. 8 lbs., as he did the Welters at both Cork and Downpatrick, on a horse of his own, D. P. S. But it was with one of the brothers Beasley as jockey (generally poor Tom) he won nearly all the big steeplechases in Ireland and several in England; while if Usna, with Harry Beasley, had not met with the accident at the canal turn, through over-jumping, the Grand National of 1888 might have been won by Jack Gubbins’ horse. Seamen, also with Harry Beasley, won the Grand Hurdle Race at Paris in 1881; and when Whisper Low won the Grand Steeplechase there the year after, steered by Tom Beasley, Gubbins was half owner. Strange to say he did not care much for racing in itself unless he had a horse engaged, and had been known to go salmon fishing in preference to visiting Punchestown; while in July, 1903, rather than go and see Ard Patrick win the Princess of Wales’ Stakes of £10,000 at Newmarket he went to the Gordon-Bennett Motor Race in Kildare. He was a good, practical yachtsman, and fond of coursing, but did not care for shooting. Owing to failing health and more frequent attacks of gout Mr. Gubbins retired from racing after the sale of Ard Patrick; and at the Newmarket Second July Meeting of 1904, his horses in training were sold, the twenty-seven lots fetching 14,920 guineas. Last autumn, however, finding himself better, he sent a batch of yearlings to his friend, Sir Charles Nugent, at Cranbourne, and so promising were some that nominations were freely taken; but now, alas, their sportsman-owner is no more, and these become, through a curious rule, null and void. At Punchestown, at the end of April, four Irish sportsmen will be missed, than whom four better never visited there—the late Baron de Robeck, John Hubert Moore, Tom Beasley, and Jack Gubbins. P.S.—Just as the foregoing was sent to the printer news came of the death, on April 4th, of the greatest friend and life-long comrade of Mr. Gubbins, his brother-in-law, Wray Bury Palliser, of Annestown, County Waterford, J.P., D.L. He was the same type of old-time sportsman, and a genial, jovial companion; loved racing, but never owned racehorses, and in his day was a first-rate man to hounds, well-known in the halcyon days of Curraghmore. H. S. Dressing Flies.Cocking may be (I do not say it is) a thing of the past, but what possibly may not be generally known is the keen interest fly-fishermen still have in the preservation and continuation of certain varieties of the old fighting breeds of English game. Many find it adds pleasure to the delights of catching fish to capture them with flies of their own making, and several of these (all amateurs) can and do turn out at the present day better work than has ever before been seen. But to achieve this the right material must be to hand, and from the start difficulty will be experienced in procuring hackles of the right colour, texture, and—most important in the case of chalk-stream fishermen—size. For frequently the July and August trout is not to be beguiled in the mid-day heat by anything bigger than a 000 hook, and the barnyard fowl wears no feathers that will hackle this; its fibres are much too long. Dyeing is largely resorted to to obtain with less trouble the exact hues required, but this does not entirely get over the difficulty, as the commoner red and ginger hackles will not serve as the groundwork for, say, a pale olive, and the blue, the honey and other light-coloured duns are just the ones that are most difficult to lay hands on. So it comes about that to mention blue dun game in the presence of a fly-tier produces much the same effect as the word “rats” does on any well-brought-up terrier. At the present time, if the dun game varieties are wanted the best localities to search are the West of England, from Cornwall and Devon, through Wales to Cumberland, a circumstance which it is somewhat tempting to endeavour to connect with the driving into these parts of the British, amongst whom, as we know, the Romans introduced cocking, but this must be left to the antiquarians; probably it is only a coincidence due either to the presence of many fishing waters in those districts, or to the fact that in out-of-the-way England old customs died hard, and the law against cock-fighting was not so stringently carried out as in the counties more immediately under the eyes of the lawgivers, whereby the breeds have lasted longer there. Gervase Markham, who wrote in the early part of the seventeenth century, had a poor opinion of the duns, but his strictures on their merits as fighting birds are not upheld by Robert Howlet, himself an author of an angling book, who writes, in 1807, that as to colour of cocks “there is nothing in it, for the world affords no better birds for the game than many of your duns and whites prove.” However, in most lists made out in order of merit this colour comes at the bottom, which perhaps accounts for the little space devoted to it in the literature so far consulted. I quote Mr. Harrison Weir’s description of the breed as far as regards plumage: “The truest and most rare” (of the duns) “is the blue dun, and these are sub-divided into light and dark. The hackle of the cock bird should be of an intense indigo-blue, and very bright, also the back and the tail-coverts; the wing having a distinct bar; the breast and thighs, as well as the tail, of a beautiful blue dun colour; the face red, with a dark rim round the eye, or dark eyelid; comb and wattles a brilliant vermilion.” By diligent search specimens of these birds may still be found and procured, though in most instances only at the expenditure of much diplomatic skill and suasion, including that which is not allowed at election times, for if the owner supplies the trade he naturally is interested in limiting the supply and keeping intact a little “corner” of his own; if, on the other hand, he is a breeder by family tradition, money is little likely to induce him to part with his best. Still, perseverance does wonders, and either by getting sittings of eggs, or by picking up individual cockerels and pullets at prices such as are asked from hunt secretaries and treasurers of poultry funds, several enthusiastic fishermen are just now making a beginning at breeding on their own account. It must not be thought that this is a new departure, for within the last thirty years two poultry shows, one at the Crystal Palace in 1871, and another at the Westminster Aquarium in 1892, have been held, at which prizes were offered both for hackles suitable for fly-dressing and for the birds which yielded them; but at this moment fresh interest seems to be aroused, more and more men are learning to tie, and thereby induced to breed, so that it should not be long ere such prizes shall be again competed for at the big poultry shows, which will by this means attract a visit from many to whom otherwise a fowl presents no points of interest except at meal-times. Many of those engaged in poultry breeding know nothing—have never heard—of the blue dun game or of the demand for it and the kindred varieties, though they might do worse than run a pen or two of them, only bearing in mind that, though at present the demand is not met by the supply, at no time will it ever be very large or of a size to make game fowl breeding by itself a profitable commercial undertaking. Besides shortness of fibre the other peculiar merits of the game hackles are their brilliancy, hardness, and ability to shoot the water. They are best obtained from a mature cock in the pink of condition (in cocking days this would have been the eve of a match), during the last two months of the year, except in the case of dun hackles, which are blue at Christmas, but before the autumn moult have golden tints. Of course, now that paraffin is used by the waterside, hen hackles are by no means to be despised, indeed, some tiers care little which they use provided they come off a game bird. One and not the least advantage of being able to tie his own flies himself is that it enables the fishermen to judge of the work put into those he buys, and to put his finger on the exact material that is wrong when patterns are not copied accurately. This is not infrequently the case, and a good fly gets a bad name, most undeservedly, in consequence. H. L. T. P. Navicular Disease.By Professor J. Wortley Axe. There is no disease which so seriously affects the feet of our horses as “navicular disease.” Its commencement is subtle and its progress so insidious that it is only when the malady has reached a dangerous condition that it becomes known to the ordinary horseman. At this stage veterinary aid is usually sought, with the result that the owner has to be told that nothing can be done in the way of cure and very little towards stemming its onward progress. Why, it may be asked, do we occupy the pages of this Magazine with a subject so absolutely devoid of matter to which attention can be profitably directed. Our reply is that if little can be done in these directions we are not without hope of ministering to its prevention, and for this we claim some justification for so far imposing on our readers. Before the days of Moorcroft and Turner navicular disease, although much in existence, was not recognised by the profession, and the lameness arising out of it was referred to the shoulder, with no other reason, save that indications of disease were not detected or detectable in other parts of the limbs. Then, as now, the feet of horses were noticed to contract, and when this condition was found to exist the lameness was attributed to it, and it alone. No one seems to have thought to look for the cause of contraction, and thus to trace the fons et origo mali, but all remained satisfied that the lameness arose from the pinching of the sensitive structures of the foot by the contracting hoof. No doubt in some measure this was true, for it is impossible to think of a normal state of the sensitive parts of a structure like the foot being enclosed within a small and contracted hoof. As a secondary cause, therefore, contraction would be sure to make itself felt sooner or later by diminishing the size of the foot and interfering with the play of the parts within. The peculiar stilty action which this disease induces brought into use the term “chest founder.” This term was meant to convey the idea of pain in the muscles of the chest, where the disease giving rise to it was supposed to exist, and it was not until Moorcroft and Turner traced the disease to the navicular bone that these meaningless terms ceased of employment, and the much more rational one, “navicularthritis,” came to be used in their stead. Whether this term is an appropriate one or not may be open to question, but it locates the disease, and in this respect it is distinctly useful. Causes.—We cannot speak of the cause of navicular disease without referring to the influence of heredity. There can be no doubt that the property of transferring to the offspring the weakness inherited by the parent is just as marked in this as in any other affection, and the writer, in a long experience, has seen numerous instances of the disease handed down from the latter to the former. It must be understood that the transmission of hereditary taint or predisposition is what is understood here by hereditary disease. It is not that the disease in an active state is born with the animal, but that the parts are in that condition in which the disease may be easily excited in them by causes which would not affect an animal who was not the subject of hereditary weakness. It must not however, be stated that because a horse inherits a predisposition to navicular or any other disease that he should necessarily contract it. A good deal will depend upon the degree of intensity of the inheritance on the one hand, and the severity of the cause which acts upon it on the other. If it exists in such form as to be easily excited into action, it is not unlikely to appear, but where the hereditary predisposition is only possessed in a mild measure the animal may not meet with a cause sufficiently severe by which the predisposition can be made to assume an active state. Exciting Causes.—They are numerous and varied. Conformation, action, shoeing, weight of body and general management, all play their respective parts in causing the disease. Side View of Healthy Foot. Side View of Diseased Foot. Back View of Healthy Foot. Back View of Diseased Foot. As to conformation, it would seem that the more upright the parts below the fetlock joint, the less elasticity they present, and the more do they assume a mere column of support. In this case the weight of the body falls more directly upon the navicular bone, and the absence of that elastic recoil afforded by the oblique pastern tends to excite disease in it. Action.—This will commend itself as an exciting cause to anyone who will watch the movement of different horses. The animal who lifts his limbs high in the air and brings them down again almost in the place from which he took them is much more likely to contract the disease than the horse whose movements are less exalted and more progressive. Especially is this the case if the body is loaded with flesh and the horse is in soft condition. Shoeing.—Notwithstanding the very great benefits which have resulted to shoeing smiths from recent efforts in their behalf by Agricultural Societies and County Councils, there still remains much to be done ere we can claim to have placed the shoeing of horses outside the causes of navicular disease. It is perfectly true that the impression left on the mind of a visitor to agricultural shows where shoeing competitions are in evidence is usually assuring, but it gives no idea of the general unfitness of the great bulk of the craft to follow the chosen calling of their lives. This is said in no want of respect for the shoeing smith, but rather with the object of drawing attention to him as a much-neglected individual, and one who is always thankful for anything that may be done for him in the way of education. Paring the sole, the frog and the bars are all still in evidence both in town and country, but it is not always the wish of the shoeing smith that it should be so; too often it is the wish—nay, the will—of the owner or the coachman that the feet shall look smart, and in order to do this the smith abandons his better knowledge to “oblige.” Nothing tends so much to lay the foundation for navicular disease as the repeated mutilation of these parts in shoeing. The sole, the frog and the bars are together designed among other things to keep the heels apart and protect the sensitive structures within, and notwithstanding this there are still those who for reasons of their own continue to disregard this very obvious truth and to insist on their horses’ feet being cut out of shape and weakened to the last degree. It is never given a thought that thickness of sole and frog is a defensive quality, and to cut them is to weaken them and to expose the parts within to pressure from without. Apart from bearing their share of the weight of the body, the bars are specially intended to keep the heels open and to maintain a healthy state of the foot, which cannot possibly exist where they are repeatedly cut away in the act of shoeing. Navicular Bone." Showing Small Ulcers invading its Structures. Calks, and such means as are adopted to remove the frog from the ground, operate unfavourably on the feet, and especially where mutilation is part of the operation of shoeing. Contraction of the foot not infrequently results where the hoof is allowed to grow unduly long and the frog is removed from the ground, or where, as the result of injury to some part of the limb, the foot is rested for a long period. Whether the result of the one cause or the other, it is a condition which, if not carefully rectified by shoeing, may excite navicular disease. It is comparatively seldom that navicular disease is found to exist in the hind feet, and the preference which it shows for the fore ones may possibly be found in the difference which exists in the conformation of the limbs. The straight fore-leg allows the weight to fall directly on to the feet, while in the hind one it is first broken and diffused in passing through the angle forming the hock, so that by the time it reaches the foot the sharp edge of concussion is removed and the foot escapes the injury which is inflicted through the straighter column in front. Prevalence of the Disease.—As to the horses which suffer from this affection, it may be somewhat difficult to say in which particular variety it is most prevalent. Between the light and heavy horses there is a great difference in favour of the latter, although since they have been called upon to do so much trotting work the malady has increased in the same proportion. There is a much greater number of cases among harness horses than any other description, but it must not be forgotten that they are the more numerous. And on this account we should look for more cases than are to be found in the other varieties. Hunters are frequently found to be affected by navicular disease, although their work is for the most part over soft, yielding ground. These animals suffer most when made to jump from high banks into roads, especially when the muscles are tired and have lost much of their power. In these circumstances the full weight of the body falls upon the feet, with the result that the navicular bone may suffer by impact with the ground and become the seat of disease. But apart from these special accidents, hunters become subjects of the malady as the result of constant wear. The racehorse, as such, is comparatively seldom the victim of this affection. So long as he is in training he is constantly on the turf, and at an early period is relegated to the stud, and ceases to be exposed to the causes by which the disease is excited. If, however, he does not himself contract the malady, his peculiar habits of life have a tendency to weaken the feet and to predispose his stock to contract the disease. In this way he becomes a factor in its propagation. His constant absence from the hard road does little to encourage the secretion of a thick, strong horn, and to impart to the feet that flinty hardness so much to be admired in a sire. “No foot, no horse,” is an axiom as true to-day as it was when first formulated by Lafosse. This is not said to prejudice the thoroughbred, for which the writer has a very high regard as a sire both of hunters and harness horses, but rather to hold out the caution to those who use him. Symptoms.—There are few diseases in which the symptoms are so obscure and ill-defined in the earlier stages as they are in navicular disease. The situation of the injured part forbids that inspection and manipulation which we may readily apply to other diseases, and there is too frequently no visible effects of the injury to guide the expert, but only an insidious and slowly progressive lameness. It is more than probable that for some time the owner will be in doubt as to whether there is any defect at all. The only change observable to him is an uneasy sensation experienced when the horse is ridden in his fast paces. Soon, however, the defect becomes obvious in one leg or the other, and later in both. At this time careful search may or may not discover visible contraction of the diseased foot. This condition, however, soon follows on by resting the foot in the stable or relieving it when at work. In the former case it is partially flexed and advanced more or less so as to take it away from the bearing, and in the latter the heel is kept as far as possible from the ground, and the weight is thrown on to the front part of the foot. All the changes which follow upon this are in the direction of contraction of the heels, and as this takes place the foot narrows behind. With the progress of the disease and the constant use of the sound foot it also begins to show signs of trouble, and the lameness which had hitherto been confined to the one now appears in the other. Knee action becomes defective, the step is short and “proppy,” or, as it is commonly expressed, “groggy.” On leaving the stable the horse is very lame, but as he continues to move the lameness in great measure passes away. The fore limbs are now upright, or he stands over at the knees, a fulness appears in the hollow of the heel, the foot becomes blocky, and the crust thick and dense, the sole is unusually concave, the frog wasted, and may be affected with thrush. Treatment.—It may be accepted as true that once the disease is started its progress continues, and sooner or later brings its victim to the knacker’s. In some horses the malady makes slow progress, but in others it is rapid and destructive. If the disease cannot be cured by the adoption of palliative treatment, much useful work may be obtained from an animal affected by it. When navicular disease is known to exist, special attention will, of course, be given to the shoeing. Here much may be done to keep the disease in check. We see by the concavity of the sole and the contraction of the heels that the latter have not been allowed to come to the ground in the ordinary way. This is the keynote to which attention must be directed in regard to treatment. The heels must be defended by slightly thickening the shoe at this point, and the introduction of a leather or india-rubber band to break the jar on concussion. The crust must not be allowed to grow unduly, but must be kept down by occasional rasping. By doing this, contraction of the foot is to some extent prevented, and the conditions of its elasticity preserved. When in the stable a cold wet swab should be worn; it softens the hoof, prevents contraction, and enables the animal to work with comparative ease. Horses with navicular disease, especially those advanced in years, should be kept at work. Of all occupations none suit these animals like working on the land, where the feet meet with the least resistance. Mild counter-irritants to the coronets while still working may be applied, but on no account should the animal be allowed a “long rest,” during which he loses condition, and with it all the courage by which he has been enabled to “suffer and to work.” The last and final act in the treatment of navicular disease is division of the plantar nerves. THE BEECH. The effect of this operation is not to cure the disease, but by severing all connection with the brain, to prolong his working powers. This done, the animal ceases to feel the pain which troubled him before, and commences to use the diseased foot without giving it the slightest protection. The lameness, which was evidence of the care he bestowed upon it, passes away, and the foot, weakened by disease, resumes the work it did when in a sound condition. This tends to aggravate the mischief, and sooner or later to bring him to the hands of the knacker. The Beech as a Commercial Tree.There can be no doubt that the oak takes precedence of all our forest trees, both on account of its place in English hearts, and its visible expression of strength and durability. The lover of Nature, too, sees in it the emblem of all that is grand and beautiful, its mighty trunk, great spread of branches, and dignity of age. Nevertheless, the beech takes a firm hold of our sympathies, and, as an ancient writer has observed, it may be looked upon as the Venus among trees. There are in the tree a few characteristics which belong to no other, and which lend a charm all its own; the lovely canopy of green, the high columnar trunk, standing grey among the greenery, and the great open space beneath, broken only by the lovely green of the holly bushes which almost invariably attend it. The view through the forest glade is unobstructed by coppice growth, for no bushes but the holly will grow beneath its spread of branch. What can be more beautiful than the open glade, carpeted with the brown leaves of the late autumn, the dark glossy holly leaves and the tall grey columns? Commercially, too, when in quantity and well grown, it is universally valuable; and the quantity which an acre, well stocked, will produce is very great. The tree, though the fact is questioned by many old writers, is doubtless indigenous, though not confined to these small islands; for it is found throughout Middle and Southern Europe, Western Asia, and elsewhere. The beech belongs to the natural order AmentaceÆ, or CupuliferÆ, as some prefer to call it, and to the genus Fagus. It is monoecious, leaves simple and deciduous, and its fruit is known as mast. From the mast, or nut, may be extracted a valuable oil, used for culinary purposes, and also a flour or meal, used in some countries as food for man. In this country it is used only as pig food, and it is from this that the term “masting” is derived. The leaves, enormous in quantity, decay rapidly, and soon become incorporated in the soil, thus providing the food which the tree requires. Beneath this natural carpet the seeds lie, and with the admission of light and air, soon grow and develop. There is no British tree which lends itself so completely to natural reproduction; neither can any artificially planted beech compare with these natural offspring for rapid growth and quality of timber. It is not necessary to point out to the owners of beech estates the importance of managing the natural thicket from infancy to maturity, because such is known already and recognised; and if an example of sound British forestry be wanted, it is to these areas we should turn. Nevertheless, there are many estates with few or no beeches growing upon them which are naturally suitable to their full development. Under these conditions it is necessary to resort to artificial stocking, and here lies the difficulty, for the beech is by no means a tree which lends itself to rapid establishment. Whether such is best performed by the sowing of seed, planting of seedlings, or of nursery trees of more advanced age, is a question for foresters. Again, is it well to plant pure and close together, or to plant with Scots pine, larch, or other trees? Opinions vary, and no decisive advice seems requisite. As a natural seedling the beech will find its way through almost any tangle and force its way to the light, hindered only by the thick canopy of the parent, but as a transplant its vigour is defective. The beech may be divided into two classes—the beautiful wide-spreading tree of the park, with its branches sweeping the sward; and the tall, straight column, topped with a canopy of lovely green—branchless for, perhaps, fifty feet and more. It is to the latter that the merchant looks for his supply of timber, and to which the owner looks for his revenue. The former, through its charm, lends to the estate a value by no means inconsiderable; but the latter, under favourable conditions, yields so regular a return that it may be reduced to a yearly revenue. Under proper management there should be a continual cutting and a continuous and progressive growth: there should be no periods of vacancy. If some of the schemes for the planting of waste lands—many of them wild and impractical—should reach ripeness, it is to be hoped the beech will be planted on soils suitable to its development—and these are calcareous loams resting on a rocky bottom—because there is likely to be a demand at a fair price, this class of timber not being much affected by foreign imports. Beech reaches a useful and commercial value in from forty to sixty years when growing naturally close together, and under proper and judicious thinning; but if such be left until decay sets in, the value per cubic foot is greatly diminished. Trees will, of course, live and grow for a much longer period; but after, say, eighty years, it is doubtful economy to let them stand. Another feature in the beech is that when decay once sets in it is rapid in its progress, and the tree dies as a whole. The oak will live for centuries in a decayed and dying condition, but not so the beech; and it is only when the timber is sound that the best price can be obtained. It is, too, a timber which soon stains if exposed, so that conversion should follow cutting. What is necessary for the successful growing of beech may be summed up in a few words: A suitable soil, close contact, felling when commercially ripe, and speedy conversion. C. E. Curtis. The Hermit FamilyGreater excitement was never noticeable on Epsom Downs than on May 22nd, 1867. The public had gone dead for the Two Thousand winner, Vauban. He had won the Newmarket race in great style by two lengths, and he belonged to the popular Duke of Beaufort. Every third man you met declared for Vauban, and in the enormous field of thirty the son of Muscovite was backed down to 6 to 4. The ring naturally fielded heavily, and there were stout partisans of Sir Joseph Hawley’s stable, as the Kentish baronet was known to be exceedingly fond of The Palmer. There was also a strong party behind Van Amburgh, and those who invariably followed the boy in yellow stood Marksman. If he could quite stay home was the question about The Rake, who had broken a blood-vessel, as also had Hermit. But it was altogether a magnificent collection of horses on the Derby day, and amongst others there was the handsome d’Estoarnel, the shapely Julius, the useful Uncas, and the light-coloured bay from France, Dragon. It was a tremendous race as they swept round Tattenham Corner; Vauban, Van Amburgh, Marksman, The Palmer, and Hermit were all in it, and shouts in turn proclaimed Van Amburgh and Vauban as the winner by the time they had reached the Bell, when Grimshaw brought out Marksman with a rush. He would win, or he would not; a pink jacket was creeping on him; it was Hermit. The race was a terrible one, but Johnny Daley had timed his effort to a hair’s breadth, and the verdict was by a neck. Owing to the breaking of a blood-vessel ten days before, Hermit’s starting price was 1,000 to 15; Mr. H. Chaplin, it was said, taking £100,000 out of the ring, and that the Marquis of Hastings had lost as much; but figures may have been exaggerated in the excitement of the time, and, at any rate, it was a most popular victory. The great Middle Park Stud was a gainer by it, as it had bred both Hermit and Marksman, the Squire of Blankney expending 1,000 gs. for the possession of the former in his yearling days. Mr. Chaplin has been heard to say that Hermit was his best friend, as, besides the Derby coup, he bred him some great winners, made the Blankney Stud, and became the greatest sire of his day. The writer had a close inspection of Hermit in the winter of 1873, when he had been at the stud some three or four years, and a good two-year-old was much talked of by him in the Rev. Mr. King’s Holy Friar, only beaten once in his seven attempts, and thought to be about the smartest of the season. There was also the speedy Trappist, Per-se, Brenda, St. Agatha and Maravella to give early promise of his stock, and from that time he never looked back. A very impressive horse was Hermit. Perhaps I was rather more taken with Rosicrucian the year before, but that was in June, and the glorious little brown had his summer coat on. When I looked over Hermit it was the end of December, and so there was scarcely the same brightness apparent. He looked then a ruddy chesnut, with no white bar or small streak down his face. A model in head, shoulders, back and loins, and his quarters were very remarkable, so full and thick, and coming down to a noticeable second thigh. This gave him, perhaps, the cobby appearance he had, and made him look smaller than he really was. One would not have thought him more than 15.2, but I believe he was always reckoned to be 15.3. Very beautiful he was, his outline quite perfect, and so blood-like. His advancement in fame was very rapid, as by the time he was eleven years old he stood very high indeed in the list of winning stallions, and he became absolutely at the head a few years later, and then for several seasons in succession. His son Trappist was considered the speediest of his day until “aged” was appended to his name; and then there was Peter, Devotee, Hermia, Out of Bounds, Trapper, Remorse, and St. Hilda, all of one year, with Charon running as a four-year-old, when he won the Brighton Cup as if he was one of the stoutest horses in England. That classic races would quickly follow the Blankney champion’s other stud successes was certain enough, and his batch of 1878, when he was just fifteen, brought him into this distinguished order, as the Duchess of Montrose’s Devotion, a daughter of Stockwell’s, seemed to hit exactly with Hermit. Her third produce was by him, foaled in 1878, and as Thebais was destined to win the One Thousand and Oaks of 1881, being unquestionably the best filly of her year. There was then quite a spell of great doings to the credit of the Hermit family, as in 1879 were foaled his daughters Shotover and St. Marguerite, who between them took the Two Thousand, One Thousand and the Derby. A singularly fine mare was Shotover, bred by Mr. Chaplin, and the style in which she won the Derby under Tom Cannon made her a worthy successor in honours to Eleanor and Blink Bonny. St. Marguerite, who beat Shotover in the One Thousand, was still more beautiful. In the Plantation at Newmarket, when saddling for her first race, someone said, “What a beautiful filly!” and Mr. Chaplin replied, “That does not describe her. Has anyone ever seen anything more perfect?” To follow up the series of great successes, there was dropped, in 1880, a colt afterwards known as St. Blaise, and he was the winner of the Derby in 1883. Another Oaks winner was seen two years afterwards in Lonely, and soon afterwards granddaughters of Hermit swelled the classic rank, as, in 1888, Seabreeze, daughter of St. Marguerite, won the Oaks and St. Leger, and the following season L’Abbesse de Jouarre, a daughter of Trappist, was the heroine of the ladies’ race. Other great winners by Hermit, and their descendants again, have been almost legion. There was Timothy, winner of the Ascot Cup and Alexandra Plate in 1888; Gay Hermit the Royal Hunt Cup in 1887; and Peter ditto seven years before; St. Helena, second in the Oaks to Lonely, and winner of the Coronation Stakes at Ascot; Philosophy, winner of the Great Whitsuntide Plate at Manchester, and many other valuable races; Friar’s Balsam, probably the best of his day; with Marden, Nautilus, Gordon, Raffaello, Ste-Alvere, Grey Friars, Tristan, Queen Adelaide, Melanion, Whisperer, and really a host of others too numerous to mention. It is in subsequent generations, though, that the greatness of Hermit has been so solid and remarkable. There is all the Devotion family, the Sailor Prince family, through the mare Hermita by Hermit. This is largely distributed through America, and there has been a return of it into this country—the Amphion family, through Suicide by Hermit; the Gallinules, including Pretty Polly, through Moorhen by Hermit; the Marco line through Novitiate, the Orion branch through Shotover, the Solimans through Albeche, the Father Confessors through the Abbot, the coming produce of Black Sand, the Cesarewitch winner of 1902, and a very likely sire, by Melanion, son of Hermit; the very numerous descents through the daughters of Peter; and then there has been Mark, Torpedo, Retreat, Whitehall, Zealot, Swillington, Southampton and Exile II. In sons there is now, naturally, a dearth, as the old horse has been dead seventeen years, and I have regretted that one of his youngest, Baron Rothschild’s Heaume, died much too early, as he was a beautiful horse, a shade bigger than his sire, but made like him, and in his action the same. It was a pity also that Melanion left these shores when quite in his prime, but still there was much usefulness in many that escaped the foreign buyer. His son Exile II., for instance, got a better horse than himself in Aborigine, the winner of the Ascot Stakes and the Alexandra Plate at the same meeting. The Turf has shown, in fact, that the next generation in male tail has possessed, if anything, more stamina than the immediate sons of Hermit, as, besides Aborigine being stouter than his sire Exile II., there has been Black Sand stouter than Melanion, and Whitefeather a better stayer than Retreat; whilst in the case of Piety, who was out of a Hermit mare, there was possibly nearly the greatest glutton over a distance of all times. So much, though, for the Turf proper, but there is another arena in which Hermit’s name will be honoured for ever. Many by the Blankney chesnut were very good jumpers and cross-country performers of considerable ability, but with his fee at 250 guineas for many years his offspring were rather too expensive for the jumping game generally. However, such names as Bridget, second in the great hurdle race at Kempton, Anchorite, Stylites, Spinster and Xavier recur to one’s memory, and Mr. J. C. Hill and Mr. Brockton will still declare that there was no safer conveyance over a country than Moorhen. It was through his sons in the next generation, though, that this particular excellence came out, as the best part of Retreat’s stock were his jumpers, if one excepts Alice, a great mare over a distance of ground, and perhaps Whitefeather. There was no greater honour taker though than Father O’Flynn, the gallant winner of the Grand National in 1892, under the popular Captain “Roddy” Owen. At that time also there were four or five first-class steeplechasers by Retreat. One of Hermit’s first sons must have been Ascetic, as he was foaled in 1871, and was out of Lady Alicia, a Melbourne mare, at the time nineteen years old. She had produced a few to run, such as Rapparee, winner of an Ascot Stakes, Ratcatcher, Ribbon, and Ratcatcher’s Daughter. She could run a bit herself, too, among other performances winning the Champagne Stakes at Stockbridge (Bibury Club) as a two-year-old, it being a notable race, as she won by a short head from Saucebox, the winner of the St. Leger in the following year, and Lambs wool, who ran a dead-heat with Saucebox, whilst the fourth, Redemption, was not beaten more than a neck. Lady Alicia also won a race at Egham as a three-year-old. She was a very fine bred mare by Melbourne out of Testy by Venison, her dam Temper by defence, and dropped at the Causton Paddocks; she first of all belonged to Lord John Scott. When turned out of training Mr. W. H. Brook had her for four or five years, and sold her to the Rev. Mr. King (or Mr. Launde, to speak of him in his racing name). This accounts for her being allied to Hermit in her old age, as Mr. King’s well-known establishment was not far from Blankney. The owner of Apology had, therefore, the honour of breeding Ascetic, but he does not appear to have kept him very long, as he was brought out as a two-year-old at Newmarket by a Mr. T. Smith, running but moderately in the Exning Plate at the second spring meeting. This was his only performance in public as a two-year-old, and he was brought out three times the year following, but without gaining any success. He was regarded, however, with a certain amount of respect, as his weight in the Lincolnshire Handicap was 6 st. 12 lb., the winner, The Gunner, also four years old, carrying 6 st. Then he ran in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood at 7 st. 4 lb., and also in the Chesterfield Cup at 7 st. 1 lb. He was second in the Champagne Stakes at Brighton, six furlongs, beaten by the Master Fenton filly; with eight others behind him. He ran third also in the Newal Stakes at Lewes, but in all, his performances were nothing remarkable, excepting to show that he was the sort of racehorse that so frequently develops into the high-class sire to get the best of steeplechasers and hunters. Victor’s best distance was thought to be a mile, and under a very light weight, 5 st. 13 lb., as a four-year-old, he spread-eagled a large field for the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot. Ascetic was thought best of for the six furlongs in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood and about his best race was over the easy six furlongs at Brighton. The sharp quick horse to be into his bridle in a moment, as the saying goes, seems to be the most likely horse to get jumpers. In due course the clever Irish breeders secured Ascetic, and for a great number of years his home was at Mr. John M. Purdon’s, Cloneymore, Athboy, co. Meath. From this quarter he proved himself to be a second Victor, or even more, as the latter never got a Grand National winner, and four of these events have been credited to sons of Ascetic. Those who have looked over Cloister will have retained the impression, as I have done, that he was one of the grandest hunters ever seen. I saw him take one of his victories at Aintree, but it was not the most important, as he won, or was placed eight times over the course, and it was in the autumn, when he won the Sefton, that I saw him. Standing over 16 hands, with tremendous power everywhere, wonderful in front of the saddle, with quite Leicestershire shoulders, and immense depth through the girth. Had he a lean loin, or was it that his back ribs and big quarters made it look light? I thought him one of the best-looking horses I had ever seen, and what a performer! His second victory in the Grand National was certainly the greatest performance ever heard of, as, against a good field he galloped everything down when carrying 12 st. 7 lb., giving the second horse, who finished forty lengths off, 31 lbs. To have got a dual winner of the Grand National is a great boast, but Ascetic has done a deal more. In 1903 there was another Grand National hero to take the posthumous honour for Ascetic, and a very great horse, no doubt, is Mr. John Morrison’s Drumcree; there being this to note also in his victory, that he beat, amongst others, a grandson of Ascetic’s in Drumcree by Royal Meath, one of the most beautiful of Ascetic’s sons, and a brilliant performer over a country. This year comes more honour to the memory of Ascetic (the old horse died in August, 1897), as Ascetic’s Silver won his Grand National in quite the Cloister style, and the third Aunt May was a daughter. Then there has been Roman Oak who did about everything but win a Grand National, Royal Meath, West Meath, Breemont Oak, Æsthetic, Hermit, Midnight, Noiseless, Leinster, Fairland, winner of the Great Lancashire Steeplechase, Hidden Mystery, Aunt May, Nickel Jack, and a host of others to make up over a hundred steeplechase winners, so it is said. There are other Hermit sires that have had this extraordinary gift of getting jumpers, though perhaps in less degrees. Cassock got some very good ones, and so has St. Honorat, Nautilus, Bookworm, Bold Marshall, Edward the Confessor, The Abbot, Hawkstone, and Peter, but Ascetic and Retreat brought in the Grand National records. It must not be forgotten, also, that the hunters by the sons of Hermit have been quite unique. If any one enquires about Birdsall or Malton, as to how the best hunters have been bred of late in Yorkshire, they will hear nothing but praise of the Gordons, and the Whisperers, Marks and Homilies have all done their meed of good in hunting quarters. It would seem that Hermit’s mission in life was to create an extraordinary family to be the very mainstay of sport in every branch that has anything at all to do with horses. It is estimated that three millions have been won by Hermit and his descendants, and yet it is barely forty years since the scene at Epsom was enacted. One recalls the suspense and excitement of the crowd, the yellow in apparent command; then like a flash there is a pink streak, as it were, closing, and the little interval, scarcely perceptible to any but the judge, has made all the difference. Other Derbies have followed in its wake—Ascot Cups, Goodwood Cups, many Oaks, St. Legers, Alexandra Plates and Grand Nationals, have shaken the very sporting world in widespread interest, and the thread of it all is from Hermit. G. S. Lowe. Sport at the Universities.So far Cambridge leads in the great fight for all-round sporting supremacy this year. Twelve Inter-’Varsity competitions have been already decided, Cambridge boasting seven victories, and Oxford five. Ten contests were brought off during Lent Term, just past, and during that period honours were “easy.” Both Universities won five events. The Light Blues started well by winning the Association football and hockey matches during February. Oxford, however, were unfortunate in losing several of their best men either at the eleventh hour or during the actual fray. But for bad mishaps to O. T. Norris (the Oxford captain) and other Dark Blues, Cambridge would hardly have won the “Soccer” match by 3 goals to 1. They would probably have won the hockey match in any case, yet the enforced absence of Messrs. Round and Butterworth made all the difference to Oxford’s play. At boxing and fencing and billiards Oxford asserted superiority early in March. In the first-named competition their victory was most pronounced (7 events to 1), and some really fine science was shown both with the gloves and the foils. Although played at Cambridge, the Dark Blues repeated their 1905 billiards triumph by 2 games to 1, but shortly afterwards Cambridge beat their rivals somewhat easily at lacrosse by 10 goals to 3. The Inter-’Varsity “Grind” was again won by Oxford (56 points to 45), Mr. H. W. Aston’s Aughamore (owner up) beating Mr. Fred Cripp’s Ballycraigy by a neck for first place. Mr. Atkinson’s Dandy Dan (the Hon. B. B. Ponsonby up) finished third for Cambridge. A course between Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard was utilised this year, and a very large and fashionable crowd was en evidence. Lord Orkney was judge, and Mr. Leopold de Rothschild and Mr. W. Selby Lowndes, M.F.H. Stewards. Oxford also retained the Chambers Shield by winning the Inter-’Varsity sports by the big margin of 7 events to 3. The Cantabs only accounted for the 100 yards, one mile, and weight items. The salient features of the meeting were the running of President Cornwallis (Oxford), who won the “Quarter” in 51 secs., and the “Half” in 1 min. 56? secs., and the mile running of Mr. A. R. Welsh (Cambridge), who completed the distance in 4 min. 21? secs. On the sodden track and under most wretched conditions all these performances were remarkable. Other notable feats were the hammer-throwing of Mr. A. H. Fyffe (Oxford), who created a fresh Inter-’Varsity record by hurling 136 ft. 3 ins., the jumping of Mr. P. M. Young (Oxford), who won the long jump at 22 ft. 3 ins., and the high jump at 5 ft. 7¼ ins., the weight-putting of President G. W. Lyttelton (Cambridge), 38 ft. 3¾ ins., and the hurdling of Mr. E. R. J. Hussey (Oxford), who beat Mr. F. H. Teall (Cambridge), the 1904–05 winner, in the fine time of 16½ secs. Cambridge again won the golf competition at Hoylake by the excellent margin of 30 holes to 7. The play on the whole was somewhat disappointing, nor did Mr. A. G. Barry (amateur champion) do all that was expected for the Light Blues. “As a team,” however, the Cantabs were overwhelmingly superior, the best form for Oxford being shown by the captain (Mr. Grundy) and Mr. H. J. Ross. The annual chess match produced some sound all-round play, and, in the result, Oxford repeated their last year’s victory by exactly the same margin (4½ games to 2½). Shortly before this, the combined Oxford and Cambridge teams had drawn with the American Universities in their periodical contests for the Rice trophy. The play was per cable telegraph, and, in the main, was worthy the occasion. The trophy still remains on this side of the Atlantic. So far Oxford had drawn nearly level with Cambridge, and the Boat Race excited exceptional interest. How Cambridge won a very one-sided race, leading from start to finish, in the fine time of 19 min. 26 secs., is now a matter of history. They finished comparatively fresh, while four, at least, of the Oxonians were much distressed. I quite agree with a distinguished Old Blue that the history of the 1906 practice, culminating in the race of April 7th, will ever stand as the most paradoxical on record. Before the crews left home waters Oxford were vastly superior “as a crew.” They could have given the Cantabs a dozen lengths over the championship course. Upon the crews’ arrival at Henley and Bourne End respectively, Cambridge improved out of all knowledge. In a flash, as it were, they became a crew, and subsequently beat all records over the Cookham course and every part of it. Nor were the Oxonians idle. They, too, advanced in appreciable fashion, greatly pleasing such sound judges as Sir John Edwards-Moss, Messrs. Fletcher, Harcourt Gold, Dr. Bourne, &c. Then followed the crews’ advent at Putney. Cambridge went on improving, and were visibly fit enough to row the race a week before the eventful day. Oxford were clearly in the rough, yet showed the longest and steadiest swing of any Oxford eight since 1897. Most experts expected a repetition of last year’s procedure, when the Dark Blues trained on and were fit to row for their lives on the morning of battle. But something was lacking during the last week. And that something never came. The spectacle was afforded on April 7th of this fine crew being outpaced and out-rowed from pillar to post. To most it was a perfect enigma. Some blame the boat, others their lack of fitness, and others again their over-doing matters. In any case the fact remains that one of the most powerful crews of modern years were pulverised by a Cambridge eight, whose great merit was uniformity and speed. Theirs was a sculling style pure and simple, while that of Oxford at their best was that of a first-rate oarsmanship. Does this mean a new theory in the matter of future make-up, training, and coaching? Several other Inter-’Varsity contests have to be decided during the Summer Term, now in full swing. These include the polo match (June 25th) and the cricket match (July 5th, 6th, and 7th). Cricket prospects are rosy enough both ways. Mr. W. S. Bird (Malvern and New College) is the new Oxford captain, and Mr. E. L. Wright (Winchester and New College) hon. sec. Other old blues available are Messrs. G. N. Foster, E. G. Martin, N. R. Udal, G. T. Branston, and O. T. Norris, while many well-known senior men will be again in residence. These include Messrs. A. O. Snowden, P. T. Lewis, H. H. Worsley, H. M. Butterworth, B. Cozens-Hardy, E. Cripps, C. A. L. Payne, and the Hon. C. N. Bruce. Mr. C. H. Eyre (Harrow and Pembroke) is the Cambridge captain, and Mr. M. W. Payne (Wellington and Trinity) hon. sec. No fewer than eight old blues are available, viz.: Messrs. R. A. Young, C. C. Page, F. J. V. Hopley, K. P. Keigwin, L. G. Colbeck, G. C. Napier, P. R. May, and A. F. Morcom. With only one vacancy to fill up, competition for places will be exceptionally severe this year. The best known senior men available include Messrs. W. P. Harrison, C. Palmer, R. E. H. Baily (all county players), C. B. W. Magnay, R. S. Preeston, A. P. Scott, E. A. Smythies, G. C. Humphreys, C. S. Rattigan, and G. Belcher. MR. C. HENRY RIDGWAY, The best of the Oxford freshmen appear to be Messrs. J. H. Gordon and A. C. L. Clarke (Winchester), Lord Somers and H. E. L. Porter (Charterhouse), H. K. Gould and V. Eberle (Clifton), C. Hurst (Uppingham), G. C. Barnardo (Repton), O. H. C. Dunell (Eton), R. O. Morris (Harrow), E. B. Carpenter (Winchester), and H. A. Gilbert (Charterhouse). One or two above-average bowlers are included. Of the Cambridge “freshers,” Messrs. J. N. Buchanan (Charterhouse), K. G. Macleod (Fettes), N. S. Cornelius (Malvern), H. Hosken (Leys), and J. Reunert (Harrow), boast splendid public school credentials. For the rest, about the best appear to be Messrs. J. H. Wakefield (Repton), E. Hoffmeister (Brighton), H. W. Priestley (Uppingham), and H. P. Webb (of the same school). The trial matches commence simultaneously with this month’s issue of Baily, and the outcome means a good deal to Oxford. On paper form at least the Light Blues have a decided pull this year. Capital fixture lists have been arranged both ways. Oxford play home matches against the Gentlemen of England, Lancashire, Yorkshire, the M.C.C., and the Free Foresters, and foreign matches against Sussex, the M.C.C., Worcestershire, and Surrey. The Cantab’s home fixtures are v. Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, the Gentlemen of England, Middlesex, Gloucestershire, and their foreign fixtures v. the Gentlemen of England, Sussex, Surrey, the M.C.C., and Liverpool and District (after the Inter-’Varsity match). Another period of all-round, fast and furious, is thus assured at the Sister Universities. Later on I shall have something to say of the results. W. C. P. F. Foxhunting in France.Mr. C. HENRY RIDGWAY, MASTER OF THE PAU HUNT. One is apt to associate the noble science of foxhunting with the United Kingdom alone, and certainly to partake of this most fascinating sport in its perfection the United Kingdom must be visited. But foxhunting, good, bad, and indifferent, is to be found in many quarters of the wide world. A “Gib.” reynard is pursued amongst the rocks and cork trees; in Belgium there is more than one “equipage au reynard”; and in Virginia, Maryland, and other states of the Union foxhunting has flourished for centuries. In France there are “equipages” innumerable, but the object of their pursuit is the stag, the roedeer, the wild boar, or the hare; and reynard is looked upon as vermin, except in the little far-off corner of the Republic which, till the days of Henri IV., although its sovereign bore the more ambitious (if empty) title of King of Navarre, composed the tiny kingdom of Bearn. Here, with its headquarters at the ancient capital, “La bonne ville de Pau,” foxhunting has flourished for over fifty years, and at the present time is pursued with the greatest vigour and success. The earliest record of hunting around Pau dates from 1840, when Sir Henry Oxenden brought a pack of foxhounds, and a numerous stud, to the Chateau of Aureilham, near Tarbes, and found active employment in hunting the wild fox for four days a week. Three years after, on Sir Henry’s resignation, Messrs. Cornwall and Standish, then residents at Pau, established kennels at Bordes, not quite half way between Pau and Tarbes, and carried on the sport. The mastership has, in the course of the long period that has elapsed since the hunt was started by Sir H. Oxenden, passed through many hands, Mr. J. Alcock, Mr. W. G. Tiffany, Mr. J. Stewart, Major Cairns, Mr. T. Burgess, the Earl of Howth, Mr. J. Gordon Bennett, Mr. Frederick Maude, Sir Victor Brook, Baron Le Jeune, Baron D’Este, being amongst those who have presided over affairs. The Mastership is now held by Mr. C. Henry Ridgway, who is in his sixth season, and the unvarying good sport he has shown has seldom been equalled and never surpassed. Mr. Ridgway, although born in France, is of American parentage. He was educated at Oxford, and for several seasons hunted from Market Harboro. His sixty couple of hounds are all drafts from the best English packs, and his hunters all come from the shires. The whole equipment would do credit to any country, and the sport he has shown has never been equalled. An all-round sportsman, his racing colours have often been to the front on French turf, whilst he is a finished whip, a capital shot, and the captain of the golf club. The hounds are divided into three packs—the “ladies,” the dog pack, and a mixed pack. All three packs have shown great sport; but for drive, quickness and looks the bitches are unsurpassed. Mr. Ridgway has a guaranteed subscription of 50,000 francs, and hunts always four days a week, and sometimes five days. In January of this year, at a large complimentary dinner held at the English Club, he was presented by Mr. W. Forbes Morgan, on behalf of the members and subscribers of the Pau Hunt, with a beautiful two-handled Queen Anne Cup, and an address of thanks for the rare sport shown during his Mastership. Pau is fortunate in possessing, in addition to the foxhounds, a good pack of drag hounds, which meets once or twice a week, and which provides a fast gallop for those who prefer this kind of sport. In former years the drag was by far the more popular branch of the sport, but foxhunting has become more and more popular, and the drag has suffered in consequence. The horn is carried by Walter Smethurst, who has been over ten years as huntsman with the Pau hounds. The fields, after the new year, number fifty and upwards, consisting principally of American and French sportsmen, and there are at least half a dozen ladies who hunt and go well. The number of English who hunt is very limited, although in former years there were a good many members of this nationality. The Pau country may be said to resemble parts of Ireland, consisting of wide tracts of moorland, and small enclosures, fenced with bank and ditch, the former bearing very often a thick hedgerow, and the latter being very blind, with gorse and briar. In the Oloron Valley, to which the drag goes once or twice a season, stone walls and hedges are met with, and the going is all grass. The Garderes district—about ten or twelve miles from Pau—is a fine open country with clean fences and sound going; and the Auriac, in the other direction—to the east of the Bordeaux high road—is a grand country with high banks that take a deal of doing. Good hunters can be hired at Pau, and stabling can be easily procured in the town. The Hon. Secretary to the Hunt, Mr. J. Barron, will always supply any information that may be required with regard to hunting in the neighbourhood. South African Policy of the Marylebone Cricket Ministry.“England v. South Africa,” “The Fifth Test Match,” “An Innings Defeat for England.” “Mr. Warner, interviewed, said South Africans were undoubtedly the superior side, especially on their own wickets. It was a good thing that they had won the Test matches, as it had given a fillip to the game in South Africa.”—Reuter’s Special Service, April 2nd, 1906. Mr. Lacey’s Opinion.In the course of an interview at Lord’s yesterday afternoon (April 2nd) Mr. F. E. Lacey, the M.C.C. Secretary, said (the Star states) in response to an inquiry regarding the reason that the M.C.C. eleven should have been so unaccountably beaten in four of the five Test matches: “Not unaccountable at all. It is a case in which the better side has won. “There is little doubt that the South Africans have improved wonderfully, but certainly M.C.C. should have done better. “I believe the chief cause of our defeat has been poor fielding. Then again, such really great batsmen as P. F. Warner and Hayes have not done themselves justice. “A great many judges of the game attribute the apparent failure of our team to the fact that our men are playing on matting, but I can scarcely agree with them. I have practised a lot on matting wickets, and, judging from my own experience, it should hold no terrors for a really good batsman. “I can only attribute the defeat of our eleven to inferior play. The fielding has been poor, the bowling only moderate, and the batting, with one or two exceptions, second-rate. “Of course, it is very difficult to judge when one is sitting in the pavilion at Lord’s and the games are being played in South Africa, so perhaps I may be wrong. “I am very pleased with the success of Crawford, who is, in my opinion, the finest all-round man on the side. “It was never intended to send a representative eleven of England, but I thought we had chosen a side quite worthy of upholding the cricket honour of the country. Apparently we were wrong. “Our defeat cannot do any harm; in fact, it may lead to a lot of good, and if the South Africans visit us in 1907 they should command a great amount of respect from all the first-class counties, as, judging by the improvement in their play, they will give us some good games, and may even be a hard nut to crack for a representative English team.” These quotations are taken from the columns of the Sportsman, April 3rd, 1906, and to them it is desired most earnestly to invite the attention of those patriots who wish to see English cricket maintain its supremacy. Let one regard for the moment these two gentlemen individually as Mr. F. E. Lacey, Secretary of the Marylebone Club, Prime Minister of Cricket, and Mr. P. F. Warner, captain of English teams sent to play against the Colonies, Colonial Secretary of the Marylebone Club, which up to the present time has, without any Opposition, assumed and carried on the Government of Cricket. The position in which they find themselves at the time of making these disclosures to the Press is as follows:— For some years past, since 1888, the cricket associations of South Africa have from time to time invited English cricketers to visit South Africa in order to assist in the development of the game in that country. The team under Mr. Warner’s captaincy is the fifth that has visited South Africa, the preceding ones having been under the private management of, 1888–9, Major Wharton; 1891–2, Mr. W. W. Read; 1895–6, and again in 1898–9, Lord Hawke; and now, 1905–6, under the management of the Marylebone Club, with Mr. P. F. Warner as captain. Major Wharton’s team was in no sense a powerful one, and included some amateurs of obscure cricket origin; and they lost four matches in the course of their travels. Mr. Read’s team was a strong one, and lost no matches. Lord Hawke lost two matches on his first visit to Africa, but, profiting by this experience, returned in 1899 with an unbeaten record. An opportunity was afforded to South African cricketers of trying their skill against English cricketers in the summer of 1904, when a team of South Africans came to England to play a comprehensive programme, which included twenty-two first-class matches, against the Counties, ’Varsities, M.C.C., and so on, with a special match, by request, against England at Lord’s. Our visitors were modest, and without suggesting a series of so-called Test matches, asked as a favour that upon one occasion, and that at Lord’s, the headquarters of cricket, they might be allowed to meet the full strength of England in order that they might learn an important lesson in the game of cricket. This match was played in the middle of July, and the Africans brought their best eleven to Lord’s, and gained a decisive victory by 189 runs. But they were unable to exult in their triumph, for the management of the Marylebone Club took so little pride in the team they had selected to represent England that the match was chronicled as “South Africans v. an English Eleven,” and all cricketers know that the words, “An English Eleven,” applied to a team condemn the team in one’s mind before one has read the names. So little enough credit was given to the Africans for winning the one match they had arranged against England at Lord’s; although anyone who, in common with the writer, watched carefully the whole course of the match from start to finish, must have realised that as they played then our visitors might on their day have beaten the pick of England. The result of that tour worked out: matches played 22, won 10, lost 2, drawn 9, tied 1. The first match they lost was the second of their tour, at Worcester, and of this game “Wisden’s Almanack” says: “The South Africans had all the worst of the luck, as, after holding their own on the first day, they had on the second to bat on a ruined pitch.” So there was not much disgrace about this defeat. The other match lost was against Kent at Canterbury, where the home team, for some reason or another, always show to advantage. Kent batted first, and we read that: “Helped by the condition of the wicket, which had never been perfect, Blythe was very difficult at the finish.” And so the Africans lost by 104 runs. To an unbiassed observer it would seem that if upon the two occasions when they suffered defeat the Africans had happened to have won the toss, they might well have added a couple of wins to their record instead of losses. These three matches—namely, the two first-class games lost by the Africans in 1904 and the Test match won by them at Lord’s—have been dwelt upon at some length in order to remind readers that the performances of that team were the performances of fine cricketers, and any intelligent student of the game who saw Mr. Mitchell’s men in the field must have realised that it was no fool’s job to find a team to beat them. Now let us see what happens afterwards. Affairs settle down after the war in South Africa, and the time arrives when the Colonies are prepared to try their strength against the mother country. South African cricketers are anxious to receive a visit from an English team, to treat all the members as their guests, and to pay the salaries of the professionals. In a spirit of the most confident loyalty, African cricket places herself in the hands of the Marylebone Club. Africa is to pay the piper, the Marylebone Club is to call the tune. The tune has been played to its dismal end, and of the five Test matches four have resulted disastrously for soi-disant England, the one win for the M.C.C. team being by a narrow enough margin. Without committing oneself to any criticism of the composition of the team which was sent under the auspices of the Marylebone Club to Africa to render an account of English cricket, it may be sufficient for present purposes to suggest that if that team had been advertised to play at one of the gate-money carnivals of cricket at Blackpool or Bournemouth, and labelled according to custom “An Eleven of England,” there would probably have been no unseemly rush of trippers hustling for a shilling seat to watch their performances. Yet, according to this contention, what Blackpool would not afford in the way of extravagance, South Africa had to endure to the end. An endeavour has been made to be very moderate in the premises, and now it is time to turn to the remarks made respectively by Mr. Warner, whom we have styled Chief Secretary for the Colonies, and Mr. Lacey, the Prime Minister of Cricket. In the hour of disastrous rout and defeat they have been interviewed each “on his own,” separated from one another by thousands of miles. Let us see what they say. Mr. Warner says “the Africans were undoubtedly the superior side, especially on their own wickets. It was a good thing they had won the Test matches, as it had given a fillip to the game in South Africa.” So Mr. Warner says it is a good thing that the side styled “England” has lost the matches styled Test matches, for that will give a fillip to cricket in South Africa. One wonders if it will! It might have seemed obvious that South African cricket “filliped” itself when its representatives swept the field in 1904, and one must bear in mind that the Australians—who, at all events, can always be depended upon to send their best—have met with more than one reverse when they have taken on a South African team. One might ask a good sportsman like Mr. Warner whether it is likely to give a fillip to a good shot to have to give the coup de grace to a wounded hare or to go through the dull routine of killing a low-flying pheasant? Or, perhaps, to get back to his freehold, the popping-crease, to ask him would he prefer to score 128 runs against Africa or against XVIII. of Middleburg. Mr. Warner is the most courteous of guests and opponents, and can be depended upon to say the right thing upon all occasions, but somewhere at the back of his head one suspects that there lurks the polished idea that it would have been better for African cricket, better for English cricket, and especially better for himself, if he had been enabled to be in the company of the best of English cricketers in this African campaign, and to have firmly asserted the supremacy of the Old Country at our national game. One or two of our general officers suffered defeat in South Africa a few years ago, but we never heard of any of them exulting in the idea that it was a “good thing, as it had given a fillip to fighting in South Africa.” And we may be sure that Mr. Warner, over this unfortunate tour in Africa, has been throughout as keen as any general officer. But he had not got the men! Now, what is to be said of “Mr. Lacey’s opinion,” as reported in the Star newspaper, when he consented to be interviewed upon the “unaccountable defeat of the M.C.C. team in four Test matches out of five.” The Secretary of the Marylebone Club is stated to have said, “Not unaccountable at all. It is a case in which the better side has won.” Later on Mr. Lacey is reported as saying: “It was never intended to send a representative eleven of England, but I thought we had chosen a side quite worthy of upholding the cricket honour of the country. Apparently we were wrong.” Now here is an important statement. Mr. Lacey seems to imply that he could have sent a more powerful team to South Africa if he or the management of the Club had been able to realise that the Africans, whom they had seen winning at Lord’s in 1904 against their own Eleven of England, were an extremely good side of cricketers. According to the Star, Mr. Lacey has now no good word for the side of which he says, “I thought we had chosen a side quite worthy of upholding the cricket honour of the country.” He says: “I can only attribute the defeat of our eleven to inferior play. The fielding has been poor, the bowling only moderate, and the batting, with one or two exceptions, second-rate.” “I believe the chief cause of our defeat has been poor fielding. Then again, such really great batsmen as P. F. Warner and Hayes have not done themselves justice.” Further, he says, “A great many judges of the game attribute the apparent failure of our team to the fact that our men are playing on matting, but I can scarcely agree with them. I have practised a lot on matting wickets, and judging from my own experience, it should hold no terrors for a really good batsman.” The great want of the team appears to have been a really good batsman, and it seems a thousand pities from the point of view of the cricketing public that Mr. Lacey did not personally conduct this team. But “All’s well that ends well,” and the final paragraph of the opinion of Mr. Lacey upon South African cricket states that:— “Our defeat cannot do any harm; in fact, it may lead to a lot of good, and if the South Africans visit us in 1907, they should command a great amount of respect from all the first-class counties” (not yet, even, is the Marylebone Club pledged to extend any more respect to South Africa than was the case in 1904), “as judging by the improvement in their play, the South Africans will give us some good games, and may even be a hard nut to crack for a representative English team.” Yes! they probably will be all that Mr. Lacey predicts, because, unless we are mistaken, the South African team so long ago as 1904 came up to that form, and it would have been as well if Mr. Lacey and those who assist him in the management of the Marylebone Club had realised this obvious fact a few months ago, before they organised this Majuba of cricket which has caused so much disappointment to cricketers in the two hemispheres. Mr. Lacey and Mr. Warner are agreed that “the better side has won.” Cricketers are almost entitled, respectfully, to ask upon this point whether a better team could have been sent by the M.C.C. than this team which Mr. Lacey now runs down. And if the answer to this be in the affirmative, then the next question is, why was not a better team sent to represent England? The Africans asked to meet the strength of England, and they have handsomely beaten the team put into the field against them. They have performed their part of the bargain, and it seems almost ungenerous of the Secretary of the Marylebone Club to assume this air of patronage and to talk of the South African team as if they were a lot of schoolboys undergoing an Easter course of coaching on the matting practice wickets at Lord’s. A result of this unfortunate business is that the Africans are already knocking at the gate again, and we are informed that immediately at the conclusion of the tour a cable was despatched asking that a South African team should be received in England in 1907 on the same lines as an Australian team, which appears to signify a programme including five test matches, which may mean, according to Mr. Lacey, five hard nuts “to crack for a representative English team.” But why not have sent the nut-crackers to South Africa first? Probably, for research and widely diffused knowledge, spread over a long and laborious life, the work of that celebrated octogenarian, Dr. Cobham Brewer, who, at the age of eighty-five, brought out his new edition of “Phrase and Fable,” is, to my thinking, unique in its way, teeming as it does with interest to every class of both reader and writer. As a sportsman, it appeals to me in many a page, and in culling a few tit-bits from it I may help to enlighten and enliven your readers on things not generally known. Longchamps is, as we know, to-day, the scene of one of the most fashionable French racecourses, yet history tells us that every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Passion week, the Parisians went there in procession in private carriages and hired cabs, all the smartly dressed men and women who wished to display their spring fashions. The origin of the custom being that there was once a famous nunnery there, noted for its singing. In Passion week all who could went to hear these religious women sing the Psalms. This custom grew into a fashion, although the nunnery no longer exists, the procession is as fashionable as ever, and so is the racecourse. Lose the horse and win the saddle. A man made a bet of a horse that another could not say the Lord’s Prayer without a wandering thought. The bet was accepted, but before half-way through, the person accepting the bet looked up and said, “By the bye, do you mean the saddle also?” A horse is worthy of especial notice here. A good horse is said to have fifteen points. He should have three properties of a man, three of a woman, three of a fox, three of a hare, and three of an ass—of a man, bold, proud, and hardy—of a woman, fair-breasted, fair-haired, and easy of movement—of a fox, a good tail, short ears, with a good trot—of a hare, large eyes, a dry head, and good running—of an ass, a big chin, flat legs, and a good hoof. Neptune is supposed to have created the horse. When Athene, the goddess of wisdom, contended with Neptune as to which should give the name to Athens, the gods decided that it should be called by the name of that deity which bestowed on men the most useful boon. Athene created the olive tree, and Neptune created the horse. The vote was given in favour of the olive tree, and the city was called Athens. The first person that drove a four-in-hand was, Virgil tells us, Ericthonius. On the death of Smerdis, King of Persia, the competitors for the throne agreed that he should be king whose horse neighed first when they met the day following. The groom of Darius showed his horse a mare on the day appointed, and immediately it arrived at the spot on the following day the horse began to neigh, and won the crown for its master. A horse in the catacombs was an emblem of the swiftness of life. In Christian life the horse is the emblem of courage and generosity. The horses of Diomed, Tyrant of Thrace, were flesh-eaters, and were fed on the strangers who visited his kingdom. Hercules vanquished the tyrant, and gave his carcase to the horses to eat. In the British Army we have Elliot’s Light Horse, Paget’s Irregular Horse, The Black Horse, The Blue Horse, The Green Horse, The Royal Horse Guards, and The White Horse, as applied to particular regiments. Both in mythology and history we have a multitude of celebrated steeds. Thus:— Akabar.—A hot one. Was one of the horses of Sunna. Abaster.—Away from the stars—belonged to Pluto. Abraxus.—Was one of the horses of Aurora. ActÆon.—Effulgent, was one of the horses of the sun. Æthon.—Fiery red. Was another horse of the sun. Acton.—Swift as an eagle. Was a horse of Pluto’s. Aligero Clavileno.—The wooden pin-winged horse on which Don Quixote mounted to effect the deliverance of Trifaldi and her companions. Amathea.—No loiterer. Was one of the horses of the sun. Aquiline.—Like an eagle. Raymond’s steed, bred on the banks of the Tagus. Arion.—War horse. Hercules’ horse, given to Adrastos. Brought out of the earth by Neptune with his tridents. Its right feet were those of a human being; it spoke with a human voice, and ran with incredible swiftness. Arundal.—Swift as a swallow. The horse of Bevis of Southampton. Babicca.—The simpleton. The Cids’ horse. He survived his master two and half years, during which time nobody was allowed to mount him, and he was buried before the gates of the Monastery of Valencia, and two elm trees were planted to mark the spot. This horse’s name arose because Roderigo in his youth was given the choice of a horse by his god-father, and chose a rough colt, and his donor called him Babicca, a fool, for doing so, but Roderigo transferred the name to his gift horse. Barjado was Ronaldo’s horse, of bay colour, once the property of Amadis of Gaul. He was found in a cave guarded by a dragon, which the wizard slew. He is said to be still alive, but flies at the approach of man, and no one can hope to catch him. Babico.—Swift, like Zanthos, his sire was the West Wind, and his dam Swiftfoot the harpy, and was given by Neptune to Peleus. Bayard.—A bright bay. He belonged to the four sons of Aymon, and grew larger or smaller as one of these four mounted him. Bevis.—The swift. The horse of Lord Marmion. Black Agnes.—Belonging to Mary Queen of Scots, given her by her brother Moray, and named after Agnes of Dunbar. Black Saladin.—Warwick’s famous horse. Coal black. His sire was Malek, and it was said of him that when the race of Malek failed the race of Warwick would fail also, and so it came to pass. Borak.—The lightning. The horse that conveyed Mahomet from earth to the seventh heaven. He was milk white, had the wings of an eagle, and a human face with a horse’s cheeks. Every pace he took was equal to the furthest range of human sight. Brigliadoro.—Golden bridle. Orlando’s famous charger, second only in swiftness and wonderful powers to Bayardo. Bronte.—Thunder. A horse of the sun. Brown Hal.—A model pacing stallion. Bucephalus.—Ox-head. The celebrated charger of Alexander the Great, who was the only person that could mount him, and he always knelt down to receive his master. He was thirty years old when he died, and Alexander built a city as a mausoleum, which he called Bucephala. Capilet.—A grey horse of Sir Andrew Aguecheek, spoken of in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” A capilet signifies a small wen on a horse’s neck. Celer.—Swift. The horse of the Roman Emperor Verus, that was fed on almonds and raisins, covered with purple, and stalled in the Imperial palace. CÆsar.—A model Percheron stallion. Copenhagen.—The Duke of Wellington’s charger that he rode at Waterloo. Napoleon’s favourite charger was called Marengo, and was represented in the famous picture by Vernet of Napoleon crossing the Alps. His remains are now in the United Service Museum in London. Cyllaros.—Named from Cylla in Troas, a celebrated horse of Castor and Pollux. Dinos.—The Marvel. Was Diomed’s horse. Doomstead.—Was the horse of the Fates. Ethon.—Fiery. Was one of the horses of Hestor. Fadda.—Was Mahomet’s white mule. Fiddleback.—Was Oliver Goldsmith’s unfortunate pony. GalathÉ.—Cream coloured. Was a horse of Hector’s. GranÉ.—Grey coloured. Was Seigfried’s horse of marvellous swiftness. Grizzle.—Grey coloured. Was the skin-and-bone animal that carried Dr. Syntax. Haizum.—Was the horse of the Archangel Gabriel. Harpagos.—A rapid carrier. One of the horses of Castor and Pollux. HippocompÉs.—A horse of Neptune that had only two legs, his hindquarters being a dragon’s tail. Incitatus.—The Roman Emperor Caligula’s horse, which he made a priest and a consul. Its manger was of ivory, and it drank out of a golden pail. Jenny Geddes.—Was Robert Burn’s mare. Kantaka.—The white horse of Science. Ganhama of India.—Mentioned by Budda. Kelpie.—The colour of seaweed. The water horse of fairy mythology. Lampos.—Shining like a lamp. One of the horses of the Sun. Lamri.—The curvetter. King Arthur’s mare. Morocco.—Bank’s famous horse. Its shoes were of silver, and one of its exploits was to mount the steeple of St. Paul’s. Molly.—Sir Charles Napier’s mare that died at the age of 35 years. Orelia.—The charger of Roderick, the last of the Goths. Noted for its speed and symmetry. Pale Horse.—On which Death rides. Pegasos.—Born near the source of the ocean. The winged horse of Apollo that Perseus rode when he rescued Andromeda. PhÆton.—The shining one. A steed of Aurora. Phlegon.—The blazing one. One of the horses of the mid-day sun. Phrenicos.—Intelligent. The horse of Hiero of Syracuse that was the winner of the Olympic prize for single horses in the seventy-third olympiad. Rubicon.—With a dark tail and some white hairs. Astolpho’s horse in Orlando Furioso. Its dam was Fire, and its sire Wind, and it fed on unearthly food. Ronald.—Was Lord Cardigan’s thoroughbred chestnut horse, with white stockings on the near fore and hind feet, that carried him through the charge at Balaclava. Rosabelle.—Mary Queen of Scots’ favourite palfrey. Rosignol.—Was the palfrey of Madame Ghatalet, of Crecy, the lady with whom Voltaire resided for ten years. Shinfaxe.—Shining mane. The steed which draws the car of day. Sleipnor.—Odin’s grey horse, that had eight legs, and could traverse either land or sea. He typifies the wind, which blows over land and water from eight principal points. Sorrel.—The horse of William the Third, that used to catch his foot in a mole-trap, and ultimately caused his death. He was blind of one eye and mean of stature. Is ill-fitted to carry a king. Strymon.—Named from the River Strymon in Thrace, and immolated by Zerxes before he invaded Greece. Vegliantino.—The famous steed of Orlando, meaning “the little vigilant one.” Zanthos.—The chestnut coloured. One of the horses of Achilles that announced his approaching death when unjustly chidden by him. O’Donoghue’s White Horse.—Denotes the waves, which come on a windy day, crested with foam. The spirit of the hero appears every May-day, and glides to sweet yet unearthly music over the lakes of Killarney on his white horse, preceded by groups of young men and maidens, flinging spring flowers in his path. We have the phrases: “A dark horse”—one whose merits are unknown. “Flogging a dead horse.” “Riding the wooden horse”—a military punishment, a sort of flogging stool, now abolished. “I will win the horse or lose the saddle”—neck or nothing. “They cannot set horses together.” That is, they cannot agree. “The Trojan horse” is a deception, a hidden danger. “It is a good horse that never stumbles.” Every one has his faults. “To get upon his high horse.” To give one’s self airs. “To set the cart before the horse.” To reverse the right order of things. “When the horse is stolen lock the stable door.” “Working on a dead horse.” Doing work which has already been paid for. I could continue to play on this horsey fiddle almost ad infinitum, thanks to old Dr. Brewer, who very clearly illustrates how from the most ancient days the horse came to the forefront in mythology, history, poetry, and romance. The one quadruped created for the benefit of man, and honoured with the first place from the earliest ages in man’s affections. Notwithstanding the fact that in these last days man has devised sundry inventions aimed at his dethronement, such as steam and motor power, let us hope that he may long survive those machinations. In the illustrious days of Roman greatness it is worthy of note that the horse was promoted almost to divine worship, as, indeed, he had been in Grecian mythology. The Emperor Caligula made him a priest and a consul. We have come to regard horses as of some value, when we are not afraid of appraising one of them at nearly £40,000, and selling our casts off at £20,000 and upwards. The fables which I have ventured to string together here may have their transient interest, and help owners of racehorses with a few appropriate names for their best. This will aid to prove the truth of their worth, and show that although the world has grown older, and the age of romance and love of mythology has passed away, the horse in all his beauty and perfection is with us still, and we trust that he ever will be so. Borderer. HOT ON THE TRAIL. THE WORRY. The Advent of the Otter-hunting Season.Never, perhaps, was otter-hunting more popular than it is to-day, though it is one of the oldest sports in existence. Even as far back as the reign of King John otters were hunted with hounds throughout the summer months. But until comparatively late years the sport seems to have always been that of the few rather than, as now, that of the many. In a great measure it owes its increasing popularity to the more generous spirit that happily now prevails among sportsmen. The member of the angling society and the owner of the private fishery are no longer at war with the interesting little quarry, that is, on those rivers which are visited by otterhounds, and on many that are not. Indeed, it is more than probable that in a few years’ time it will be considered as discreditable an action for a private person to shoot or otherwise destroy an otter, as it is to secretly kill a fox in the Midlands. During the season that is slowly commencing there will be twenty-four packs of otterhounds hunting in the United Kingdom, as was the case last year. The first meet took place on April 6th, when the Essex Otterhounds, which Mr. L. Rose still continues to hunt, met at Witham Station. This was an early start indeed. The water must have been very cold, and the hounds in consequence could have shown no great keenness. The truth is, April is too early a month in which to make a commencement. It is wiser by far to wait till about the middle of May before bringing the hounds from their kennels. By this time the countryside is putting on her most resplendent mantle, the water is growing warm at last, and followers and hounds alike can thoroughly enjoy the sport. It is not a sport that only the rich can indulge in. Almost any and everybody can afford to follow it, whilst rarely has the agriculturist occasion to complain of damage being done to either his crops or fences by the followers. It is gratifying to notice that masters are determined to put a stop to the increasing practice of riding to otterhounds. Apart from it being quite unnecessary to be mounted, horse people are often a danger and always a nuisance among the legitimate following. There is, moreover, a growing inclination to utilise the rough-coated hound to a greater extent than hitherto. But one of the most pleasant features of modern otter-hunting is the large number of ladies that follow and subscribe to the various packs, coupled with which must be the fact that there are now two lady “masters”—Mrs. Walter Cheesman, the Master of Crowhurst Otterhounds, and Lady Mary Hamilton, who owns the Hamilton pack, which, as we write, was given to her a few days ago by Mr. R. Carnaby Forster. The two photographs that we reproduce herewith were taken during a recent run and kill with Mrs. Cheesman’s hounds. A Hundred Years Ago.(FROM THE SPORTING MAGAZINE OF 1806.)Cockings. Royal Pit, Westminster. Monday, April 15th.—The grand main of cocks, between the Hon. George Germaine (Potter, feeder) and Mr. Wilson (Lester, feeder), consisting of twenty-seven main and twenty byes, commenced fighting. The following is a statement:—
Setters.—Walters for Mr. Wilson and young Potter for Mr. Germaine. Before fighting, 11 to 8 on Potter; after Monday’s fight, 6 to 4 on Lester; after Tuesday’s fight 7 to 4 on Lester; after Wednesday’s fight, 11 to 8 on Potter; after Thursday’s fight, 12 to 10 on Lester; after Friday’s fight, even betting. The whole of the fighting was remarkably good, and did much credit to both the feeders and setters. In the short space of two hours in the afternoon of the 19th ult. [March] Mr. Isaac Pearson, of Poolbank, near Kendal, killed ten woodcocks at eleven shots on the woody grounds at Whitbarrow. The following curious circumstance happened on Monday, the 17th ult. The Allendale Foxhounds pursued a fox for some time on Staward banks and the grounds adjacent, until at last poor reynard was under the necessity of taking shelter in the crags; and the sportsmen, with greatest difficulty, opened the hole and secured their prey, which, upon examination, was found to be a large bitch-fox. She was taken to Bishopfield, where, to the great surprise of the keeper, on the Thursday following, she brought forth six fine young cubs, which are at this time with the mother, and are all likely to live. Home Circuit.—Brown v. Boxall. At Kingston, March 27th, this action was brought against the defendant for having in his possession a tunnel net for catching partridges, contrary to the statute of Queen Anne. The fact of finding the net at the defendant’s house was proved by one of the Duke of York’s gamekeepers. The net was produced, and it appeared to have been recently used, as a great many partridges’ feathers were sticking to it. No defence was made, and the plaintiff had a verdict for the penalty of five pounds. Otter-hunting.—On Thursday, April 24th, the hounds of Andrew Corbet, Esq., of Acton Reynald, in the county of Salop, threw off at Ternhill, and, opposite Fordall, hit on a drag which led them to a covered drain between the two pools at Buntings-dale, from which an otter was immediately bolted into the lower pool, where he showed excellent sport for forty minutes, and was killed in high style. On Friday, the same hounds resumed the sport, throwing off at Brook’s Mill, near Combermere, in Cheshire, where they were again successful in finding and killing a large dog otter. On Saturday, this famous pack threw off at Norton, above Drayton, and came down water to Peetswood pools, where they found a remarkable large otter, weighing 23 lbs., which was speared by Mr. Davies, after a chase of two hours. The Sportsman’s Library.The latest addition to the popular “Fur, Feather and Fin Series” of monographs is Mr. T. F. Dale’s contribution on the fox. Mr. Dale puts forward a theory to account for the preference often shown by the breeding vixen for a badger’s cete which commends itself; he suggests that the presence of the badger offers a measure of protection against the invasion of terriers—an advantage which perhaps would be fully appreciated by an animal so intelligent as the fox. True, not every badger has a welcome for the fox which takes up its quarters in the cete, as witness the cubs killed by badgers, after the method which makes the cause of death unmistakable; but we must allow for the varying temperament and disposition of individual members of any given species. “WHEN ALL IS QUIET.” An excellent and suggestive chapter is that on the “Education of the Fox,” and one that greatly tempts us to quotation; one remark only we reproduce, however, for the benefit of the soft-hearted people who see nothing but “cruelty” in foxhunting: “Hunting is his life: being hunted, but an episode.” There is the whole history of fox-life in a sentence. Early in the next chapter, on “The Mind of the Fox,” however, Mr. Dale hazards the conjecture that “it is not certain that he (the fox) is in reality more intelligent than other wild animals.” Flat treason this, Mr. Dale! Does not nearly every page of this most readable and thoughtful book of yours plead for a verdict in the contrary sense? We grant the cunning of hunted deer and hare, we accept their wiles as proof of high intelligence; but we cannot have it that the fox, the most assiduous of hunters and the most assiduously hunted, does not excel these in sagacity and resource. We would base our contention on the principle that a beast of prey which owes his existence to his skill and talent for circumventing other wild creatures, must of necessity develop higher mental faculties, more acute reasoning powers, if you will, than one which finds food ever ready to his mouth; and we would urge that your own wide knowledge of fox habit and wile fully justify your subsequent observation that the “intelligence which is necessary for the survival of the race is very marked.” When he comes to such matters as fox preservation and the home and haunts of the fox, the author of necessity is on much trodden ground, but nevertheless he has the art of putting familiar facts in a new and entertaining form. Incidentally it may be noted that the old-time method of dragging up to the fox’s kennel is still followed by the Fell packs as well as on Exmoor. Those who know not the coastline of Somerset and Devon will find much to interest them in the author’s remarks on the cliff-haunting foxes and the difficulties of killing them; but Mr. Dale does not believe that foxes which settle in a covert inland ever, of their own will, return to the cliffs. This, we imagine, is highly probable; the advantages of covert life appear to compare more than favourably with those of a cliff existence. In the chapter on “The Hunted Fox” we again naturally encounter the question of fox intelligence, and here we find ourselves in complete accord with our author. “If there were none but clever foxes we should soon give up hunting; if there were none but simple ones we should soon have no more foxes to hunt. The variability of the fox (as regards his intelligence) is an advantage to the race and to the sport.” The suggestion that one cause of the degeneracy of foxes is that more of the straight-running (i.e., simple-minded) are killed than of the cunning foxes which use their wits to beat hounds, deserves notice. The dodging fox lives longer to reproduce his kind, endued with his qualities of cunning and wile. When considering the “Fox as Outlaw,” Mr. Dale gives some very interesting figures relating to expenditure on hunting. He calculates that in a certain country the money spent by the master and members of the hunt on horses, hounds, food, and wages, represents £36 per head spent on each fox killed. It would not be difficult to prove the expenditure much larger, but the argument will serve as it stands. Passing over the “Fox in Fable”—proof, surely, of the superiority of wisdom attributed to the fox from very early times—and a very interesting chapter on jackal-hunting in India, we have a few pages on what we may call the economic aspects of the fox, as represented by the pelts of his foreign relatives. The work concludes with a chapter on the congenial topic of hunting. The ethical view of the matter is boldly faced, and the gist of the case is simply that foxes must be killed, and if not fairly killed by hounds, would meet their fate in some other way, probably more painful. The fox fulfils his mission in this country as a medium for the distribution of cash where it is most wanted, and as a source of pleasure; and all hunting men will heartily agree with the writer of this charming book when he says that “hardly any animal has, in the long history of its race, been of more importance in the literature and life of man, or is more interesting as a study of animal life and mind.” Mr. Archibald Thorburn’s drawings are most admirable. Polo in 1906.The polo season of 1906 commenced at Rugby and Leamington early in April, and has been continued up to the time of writing in the most glorious weather, which reminds one more of the middle of June than the beginning of April; it is only to be hoped that we shall not have to pay for it later on. Warwickshire seems to start polo before the other clubs, and in greater numbers than any other county; on April 9, there were 17 players at Rugby and 16 at Leamington. The prospects of the London season never were brighter, and the only difficulty for polo managers will be to satisfy their clients with the number of matches that they are able to allot them, provided only the weather is favourable. The great difficulty for polo players, who have not already mounted themselves for the season, will be to supply themselves with handy, easy ponies that they can play on; for I think it will be found more than ever this year that the supply is not equal to the demand. The great increase in the all-round demand for good ponies and the improvement of polo in England is, I think, due in a large measure to the number of civilian teams that have been started in London during the last few years; it is not only due to the fact that the players in these teams improve their own play through playing constantly with the same men against other good teams, but after playing in a team they are never again satisfied with members’ game polo, and they go away to their county clubs and teach these what they have themselves learnt in London, to the all-round betterment and benefit of the game. I append a list of the probable civilian combinations this season, in addition to which there will be teams representing Worcester Park, the Crystal Palace, and Kingsbury, and probably Hatfield and Essex. American Freebooters. I. Bell, J. I. Blair, R. J. Collier, F. J. Mackey. Beavers. W. Roylance Court, Capt. Phipps Hornby, A. M. Tree, F. Barbour. Eden Park. H. Bucknall, F. Rich, P. Bucknall, P. Bullivant (F. C. Nash, Secretary). Ireland. A. Rotherham, S. Watt, P. O’Reilly, C. O’Hara. Magpies. C. Grenfell, R. Grenfell, Capt. Gosling, Duke of Roxburgbe, Duke of Westminster, Capt. Long, F. Bellville. Moonlighters. J. Pearce, N. Baring, J. B. Dale, J. Lawson. Moreton Morrell. C. Garland, Lord Wodehouse, I. Bell, W. S. Buckmaster, C. P. Nickalls. Parthians. Capt. F. W. Barrett, Lord Kensington, Capt. Mathew Lassowe, Capt. C. Hunter, W. B. Burdon, G. R. Powell. Roehampton. M. Nickalls, C. P. Nickalls, Capt. H. Wilson, Capt. H. Lloyd, P. W. Nickalls. Rugby. Lord Shrewsbury, Walter Jones, G. A. Miller, C. D. Miller, Capt. E. D. Miller. Tiverton. M. de Las Casas, J. C. de Las Casas, L. de Las Casas, A. de Las Casas. Ranelagh. Capt. H. Jenner, Hon. A. Hastings, Capt. de Crespigny, Capt. Hon. F. Guest, F. A. Gill. Rokeby. Capt. Dunbar, Capt. A. Harman, Capt. Lee, Comte J. de Madre. Three of the best of the London players will be much missed this season. Mr. F. M. Freake has temporarily retired from the game, and Captain Heseltine has joined his regiment in India, which has caused Mr. Buckmaster to abandon the attempt to produce an old Cantab team. They will be much missed in London, as they were a very fine team, and for the last eight years have always been either runners up or winners of the Champion Cup. Another great loss to London polo will be Mr. U. O. Thynne, who has decided to give up the game for a time. He has run the Magpie team for a number of years, and his place will be hard to fill. The great attraction of the London season will be the visit of the Irish team, who distinguished themselves so much last autumn by winning the Irish Open Cup and the International match in Dublin. They are engaged to play exhibition matches at Roehampton, on June 9th and 13th, against Rugby and Roehampton, and on June 6th at Hurlingham. The International match, England v. Ireland, will take place at Hurlington on June 16th, and the team is also expected to play in the Champion Cup. As regards regimental polo prospects are fairly bright, but some of the regiments labour under great disadvantages. The 7th Hussars are at Ipswich, and find themselves without a ground to play on; they have, however, one squadron at Weedon, where they can get plenty of play, and though they have only just come home they have every intention of producing a useful team at the Tournament. The 7th Hussars, like the 9th Lancers, no matter how the regiment changes, are always formidable. The 9th has just proved the truth of this in India, by defeating the hitherto (for four years) invincible 15th. Indeed, their most formidable opponents turned out to be the 17th, of whom the same may be said as of the 7th and 9th. The Inniskillings will probably be without the invaluable services of Major Haig, who has had a serious illness, but is, I am glad to say, on the high road to recovery. The 20th Hussars will probably lose Captain Lee, whose broken leg has taken a very long time to mend, and he is not in the saddle yet. The 8th Hussars had some very good players last year, and the transfer of Major Wormald from the 7th should strengthen them and enable them to produce a really good team. The 11th Hussars were so near the Inniskillings last year that with very slight improvement they should prove themselves dangerous competitors for any regiment. The Household regiments will be represented probably by much the same teams, except that the Blues may find themselves stronger by the inclusion of Lord A. Innes Kerr, who has joined them from the Royals. In fact, the prospects of a most interesting Regimental Tournament are of the best. The Champion Cup is sure to produce a good contest with such teams as Roehampton, Ireland, Rugby, Ranelagh, and Moreton Morrell competing for it, and the County Cup should be very even between Rugby (last year’s winners), Cirencester, Eden Park, and the best of the Yorkshire clubs. I append a list of the tournaments that will probably take place, with the dates. TOURNAMENTS, 1906.
With quite a flourish of trumpets the flat-racing season began simultaneously with the going out of steeplechasing. I do not hesitate to attribute this to the weather, which was exceptionally fine for the first week of flat racing. It can be, and usually is, exceedingly bitter at Lincoln; and those who grumbled at the wind either had no previous experiences to fall back upon, or were troubled with poor memories. The Carholme has so bleak a situation that we are bound to catch any wind there is, and, unfortunately, at this season of the year it blows either into or along the enclosures. There is a meeting between North and South owners and trainers, and the special train from London on the first day bore with it quite as many well-known figures on the Turf as one expects. Amongst them was our amateur owner-jockey—a description which differentiates decidedly from jockey-owner—Mr. George Thursby, not long returned from a winter sojourn in Jamaica. The climate there is so conducive to indolence that Mr. Thursby found himself 19 lb. over weight, 10 lb. of which was got rid of on the way home by the drastic method of assisting the stokers. The keen racing brigade was well represented, and it is as well that the persevering army of backers should be so, for we cannot too soon begin taking notes for future use against the bookmakers. The greatest enthusiasm was aroused by the Batthyany Stakes, in which Rising Falcon, last year’s winner under 9 st., was trying again with 9 lb. more. Even under this burden he started joint favourite with Canty Bay, the fact that he was ridden as usual by Madden, thus making a pair that well understood one another, not being without influence. As matters turned out Madden was wanted. He did not hesitate to push Rising Falcon for all he was worth, and his winning was not in doubt until he was within a hundred yards of the post. There Golden Gleam and Early Bird drew upon him so rapidly that he was all but caught, for he had a short head only to spare from Golden Gleam when he passed the post. The next two, Early Bird and Golden Coin, were also separated by short heads, so the finish may be imagined. Madden came in for quite an ovation, and was actually seen to smile. ASCETIC’S SILVER. The Lincolnshire Handicap day, upon which the pecuniary success of the meeting mainly depends, was very disappointing to the executive, the attendance being quite poor for the occasion. The field, which consisted of twenty-four, has been described as a poor one for quality, but it seemed to me to strike the average. We cannot have a Bendigo or a Clorane every year; as a matter of detail, a horse of this class appears about once every ten years. According to the papers, certain horses were at the top of the betting quotations, but as a visit to the leading club five days previous to the race revealed precisely three bookmakers, representing only two firms, seated at the fire, it is probable that the volume of betting was not great. There was some on the day of the race, however; and in these days of degenerate wagering it was interesting to learn that one layer stood £30,000 against M. Ephrussi’s Ob. It was not difficult to lay that amount, for the lowest price at which the French horse was quoted was 20 to 1, plenty of smaller money being got on at 25 to 1. Ob had won three races in France under good weights as a four-year-old; but probably his failure to make any show in last year’s City and Suburban made the greater impression. The English money was chiefly for Roseate Dawn, upon whom Newmarket pinned its faith, and Dean Swift, the last-named coming with such a rush in the betting as to oust Roseate Dawn from favouritism. The public were not far out, for if the race had been run over again Dean Swift would probably, and Roseate Dawn possibly, have been returned the winner. The delay at the start was something terrible, but a very good one took place. Dean Swift and Roseate Dawn, however, began so badly as to look quite out of it in the earlier stages of the race, whereas Ob was amongst the leading lot; the actual first being the last Cambridgeshire winner, Velocity, and Catty Crag. Each in turn fell away, and Ob was left in command. Dean Swift bore down upon him, with great effect, a very exciting finish resulting. Dean Swift actually got his head in front, but Ob finished the straighter and won by a head, Roseate Dawn making up some lengths from the distance, and finishing a length behind Dean Swift. For the Brocklesby it was elected to plump for the St. Simon—Satirical filly, chiefly on the strength of a trial at home with a stable companion that won the day before. In appearance she justified the comparisons that were made to a hare and a whippet respectively, but she was all the more thought likely to win over the four-furlong scramble so early in the year, better furnished ones in Luisis, a bay filly by Orvieto—Filipena, and a colt by Galashiels—Brenda, being looked upon as likely to be seen to advantage later on. No doubt they will be, but as they were they were more than equal to the Satirical filly, who had every chance to win, for she was once in front, but was beaten fair and square. Lincoln itself has not gone with the times in keeping the town clear of thieves and similar undesirables. One of the hotels greatly frequented by racing people was “gone over” to some purpose. Until recently “till frisking” was a favourite pastime of these gentry at Lincoln, but hotel-keepers have learned to protect themselves by means of pugilistic looking barmen more at home at the East End of London, probably. In the meantime the need of the town is a chief constable such as we have at Chester and Brighton. Brighton, at race times, is a place completely changed from what it was a few years since, when it was not safe to walk the streets in the evening. “Of course there will not be so many present this year, because the King is not coming.” This, with variants, was a frequent remark made anticipatory of the Liverpool Spring Meeting. But the prophets were wrong, for the crowd on the Grand National day was greater than ever. On each of the three days the paddock was a sight, and it is palpable that with the better classes of Liverpool the races have become more popular than ever. The weather that prevailed on all three days left no excuse for non-attendance, there being plenty of sunshine and a splendid light for seeing the racing, this being no small matter on a course measuring two miles and a quarter in circuit. On the first day the Union Jack Stakes for three-year-olds and the Liverpool Spring Cup were the chief events of a card containing eight races, the unusual number being necessitated in order to bring the programme within the conditions. The Union Jack Stakes might, on occasion, serve as an early public trial for the Derby, and, as a matter of fact, Mr. L. de Rothschild’s Radium had actually been nibbled at for the Epsom race, although his connections were under no illusions as to his lack of quality. But the public thought they knew better and took even money about Radium, whereas another de Rothschild, Mr. J. A., from the Continent, really owned the pea in Beppo, who won in nice style from Bridge of Canny, Radium third, well beaten. In the Spring Cup, Ypsilanti was expected to carry his 9 st 2 lb. first past the post. But there were others too much for him; Flax Park, who is one of those that dislike the look of the starting-gate, leading from end to end. A bay colt by Isinglass—Queen Fairy, named Gnome, showed good form in the Molyneux Stakes, getting away so badly as to appear out of it, but mowing down the others in fine style in the end. It has been the fate of thousands to attend Aintree for the purpose of witnessing the Grand National and see little or nothing of it, but snow has been the cause. This year, however, in the finest weather there were several who saw nothing of the race, the reason being the simple one that the stands were overcrowded with those that came. An hour before the race was due prudent spectators took their seats on the roof, and those who dallied over the horses in the paddock arrived aloft to find the passage to the top choked with waiting people. For some time previously the racing world had been divided into two sections, one section declaring that John M.P. would not get the course—not half of it, said a subdivision of this section—the other section believing that he would make light of the jumps and win with ease. But the unexpected is always lying in wait upon competitors in the Grand National. That those who believed in John M.P. were largely in the majority was shown by his being made a strong favourite at 7 to 2, the second favourites being at 10 to 1. A judge of a steeplechaser could scarcely do otherwise than declare for John M.P., for he is about the ideal of what a chaser could be, and nothing better has been seen at Aintree. Then it was difficult to see which of his twenty-two opponents possessed sufficient class to be entitled to win in his place, for they all had flaws in their credentials for winning over such a country. Given that John M.P. was to fall, which of the others was to stand up all the way? That was the difficult problem to be solved. Drumcree, the winner in 1903, would probably get the course, but he had been on the shelf for two years, and his appearance at Kempton Park did not suggest sufficient go to win again, even with the best of them on the floor. The sequel spelt catastrophe for John M.P. He did not fall, but what he did do amounted to the same thing, so far as his chance of winning was concerned. He travelled exceedingly well for over a mile, and when he went some lengths clear between Becher’s and Valentine’s brooks, it seemed as though his natural speed was carrying him to the front without an effort. At the jump before Valentine’s, the course takes a curve to the left. Just here enormous numbers of spectators are always assembled, and much enthusiasm is displayed, the appearance of John M.P. leading clear being naturally productive of an extra amount. It is reasonably thought that the cheering distracted the horse’s attention. He was certainly not minding his business, and before he was aware of it he was at the fence, under the guard rail of which he slipped, going into the ditch. For the rest, Aunt May, getting the course for once in a way, showed momentarily in front a mile from home, and Ascetic’s Silver, Oatlands, Gladiator, Timothy Titus, Red Lad, and Pierre were all in the hunt. One by one they fell out till only Ascetic’s Silver, Red Lad, and Aunt May were left. Ascetic’s Silver was the only one to jump the remaining fences cleanly, and he did so in a way that was worthy of his jumping blood. He raced away from the other two, who bungled the last fence and gained a most meritorious victory. Whilst one cannot win without the horse, much of the merit must be given to Mr. Aubrey Hastings, trainer and rider of the winner. The time has gone by when the gentleman trainer was an object of commiseration with the profession, for he is now quite a power in the Turf world, and the circumstance is a remarkable one. Too much credit cannot be given to Mr. Hastings in thus consummating a long period of patience, not unaccompanied by some personal inconvenience. To continue the story of John M.P., the circumstances of his mishap were such that he was started on the following day for the Champion Steeplechase, again being a good favourite. His jumping soon became a subject of remark, for he screwed badly at three fences. The distance is three miles, and more than half a mile from home John M.P. was a beaten horse. He jumped the remainder of the fences, but he passed the post very tired. The thing was inexplicable, and, in one respect, though certainly not in another, it was a relief to learn later on that John M.P. had strained himself badly on the first day on the occasion of his mishap, and that, on the whole, it was a wonderful thing that he got the course in any shape or form. The Champion Steeplechase had a painful sequel. Apollino had won the race last year, and by reason of penalties for winning four races over £100 each, should have carried 12 st. 4 lb. The fact was as clear as noonday to any one perusing the conditions, and the correct weight duly appeared on the card. The jockey was weighed out in accordance with this, but eventually started carrying only 12 st. After a meritorious display Appolino repeated his last year’s victory, and, apparently, another 7 lb. would have made no difference. Alas, on returning to scale an objection was lodged on the score of wrong weight, and the stewards had no alternative to disqualification. Plenty of people in the ring, be it remarked, had worked out the matter for themselves and shouted their readiness to back the second, who was Royal Bow II., as soon as he had passed the post. With Northampton already forgotten, it was a pleasure to take one’s way to Newbury, which reigns in its stead, and appears likely to do so for some time, if appearances go for anything. By means of a chart the Great Western Railway show how very simple it is to reach the course from anywhere else in England. Going from London, last year’s experiences were repeated, trains doing the 53 miles from Paddington under the hour. The meeting was lucky in having lovely weather, and the drying winds had made the going quite firm, dust even flying on the course. Fields were large, one totalling thirty, and there seemed to be plenty of people. Large attendances will be necessary if the system of good stakes is to be persevered in, for simple arithmetic showed that these were far from paying their way. This is a little difficulty from which no racecourse, however popular, can be exempt, and the question of finance will crop up at Newbury, as elsewhere. What strikes one at Newbury is the absence of much of the stress and worry that attend most meetings. In the members’ enclosure are seen many faces that are not familiar on the metropolitan courses, and the feeling of being locally supported is prominent. The lovely surroundings and ample space give the place a freedom that is very welcome. Mr. John Porter, in his position of Managing Director, is always on the spot, rendered quite young again with new duties. He had introduced a novelty from Australian racecourses in the shape of a stewards’ observation stand, a skeleton structure of considerable elevation designed to enable stewards to see for themselves what has transpired during a course of bumping or crossing. The stand was placed forty yards or so above the winning post, and it is thought that it would be more serviceable at about the distance. Whether stewards would care to walk this distance for each race may be doubtful. Stipendiary stewards would, of course, do so as a mere matter of routine duty. We can imagine the berth being an exceedingly cold one during spring and autumn racing. On the first day we had the Newbury Spring Cup of £1,250, distance a mile. The Thrush looked splendid, and Ob’s Lincoln penalty giving him the same weight of 9 st., he was practically out of it with Thrush, who had won over this very course at the opening meeting in splendid style. Roseate Dawn and Velocity were running; Roseate Dawn doing well, though not well enough to beat Succory, who won rather easily. On the second day the Kingsclere Stakes of £1,000, distance a mile and a quarter, saw Colonia making her essay as a three-year-old. She ran badly, but not more so than many anticipated, from her appearance in the paddock, although she was lively enough in the canter, and was beaten when a mile had been covered. The race was won in sensational fashion, Madden on the Gressoney colt, having made the best of his way home to such purpose as to appear to have the race at his mercy. Bridge of Canny, Maher up, came on the scene at the distance, however, and gained rapidly. Still, his getting up did not seem feasible, but a terrific finish, which took us back to the old times when electric rushes on the post were the rule rather than the exception, gave Bridge of Canny the race by a head. This success gave Maher his five hundredth winning mount in England. FRENCH RACING.The French racing season always begins on March 15th and closes on November 15th, the four intervening months being occupied with cross-country sport, which is often of the highest interest, as there are so many valuable prizes to be won that it answers the purpose of owners to pay very high prices for horses that have figured to advantage on the flat. Thus, there is a steeplechase of £5,000 representing genuine added money, while, in addition to this one, there is another (the Grand Prix de Nice) of £4,000, and there are several others that range in value from £2,000 to £1,500 each. No wonder, therefore, that cross-country sport in France is very prosperous, and that the class of horse running is much better than it is in England; but, none the less, genuine sportsmen hail the advent of the flat-racing season, which has begun auspiciously enough, so far as actual sport is concerned, though a shadow has been cast across its track by the additional misfortunes which have befallen M. Edmond Blanc. It will be remembered that his formidable stable was visited last year by an epidemic which struck down all his best three-year-olds (Val d’Or, Jardy, Adam, and Genial), and deprived them of their best races, notably of the Derby, which Jardy or Val d’Or could either have won, and of the Grand Prix de Paris, which Val d’Or had “in his pocket.” It is true that Val d’Or recovered his form after the Grand Prix, and beat Cicero, at a difference of 3 lb., in the Eclipse Stakes, but he went amiss again after that, and nothing more was seen of him or of Jardy, the latter of whom nearly died after running when unfit in the Derby. But it was hoped that the mischief had been stamped out of the stable, so that we should see Val d’Or, Adam, Jardy, and Genial coming out as four-year-olds in their best form, and that two of them would be sent over to England to compete for the £10,000 prizes in which they were engaged. But this hope has to be abandoned, at all events so far as Val d’Or and Adam are concerned, for they have both gone amiss, or rather have met with an accident which has made it necessary to remove them from all their engagements. The mishap to Val d’Or is all the more provoking, because it is understood that he was doing remarkably well, and it is, comparatively speaking, a slight compensation to M. Blanc that he should have since sold Val d’Or to an Argentine-Republic breeder for over £20,000, as he would have fetched that and more after his racing career was over. The case of Adam is not less vexing, for this brother to Ajax was always regarded in the stable as being better than either Val d’Or or Jardy, and he, too, had done well since last season, until he met with the accident which has brought his racing career to an abrupt conclusion. Adam has not up to the present found a purchaser, and he has gone to M. Blanc’s famous stud, where he will rejoin his brother Ajax and his sire, Flying Fox. Whether M. Blanc will do as well this season with his three-year-olds as he did last year and the two preceding ones remains to be seen, but the odds are that he will not, and if he gains a victory in one or other of the French classic races it will probably be with one or other of his two fillies, Blue Fly and Belle Fleur, while the former may possibly come over to England and run for the Oaks at Epsom, though she would have powerful opponents to quash in Flair and Waterflower, both of whom would have the advantage of being on their own ground. It is a great handicap for a horse to have to make the journey across the Channel, as we have so often seen, but there will be no representative of the French stables in the Derby this year. Whether Jardy will come over later for the Gold Cup at Ascot, or the Princess of Wales’ and the Eclipse Stakes, will depend, of course, upon the progress he makes between now and then, but there is another good race in which Jardy can run at home, there being the Prix de President de la Republique of £4,000, with no penalties or allowances, which is run for at Maisons-Laffitte, and in which such English celebrities as Pretty Polly and St. Amant are engaged. It will be remembered that Pretty Polly’s sole defeat was sustained in France, when she was beaten by a French colt that ought never to have finished in front of her, and it will be interesting to see how he fares when he meets her again in July, always provided that the encounter does not take place a month before at Ascot. The three-year-olds in France this season do not appear, with two or three exceptions, to be more than moderate, the best of them all being Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt’s Prestige, a colt by le Pompon (bred by M. Edouard Blanc) who has won all his engagements, seven as a two-year-old and four this spring, in most decisive fashion, but he is not, unfortunately, engaged in any of the “classic” races at home or abroad; the best of the others being M. Edmond Blanc’s Blue Fly who ran second to him upon one occasion, and who is in the French Derby, the Epsom Oaks, and the Grand Prix de Paris. She would be favourite for the Chantilly Race were there any betting on future events, and she is well bred enough for anything, being by Flying Fox—Bluette, dam of that good horse Omnium II. The best of the colts engaged in the French Derby are Organiste, the property of M. de BrÉmond, whose colours were carried at Epsom seven years ago by the ill-fated Holocauste, who fell and broke his leg, and Ganelon II., who is owned by Count de Moltke; the latter colt is a grandson of St. Simon, his sire, Lauzun (by St. Simon—Merrie Lassie) having been bred by the King at Sandringham, and having won a good race or two before being sold to a French breeder. Ganelon II., who is one of the first of his get, looks like being a credit to his sire, for he has now won all his three engagements in a canter (beating, in one of them, Organiste), and gives one the impression of being a colt of high class, though Organiste may have made more improvement from two to three, as he was very backward when he finished second to Ganelon II. last autumn. HUNTING.There are but a few words needful to wind up the story of the season of 1905–6. It has been one of the most open ever known. Sport has varied, since scent has, of course, not been equally serviceable everywhere, and accounts range from the Heythrop, which has had a notably bad scenting season, up to the Badminton, the Cottesmore, the Fitzwilliam, and the Albrighton, all of which packs have had extraordinarily good seasons. The last named, hunting over a country not generally remarkable for carrying a scent, have had an unusually good season. The Master, Colonel Goulburn, and the huntsman, Morris, are new to the country, so that the record of kills—sixty-five brace—accounted for is all the more creditable, especially as it represents a number of quite remarkable runs. There must be a certain feeling of regret in the thought that the Quorn hounds will leave their old kennel this season. The new establishment at Pawdy Cross Roads may have more convenience, but it cannot have the associations of the old one, which invited the admiration of our grandfathers. “The kennels and stables at Quorn are superb,” wrote one who saw them in Mr. Meynell’s time; “they are within easy reach of the forest of Charnwood, and we hunt there long after the good country is shut up, in fact, until May-day.” Men make shorter seasons in the Midlands now than they did in Mr. Meynell’s day, but we kill more foxes; as in the five years from 1791 to 1796 the Quorn Hounds only averaged 36½ brace of foxes. The new kennels have every convenience, and we may be sure that Captain Forester and Tom Bishopp will not fail to have an always improving pack to live in them. No country has afforded more sport than the Fitzwilliam, which has found foxes for three other packs besides the Milton. Mr. Fernie’s hounds had a final day in the woods near Colly Weston on April 10th. There were plenty of foxes, seven being viewed in one covert, but there was not much scent to hunt them with. Such a show of foxes at the close of the season makes it clear what honest and careful preserving can do, since no less than four different packs have been in these coverts during the season. The ideas of people on fox preserving differ in an amusing way. I was discussing the other day the prospects of a certain country whose very existence hangs in the balance with two men. The hunting man thought there were very few foxes. The shooting man assured me there were plenty. But I think, perhaps, the late masters would differ from him. The season of 1905–6 has been remarkable for the small number of changes of mastership, and the ease with which vacancies have been filled up. The two most important alterations do not, indeed, arise out of vacancies at all, but from the masters being joined by partners. Thus Lord Charles Bentinck becomes joint master of the Blankney, and Lord Algernon Percy returns to his former post with the North Warwickshire as joint master with Mr. J. P. Arkwright. Among the new masters’ appointments since I wrote last are Mr. Swire to the Essex, and Mr. Neven du Mont to the East Sussex. The last-named gentleman is not an Englishman, but he is a very good sportsman, and he is to have the support of Sir Anchitel Ashburnham-Clement, to whom Sussex foxhunters owe so much. But if masters have not changed, many huntsmen and whippers-in are shifting. Gillson, who has been for some years with Mr. Preston Rawnsley in the Southwold country, has been appointed to succeed F. Gosden with the Meynell. Gillson’s brother goes to the Bedale from the South and West Wilts, with which pack he has shown good sport. There was no huntsman more respected and admired than the late George Gillson of the Cottesmore, and it is pleasant to see his two sons doing so well. An excellent servant, too, is George Shepherd, who is to be kennel huntsman to Lord Southampton with the Grafton. He has just finished a most enjoyable season with the Blankney. That pack has scarcely missed a single day. A promising man, too, is J. Baker, who has been first whipper-in to the Fitzwilliam, and is said to be going to the Cambridgeshire, a country where a good man can show much excellent sport. Then Freeman goes to the Pytchley in place of John Isaacs, who retires with a testimonial after twenty-six years in service with the Pytchley. Exmoor stag-hunting closed on April 11th, after an unusually brilliant season. The final fortnight after spring stags was a most successful close to the sport. The best run was on Friday, 6th, from Venniford Cross. Sir Thomas Acland’s coverts, as usual, when this fixture is on the card were drawn, and at one o’clock a stag was found, or rather two, but one soon disappeared, while the other went on. There had been just a sprinkle of rain the day before, and in spite of an east wind and brilliant sunshine hounds ran well, even over the plough. The first part of the run from Selworthy to Venniford Cross was bright and full of dash, and hounds swept on to Tivington Plantations, hard on their stag, which by this time had shed one antler. Then he laid down and allowed the field to go close to his lair, till hounds were too near to be pleasant, then he sprang up with a tremendous crash and literally hurled himself through the bushes and trees. He did not stop again till he reached Stonley Wood, some seven or eight miles from the start. Twice he came down to the stream below Monkham Wood, and we all thought the end had come. But in the course of the hunt in Monkham he shed the other horn, and thus lightened climbed the steeps of Langridge, and taking a line past Treborough Church, one of the highest placed buildings on the Brendon Hills, he went down to the water in Haddon coverts. Strange to say all trace of him was lost here, and he was given up. As hounds ran they covered about fifteen miles, and the pace was good. The field, including a good many strangers, was scattered, and only a few got to the end—the Master, the hunt servants, and one lady from Minehead, Mrs. Blofield. For my part, I could not get beyond Stonley, and not a few were left here. The day was warm, the pace was good, and fourteen stone riding the line honestly was bound to come to the end of the horse. I am able on good authority to assure the readers of Baily that there are plenty of stags and hinds for next season and for many more after that. This season was better than last, and the next will be even better if the weather is favourable. There are, as I have said, plenty of stags for sport, and not so many as to interfere with hounds. They have been thoroughly and systematically hunted, and thus are more likely to run. Mr. R. A. Sanders remains Master of the Devon and Somerset, Mr. E. A. Stanley and Sir John Amory provide the subsidiary packs, and in these three masters are three men who can hunt a red deer with a skill, keenness and science well worthy of the sporting traditions of Exmoor. The close of the season has been clouded by several rather serious accidents and one fatal one (Mr. Bovill was killed while hunting with the Warnham Staghounds). The cause of this last fall was said to be wire. At all events, the summer is the time to try to lessen this scourge. I am firmly convinced that wire should never be marked in countries where the use of this fencing prevails. There is sure to be some place where there are no warning signs, and it is here that fatal accidents so often happen. There is one step that might be taken and ought to be taken. Men who hunt and are favourable to hunting should remove all the wire that is under their control from their own properties, whether they themselves hunt in the country or not. Then those who have influence with their tenants should endeavour to reduce the quantity on land they own but do not occupy. There is nothing more certain than that if all the wire was taken down by hunting men and hunting landlords on land in their own occupation it would greatly reduce the quantity and would set an example sure to be followed. Mr. David Ker, who has held the mastership of the County Down Staghounds for two seasons, has retired, much to the regret of his followers. Captain Hugh Montgomery, only son of Mr. Thomas Montgomery, D.L., of Ballydrain, co. Antrim, has been elected as Mr. Ker’s successor, and he should do well, as he is popular, a keen sportsman and fine horseman. SOME SPRING PRODUCTIONS AT THE THEATRES.At the Adelphi Theatre Mr. Otho Stuart is scoring heavily with his series of Shakesperian productions. Miss Lily Brayton and Mr. Oscar Asche are the aptest pupils of the Benson school, and the immortal Bard in their hands shows to very great advantage. “The Taming of the Shrew” made a great hit, and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was delighting the town when it was withdrawn to make room for “Measure for Measure.” It seems rather a bold venture to put up this play, as the original text makes it a play to which every young girl might not like to take her mother. But as arranged and produced by Mr. Oscar Asche there is slight risk, and the comedy runs along through its ten scenes in the nicest way. To Miss Lily Brayton belong the chief honours of the evening, and her study of Isabella, sister of the guilty Claudio, is as charming as is her appearance in the white uniform of the probationer. Mr. Oscar Asche is as virile as ever in the part of Angelo, the demoralised deputy, with a passion and beard happily reminiscent of Mr. Pinero’s Maldonato—who gave the cheque book to Iris and finally smashed the furniture of the flat. Who shall say that Maldonato was not a lineal descendant of the determined Deputy of Vienna? Mr. Walter Hampden presents a Duke full of dignity, considering that the conduct of Vincentio in lurking about his city disguised as a friar, when he is supposed to be out of town, is as undignified an act for a potentate as one can well imagine. Miss Frances Dillon makes the best of the ungrateful part of the slighted Mariana, who in the gloomy shades of the “Moated Grange” brings off a coup of which Monte Carlo might well be proud. “Measure for Measure,” written by Shakespeare, is undoubtedly strong meat, as produced by Mr. Oscar Asche it is in every way a digestible, and better still, a most palatable dish. “The Beauty of Bath” at the new Aldwych Theatre is probably the most successful show in London at the present time, and our thanks are due to Mr. Seymour Hicks for a most delightful entertainment. It is all against the canons of so-called musical comedy that either the music or the comedy should be too fresh or original, and probably any adventurous spirit who attempted to deal in such dangerous goods as an entirely new and original comedy-opera would speedily find himself amongst the registrars and receivers in Carey Street, W.C. And Mr. Seymour Hicks is at the head of his profession, and knows what his public wants. From the story of Cinderella he fashioned the phenomenally successful “Catch of the Season,” and now from an idea in “David Garrick,” and the marked resemblance in personal appearance of his brother, Mr. Stanley Brett, to himself, Mr. Hicks has evolved the story the “Beauty of Bath,” who comes to town, falls in love with a prominent actor, and finds herself at the end of the play engaged to marry his double, a dashing naval officer. Miss Ellaline Terriss makes a perfect beauty from Bath, Mr. Stanley Brett is the distinguished actor, and Mr. Seymour Hicks is breezy Dick Alington the sailor hero of the story, with a large fortune and a long and exacting and admirably played part. Mr. Hicks is at his best in a pathetic scene between Dick and his mother upon the return of the former from China. And in the second act his scene of pseudo-drunkenness au David Garrick is very well done. In “Bluebell” he was not on the stage nearly enough to satisfy his admirers, who, in the present production, are delighted to see more Hicks. Amongst other members of a long cast, that accomplished actress, Miss Rosina Filippi, does wonders with a part which seems scarcely good enough for her; and Master Valchera as a call-boy, adds to the popularity he won as Bucket, the page-boy, in the “Catch of the Season,” and Miss Barbara Deane sings as charmingly as ever. Beautiful ladies in beautiful costumes form a prominent and most attractive feature of the entertainment, and the Twelve Bath Buns, as they are styled, might any of them challenge the “Judgment of Paris.” The two scenes, representing the foyer of a theatre and a ballroom, are very fine, and reflect the greatest credit upon Mr. W. Hann, the painter: and altogether there seems to be nothing but praise for everyone concerned in this handsome production. Why the Comedy should not be a more lucky theatre is a problem which we have never heard solved in a satisfactory way. It is very conveniently placed and is a nice enough house, and yet a long run there is more or less a rarity. Following the short run of “The Alabaster Staircase,” a revival of “A Pair of Spectacles” presented those consummate artists, Messrs. John Hare and Charles Groves, in their original parts, but even this did not fill the bill for long, and upon April 5th, Mr. Chudleigh reverted to an old-time method of his at the Court Theatre, and put up a triple bill. The first piece is by Mr. Austin Strong, the author of “The Little Father of the Wilderness,” which a few months ago afforded Mr. Huntley Wright a good opportunity of displaying his ability as a pathetic actor. “The Drums of Oude” deals with an incident in the Indian Mutiny, where a small body of English troops are in peril and it is a question of death before dishonour when, at almost the last desperate moment reinforcements spell rescue. The chief feature of this little drama was the very telling performance of Mr. Matheson Lang as the resolute Captain Hector Macgregor. The rest of the evening was devoted to two pieces by Mr. J. M. Barrie—“Punch,” a toy tragedy in one act, and “Josephine,” a revue in three scenes. “Punch” deals with the misfortunes and ruin of the senior dramatists before the growth of Superpunch. Besides Punch and Judy, the other two characters in the tragedy are ? ?a??e?? a fishmonger’s boy, who announces that he represents the voice of the public. Mr. Barrie is such a profound and elaborate jester that one looks closely for a joke in his every word, but this ? ?a??e?? is too perplexing for us, unless, indeed, the explanation offered by a super-Scotchman be the correct one, that a fishmonger’s boy would, of course, carry ice. This is bad enough, but we would rather adopt that view than believe Mr. Barrie to have put up a fishmonger or butcher’s boy to represent d? ?a??e?te? the Attic “men of culture and taste.” However that may be, the other character in the tragedy is not so involved, and before Superpunch had come on the stage we were prepared for the notorious Bernard Shaw beard, and for the complete triumph of the new man. We should think it improbable that “Punch” will enjoy such a long run as is usually the case with anything from Mr. Barrie’s fertile pen. “Josephine” is called on the programme “a Revue,” but this is unfair to a distinguished institution which belongs to Paris, and we prefer to call “Josephine” a political skit. The story is of the household of sleepy Mr. Buller, where his three Scotch sons take it in turns to play at being eldest son, and mismanaging everything, with flirtations with Mavourneen Blarney to pass the time, and more serious engagements with Josephine. Bunting is a youngest son, representative of the growing Labour Party, and Fair and Free are two beautiful ladies who each claim to assist in the housekeeping, with disastrous results. The three scenes are made up of personalities at the expense of Lord Rosebery, Mr. Balfour, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, and, of course, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, who is represented in woman’s clothes by a male actor. This might be regarded as an error of judgment, were it not that Mr. Dion Boucicault plays this difficult part with the best of taste and discretion; at the same time we see no reason why the part should not have been played by a lady, as is the case with Mavourneen Blarney, who is admirably represented by Miss Eva Moore. We cannot find much to say in praise of “Josephine,” but there is much to be said in praise of the company who play it. As we have said, Mr. Dion Boucicault does wonders for the part of Josephine. Mr. Graham Browne is excellent as James, whose golf-clubs and dilettante attitudes proclaim him the late Prime Minister; and Mr. Kenneth Douglas and A. G. Matthews are excellent respectively as C. B. and Lord Rosebery. Mr. Louis Calvert is nicely sleepy as John Bull, and Miss Grace Lane and Miss Mabel Hackney, as Fair and Free, look very charming, and indulge in some Grigolati work on a wire, although we cannot quite make out why they should. It seems impossible that Mr. Barrie’s jokes should ever be anything but successful, so probably these will enjoy a long vogue, but personally we would prefer to see such an excellent company of actors and actresses playing in something in which they have a chance of showing to better advantage. At the Haymarket Theatre the welcome revival of “The Man from Blankley’s” is proving a great success, and eight times a week Lord Strathpeffer has been dining with the Tidmarshes and their strange acquaintances. Mr. Anstey’s story of how his lordship found his way into the wrong house in Bayswater, and being mistaken for the hired guest from Blankley’s emporium, spent a perplexing evening amongst strangers, is extremely funny. And it is made funnier still by the fine company playing at the Haymarket. Mr. Charles Hawtrey is immense in his original part of Strathpeffer, and Messrs. Henry Kemble and Aubrey Fitzgerald as the pompous uncle, Gilwattle, and the brainless Poffley are inimitable. Moreover, Mr. Arthur Playfair resumes his part of the hired butler, out of which he extracts any amount of undignified fun. Mr. Weedon Grossmith now plays the host, and fits the part to perfection. Of the ladies Miss Fanny Brough is as humorous as ever in the rÔle of the worried hostess, and Miss Dagmar Wiehe, a new-comer, is very charming and natural as the Governess. “The Man from Blankley’s” is just about the most amusing unmusical entertainment in London nowadays, and is a very prominent example of the success which can attend a revival of a popular play done by a first-class company. We were interested by the remark of a very wise woman who traced a great similarity between “The Man from Blankley’s” and that great masterpiece, “His House in Order.” In each case there is a girl very much out of her element amongst the strangest beings that imagination could depict, and in each case there comes to her rescue a man of distinction. The Tidmarshes live in Bayswater, and Mr. Jesson lives in the provinces. It was amusing to hear the comparison of the two plays, but we have no space now to do more than make a passing reference to the ingenuity of our wise friend. At the Lyric Theatre, Mr. H. B. Irving is to be complimented upon his good work as the adaptor, producer, and interpreter of a very interesting play. “Jeunesse” is the name of the work by Mr. AndrÉ Picard, as produced at the OdÉon Theatre, but since the title “Youth” has already been appropriated for an English play, Mr. Irving has been well advised to call his production by the name of the heroine, “Mauricette,” for she is the keynote of the whole composition. It is a pathetic little story, this, which comes, unlike most French successes, healthily enough into a London theatre without any excision or operation of the scalpel of the censor. Roger Dautran is a senator in the prime of life—that is, from the point of view of a man of fifty—he has a most devoted wife, past the prime of life—from the point of view of the man of fifty—and childless. Dautran has a large heart and a great yearning for sympathy from the other sex, and he frankly admits that if ever he has made a telling speech in debate, his only inspiration has been the presence of a sympathetic spirit in the ladies’ gallery. So the impressionable senator, finding home-life somehow incomplete, has drifted into the habit of consistently dining out, and leaving his devoted wife to the desert, of tedium of an improving book to read in nice large print. On the first night of our acquaintance with the restless Roger, he is just off to dine at a restaurant, when his wife presents to him a girl whom she suggests she shall retain in their household as companion for them both, to lend a fragrance of youth to their dull, middle-aged menage. Mauricette is a beautiful child, eighteen years of age, and so soon as Dautran has seen her he elects to dine at home that very evening, and for the next six weeks it would be good betting that he never dined out. After six weeks we find the party very much united at Dautran’s country house; to the delight of his wife, the senator has become quite redomesticated, but the pity of it is that this has only come about at the expense of the heart of poor Mauricette, who has fallen in love with her elderly admirer, who in his turn can think of nothing but her and himself. The second act is full of good things; a doctor, the type of youth in the district, and a protÉgÉ of Dautran, thinks it would be a very good thing for Mauricette and himself if they married, and tells the girl so with the full approbation of Mme. Dautran, who by this time is getting a little tired and doubtful of her scheme for the re-domestication of her husband. Mauricette has no room in her heart for the doctor, and asks for time to consider his offer, but closely following upon this she is exposed to an offer of a less honourable nature from a visitor to the house, and in less time than it takes to tell there is a terrible storm raging in the drawing-room, and Dautran is inadvertently but obviously proclaiming his love for the girl. Mauricette, to put matters right, agrees to marry the doctor, and forthwith leaves the house, to the grievous distress of Dautran. In the last act we find, six months later, Mauricette married to the doctor and the best of friends, but Roger still holds her heart. He is bent upon again seeing her, and so an interview is granted by permission of the doctor. At first Mauricette talks affectionately to Roger without looking at him, until in a very dramatic moment she looks up, sees his grey hair and careworn face, and recoils from the man who had taught her to love him. And so youth mates with youth, and the doctor is made happy. Miss Dorothea Baird is a charming Mauricette, and deserves the highest praise for her performance. Since her great success as “Trilby,” she has not, in our opinion, had such a good part, and she certainly makes the most of it. Mr. H. B. Irving gives us an extremely clever study of Roger Dautran, especially in the last act, where the senator is made to realise that he is beaten by the clock. Mr. Leslie Faber has an unsympathetic task in playing the doctor, who is the representative of youth, but he succeeds in his difficult task. Miss Marion Terry supplies a large share of the success of the evening, her study of the loving wife, who, in her anxiety to please her husband, introduces a very pronounced element of discord into the home, being extremely clever. “Mauricette” is altogether charming. The annual match between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge was played this year at Hoylake, this being the first time a northern green was chosen for the contest. In accordance with custom the match was decided by holes, and Cambridge won by no less than 30 holes against 7. Oxford only won a single match, and halved another. Her captain, Mr. G. E. Grundy, played Mr. A. G. Barry, the amateur champion, and, after playing two rounds of the course, they had a tie. Mr. Barry’s brother played a good match with Mr. R. H. Hill, whom he defeated by two holes. The Mid-Surrey Club won the first foursome tournament for London clubs. Its representatives were Mr. S. H. Fry and J. H. Taylor, who, in the final tie, beat, by 9 up and 8 to play, Mr. W. Herbert Fowler and James Braid, of the Walton Heath Club. The latter couple showed poor form, much to the disappointment of their friends. The Inter-county Tournament, arranged by the Cricketers’ Golfing Society, was won by Yorkshire, which in the final round, played at Walton Heath, defeated Sussex by 3 points to nothing. The winning county was represented by Mr. Ernest Smith, the Hon. F. S. Jackson, and Mr. T. L. Taylor; and Sussex by Mr. G. Brann, Mr. W. H. Dudney, and Mr. C. A. Smith. Each of the former trio won his match. This was the first Inter-county Tournament, and it was considered necessary to play it under handicap, but it is to be hoped that on a future occasion it may be possible to put the competitors on their merits. Muirfield witnessed some good play at the spring meeting of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Mr. Charles L. Dalziel carried off the club medal with a score of 80, while Mr. John E. Laidlay, tied for second place with Mr. A. W. Robertson-Durham with 83. Mr. Laidlay won when the tie was played off. Mr. Leslie M. Balfour-Melville, another ex-amateur champion, took 89 for his round. The course is reported in splendid condition for the Open Championship in June. Last year eight of the Edinburgh clubs possessing private greens inaugurated a foursome tournament, and this year they repeated it. On this occasion play took place on the links, at Duddingstone, of the Insurance and Banking Club. The local club was the fancied winner, but in the final round it was defeated by the Murrayfield Club, which, with four strong representatives, won by a single hole. Newcastle in County Down saw the first of the championship meetings of the year. There the ladies of Ireland held their annual meeting, and they showed their interest in it by turning out in very large numbers. For the second year in succession Miss May Hezlet and her sister, Miss Florence Hezlet, competed in the final round, and again the former won by 2 up and 1 to play. Miss May Hezlet has now won this championship on four occasions, and the Ladies’ Open Championship twice. Sporting Intelligence. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KEMPTON PARK. | |||
| March 16th.—The Rendlesham Hurdle Handicap of 212 sovs.; two miles. | |||
| Major Joicey’s ch. h. Plum Pecker, by Persimmon—Ornis, 6 yrs., 10st. 4lb. | E. Driscoll | 1 | |
| Mr. F. Phillips’ ch. h. The Choir, 6 yrs., 11st. 4lb. | E. Morgan | 2 | |
| Mr. W. J. Crooks’ b. g. Henley, 5 yrs., 11st. 5lb. | L. Sherwood | 3 | |
| 5 to 1 agst. Plum Pecker. | |||
| March 17th.—The Spring Handicap Steeplechase Plate of 250 sovs.; two miles and a half. | |||
| Mr. Cotton’s ch. g. Phil May, by Milner—Sister May, aged, 11st. 10lb. | J. Owens | 1 | |
| Mr. B. W. Parr’s ch. m. Aunt May, aged, 12st. 7lb. | Mr. Persse | 2 | |
| Mr. P. Danby’s b. m. Miss Tessie, 6 yrs., 10st. 4lb. | G. Clancy | 3 | |
| 9 to 2 agst. Phil May. | |||
| HOOTON PARK. | |||
| March 16th.—The Great Cheshire Steeplechase of 825 sovs.; two miles and a half. | |||
| Mr. W. M. G. Singer’s b. g. Bellivor Tor, by Wolfs Crag—Belle Haine, aged, 10st. 10lb. | D. Morris | 1 | |
| Mr. T. Ashton’s b. g. Seisdon Prince, aged, 10st. 10lb. | J. O’Brien | 2 | |
| Sir Peter Walker’s ch. g. Flutterer, aged, 10st. 10lb. | E. Sullivan | 3 | |
| 10 to 1 agst. Bellivor Tor. | |||
| March 17th.—The Hooton Park Hurdle Race of 1,000 sovs.; two miles and a quarter. | |||
| Mr. Thompson’s ch. h. Leviathan, by Isinglass—Galiana, aged, 10st. 10lb. | G. Wilson | 1 | |
| Mr. J. Buchanan’s ch. h. Vril, 5 yrs., 10st. 8lb. | J. O’Brien | 2 | |
| Capt. F. Bald’s b. g. Rosebury, 5 yrs., 10st. 8lb. | F. Mason | 3 | |
| 5 to 2 agst. Leviathan. | |||
| LINCOLN SPRING MEETING. | |||
| March 26th.—The Batthany Plate (Handicap) of 500 sovs.; five furlongs, straight. | |||
| Mr. Ned Clark’s b. g. Rising Falcon, by St. Issey—Magpie, 6 yrs., 9st. 9lb. | O. Madden | 1 | |
| Mr. Arthur James ch. c. Golden Gleam, 4 yrs., 7st. 7lb. | R. Jones | 2 | |
| Mr. A. H. Ruston’s b. g. Early Bird, 6 yrs., 7st. 2lb. | E. Charters | 3 | |
| 5 to 1 agst. Rising Falcon. | |||
| The Chaplin Stakes of 300 sovs.; one mile and a quarter. | |||
| Mr. A. Stedall’s b. f. Olitzka, by Ocean Wave—L’Excepcion, 8st. 2lb. | O. Madden | 1 | |
| Mr. L. de Rothschild’s b. c. St. Amadour, 8st. 5lb. | K. Cannon | 2 | |
| Mr. R. Dalgleish’s b. c. Buckminster, 9st. | W. Griggs | 3 | |
| 8 to 1 agst. Olitzka. | |||
| March 27th.—The Lincolnshire Handicap of 1,000 sovs., added to a sweepstakes of 15 sovs. each; the Straight Mile. | |||
| M. Ephrussi’s b. c. Ob, by Bocage—Glave, 5 yrs., 8st. | G. Bellhouse | 1 | |
| Mr. J. B. Joel’s ch. g. Dean Swift, 5 yrs., 7st. 11lb. | H. Randall | 2 | |
| Mr. L. Robinson’s b. c. Roseate Dawn, 5 yrs., 8st. 5lb. | W. Halsey | 3 | |
| 20 to 1 agst. Ob. | |||
| The Hainton Plate (Handicap) of 400 sovs.; one mile and a half. | |||
| Mr. S. Loates’ b. c. Mr. Whistler, by Velasquez—Chantres, 4 yrs., 6st. | C. Heckford | 1 | |
| Mr. J. F. Appleyard’s ch. c. Given Up, 5 yrs., 7st. | A. Templeman | 2 | |
| Mr. L. Robinson’s b. f. Laveuse, 5 yrs., 7st. 2lb. | W. Saxby | 3 | |
| 8 to 1 agst. Mr. Whistler. | |||
| March 28th.—The Brocklesby Stakes of 200 sovs., added to a sweepstakes of 10 sovs. each, for two-year-olds; four furlongs and fifty yards, straight. | |||
| Mr. G. M. Inglis’ b. f. Luisis, by Orvieto—Philopena, 8st. 7lb. | B. Dillon | 1 | |
| Mr. J. B. Joel’s bay colt by Galashiels—Brenda, 8st. 10lb. | H. Randall | 2 | |
| Mr. Arthur James’ bay or brown filly by St. Simon—Satirical, 8st. 7lb. | H. Jones | 3 | |
| 20 to 1 agst. Luisis. | |||
| The Doddington Plate (a welter handicap) of 250 sovs.; one mile and a quarter. | |||
| Mr. N. H. Scott’s b. c. Brettanby, by St. Simonmimi—Assiduity, 5 yrs., 8st. 6lb. | J. Murray | 1 | |
| Mr. C. Mynors’ b. c. Alresford, 5 yrs., 7st. 9lb. (car. 7st. 10lb.) | H. Randall | 2 | |
| Mr. G. H. Freeman’s b. h. Santa Claus, 5 yrs., 7st. 8lb. | J. W. East | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Brettanby. | |||
| The Kesteven Plate of 200 sovs.; one mile and three furlongs. | |||
| Mr. L. de Rothschild’s b. f. Quinade, by St. Frusquin—Blade, 3 yrs., 6st. 3lb. | T. Jennings | 1 | |
| Mr. B. Kilmer’s ch. c. Devereux, 4 yrs, 9st. 2lb. | E. Wheatley | 2 | |
| Mr. W. H. Schwind’s b. c. Fraxinus, 4 yrs., 9st. 2lb. | W. Higgs | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Quinade. | |||
| LIVERPOOL SPRING MEETING. | |||
| March 29th.—The Liverpool Spring Cup of 1,000 sovs.; Cup Course (one mile and three furlongs). | |||
| Mr. P. Cullinan’s b. c. Flax Park, by Bushey Park—Flax, 4 yrs., 7st. 4lb. | F. Hunter | 1 | |
| Sir J. Thursby’s ch. c. Standen, 4 yrs., 7st. 7lb. | J. H. Martin | 2 | |
| Mr. L. Robinson’s ch. c. Glenamoy, 5yrs., 8st. 3lb. | W. Halsey | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Flax Park. | |||
| The Molyneux Stakes of 10 sovs. each, with 200 sovs. added, for two-year-olds. | |||
| Mr. J. Wallace’s b. c. Gnome, by Isinglass—Queen Fairy, 8st. 7lb. | J. Jarvis | 1 | |
| Mr. J. B. Joel’s br. c. Diary, 8st. 7lb. | H. Randall | 2 | |
| Lord Derby’s bay filly by Melange—Jolly Jenny, 8st. 4lb. | O. Madden | 3 | |
| 6 to 5 on Gnome. | |||
| The West Derby Stakes of 200 sovs., for three-year-olds; seven furlongs. | |||
| Capt. J. G. R. Homfray’s b. or br. c. Land League, by Desmond—Combine, 9st. | W. Higgs | 1 | |
| Mr. L. de Rothschild’s b. c. Guise, 8st. 7lb. | K. Cannon | 2 | |
| Sir E. Cassel’s br. g. Goldrock, 9st. | W. Halsey | 3 | |
| 5 to 4 agst. Land League. | |||
| March 30th.—The Sefton Park Plate of 459 sovs., for two-year-olds; straight half-mile. | |||
| Col. W. Hall Walker’s ch. c. Polar Star, by Pioneer—Go On, 8st. 6lb. | B. Lynham | 1 | |
| Mr. E. Barlow’s br. f. Quaver, 8st. 6lb. | H. Randall | 2 | |
| Sir R. W. B. Jardine’s b. f. Edict, 8st. 6lb. | E. Wheatley | 3 | |
| 2 to 1 on Polar Star. | |||
| Grand National Steeplechase (a handicap) of 2,750 sovs.; Grand National Course (about four miles and 856 yards). | |||
| Prince Hatzfeldt’s ch. h. Ascetic’s Silver, by Ascetic—Silver Lady, 9 yrs., 10st. 9lb. | Mr. A. Hastings | 1 | |
| Mr. E. M. Lucas’s ch. g. Red Lad, 6 yrs., 10st. 2lb. | C. Kelly | 2 | |
| Mr. B. W. Parr’s ch. m. Aunt May, 10 yrs., 11st. 2lb. | Mr. H. Persse | 3 | |
| 20 to 1 agst. Ascetic’s Silver. | |||
| March 31st.—The Liverpool Hurdle Handicap of 500 sovs.; two miles. | |||
| Capt. C. P. B. Wood’s ch. c. Amersham, by Marco—Shardeloes, 4 yrs., 10st. 13lb. | F. Morgan | 1 | |
| Mr. S. M. Nolan’s bl. h. The Arrowed, 5 yrs., 11st. 8lb. | R. Morgan | 2 | |
| Capt. F. Bald’s b. g. Rosebury, 5 yrs., 10st, 9lb. | G. Goswell | 3 | |
| 7 to 2 agst. Amersham. | |||
| The Earl of Sefton’s Plate (handicap) of 500 sovs.; Anchor Bridge Course (six furlongs). | |||
| Mr. H. Barnato’s ch. c. Auriform, by Cyllene—Auricula, 4 yrs., 6st. 10lb. | J. Howard | 1 | |
| Lord Derby’s b. g. Persinus, 4 yrs., 7st. 3lb. | W. Saxby | 2 | |
| Capt. F. Bald’s b. h. Gold Lock, 6 yrs., 7st. 8lb. (car. 7st. 9lb.) | O. Madden | 3 | |
| 10 to 1 agst. Auriform. | |||
| The (Twenty-sixth) Champion Steeplechase of 1,000 sovs.; about three miles. | |||
| Mr. John Widger’s ch. g. Royal Bow II., by Royal Meath—Bow Legged Bet, 5 yrs., 11st. 5lb. | Mr. J. Widger | 1 | |
| Mr. W. Welch’s b. g. Mahratta, aged, 11st. | A. Newey | 2 | |
| Capt. M. Hughes’ b. g, Vaerdalen, 5 yrs., 11st. | M. Harty | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Royal Bow II. | |||
| WARWICK CLUB MEETING. | |||
| April 2nd.—The Kineton Two-Year-Old Stakes of 5 sovs. each for starters, with 100 sovs. added; four furlongs and a half. | |||
| Lord Wolverton’s b. colt by Orme Perleonie, 9st. 2lb. | H. Jones | 1 | |
| Mr. M. Gurry’s b. f. Geoffros, 8st. 8lb. | W. Griggs | 2 | |
| Sir E. Cassel’s ch. f. Komombos, 8st. 8lb. | W. Halsey | 3 | |
| 11 to 10 agst. Perleonie colt. | |||
| April 3rd.—The Grove Park Two-Year-Old Plate of 200 sovs.; four furlongs and a half. | |||
| Sir M. Fitzgerald’s ch. c. The Cherub, by Cherry Tree—Sister Angela, 8st. 11lb. | J. H. Martin | 1 | |
| Mr. John Bremer’s ch. c. Never Beat, 9st. | A. Templeman | 2 | |
| Mr. R. McCreery’s ch. c. Paso Robles, 8st. 11lb. | H. Pike | 3 | |
| 4 to 1 agst. The Cherub. | |||
| NEWBURY SPRING MEETING. | |||
| April 4th.—The Newbury Spring Cup (a handicap) of 1,250 sovs.; one mile, straight. | |||
| Mr. T. E. Liddiard’s br. c. Succory, by Symington—Bi-Metallism, 3 yrs., 6st. 5lb. | J. Plant | 1 | |
| Mr. L. Robinson’s b. h. Roseate Dawn, 5 yrs., 8st. 9lb. | W. Halsey | 2 | |
| Capt. J. Orr-Ewing’s b. c. Thrush, 4yrs., 9st. | H. Randall | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Succory. | |||
| The Spring Three-Year-Old Maiden (at entry) Stakes of 300 sovs.; one mile, quite straight. | |||
| Lord Dalmeny’s br. c. Ramrod, by Carbine—Esk, 9st. | W. Higgs | 1 | |
| Mr. E. A. Wigan’s br. g. Æolus, 8st. 11lb. | B. Dillon | 2 | |
| Capt. J. G. R. Homfray’s b. c. Marlow, 9st. | W. Halsey | 3 | |
| 6 to 5 agst. Ramrod. | |||
| The Thatcham Long Distance Handicap of 200 sovs.; one mile and a half. | |||
| Mr. O. W. Rayner’s ch. c. Feather Bed, by Ravensbury—Bed of Roses, 4 yrs., 7st. 2lb. | A. Templeman | 1 | |
| Lord Penrhyn’s br. g. Haresfield, aged, 8st. 13lb. | H. Randall | 2 | |
| Mr. F. Gretton’s b. f. Zelis, 4 yrs., 6st. 3lb. | J. Howard | 3 | |
| 9 to 2 agst. Feather Bed. | |||
| The Chieveley Handicap of 300 sovs.; five furlongs, straight. | |||
| Capt. Greer’s ch. c. Rocketter, by Gallinule—Volante, 3 yrs., 8st. 5lb. | W. Higgs | 1 | |
| Mr. A. Stedall’s ch. c. Melane, 3 yrs., 7st. 1lb. | C. Trigg | 2 | |
| Mr. T. Worton’s b. c. Scrambler, 4 yrs., 8st. 10lb. | Wm. Griggs | 3 | |
| 7 to 2 agst. Rocketter. | |||
| The Kingsclere Stakes of 1,000 sovs., for three-year-olds; one mile and a quarter. | |||
| Lord Derby’s b. c. Bridge of Canny, by Love Wisely—Santa Brigida, 8st. 3lb. | D. Maher | 1 | |
| Mr. W. Bass’s ch. colt by Love Wisely—Gressoney, 8st 8lb. | O. Madden | 2 | |
| Mr. J. B. Joel’s br. c. Prince William, 8st. 9lb. | H. Randall | 3 | |
| 2 to 1 agst. Bridge of Canny. | |||
| The Carnarvon Stakes of 200 sovs., added to a sweepstakes of 10 sovs. each; five furlongs, straight. | |||
| Mr. J. B. Joel’s br. c. Diary, by Diakka—Supplement, 8st. 10lb. | H. Randall | 1 | |
| Mr. R. McCreery’s ch. c. Paso Robles, 8st. 10lb. | H. Pike | 2 | |
| Lord Villiers’ b. c. Hawthorn, 8st. 10lb. | A. Templeman | 3 | |
| 2 to 1 agst. Diary. | |||
| The Marlborough Handicap of 400 sovs.; seven furlongs straight. | |||
| Sir R. Waldie Griffith’s b. f. Charis, by Cyllene—Sweet Duchess, 4 yrs., 7st. 7lb. | Wm. Griggs | 1 | |
| Mr. F. J. Benson’s b. h. Morgendale, 6 yrs., 8st. 7lb. | G. Manser | 2 | |
| Mr. L. F. Craven’s ch. c. Sir Daniel, 4 yrs., 8st. 12lb. | G. McCall | 3 | |
| 10 to 1 agst. Charis. | |||
| EGLINTON HUNT MEETING. | |||
| April 5th.—The Scottish Grand National Steeplechase Handicap of 500 sovs.; three miles and a half. | |||
| Col. M. Lindsay’s b. g. Creolin, by Arklow—Creosote, aged, 9st. 13lb. | A. Newey | 1 | |
| Mr. C. R. Hodgson’s b. m. Do be Quick, 6yrs., 11st. 8lb. | T. Dunn | 2 | |
| Mr. H. Allison’s b. h. Hackett, aged, 9st. 9lb. | G. Goswell | 3 | |
| 10 to 1 agst. Creolin. | |||
| April 7th.—The Derbyshire Plate (a High-weight Handicap) of 250 sovs.; one mile and a half. | |||
| Mr. Lionel Robinson’s b. f. Laveuse, by Laveno—Irish Girl, 5 yrs., 8st. 5lb. | W. Halsey | 1 | |
| Major Edwards’ br. c. St. Kevin, 4 yrs., 7st. 8lb. | W. Griggs | 2 | |
| Mr. George Faber’s b. h. Mountain Rose, 6 yrs., 9st. 1lb. | H. Jones | 3 | |
| 6 to 4 agst. Laveuse. | |||
| The Osmaston Plate of 200 sovs., for two-year-olds; four furlongs, straight. | |||
| Mr. J. B. Joel’s ch. c. Earlston, by Love Wisely—Monday, 8st. 8lb. | W. Griggs | 1 | |
| Mr. Vyner’s ch. f. Saucy Queen, 8st. 5lb. | B. Dillon | 2 | |
| Mr. R. Sherwood’s b. f. Tacitan, 8st. 5lb. | W. Halsey | 3 | |
| 2 to 1 agst. Earlston. | |||
| NOTTINGHAM SPRING MEETING. | |||
| April 9th.—The Nottingham Spring Handicap of 500 sovs.; one mile and a quarter. | |||
| Mr. L. Robinson’s b. c. Challenger, by Isinglass—Meddlesome, 5 yrs., 9st. | W. Halsey | 1 | |
| Mr. J. Barrow’s b. c. Gallinago, 4 yrs., 7st. 1lb. | A. Templeman | 2 | |
| Mr. Vyner’s ch. h. Killigrew, 5 yrs., 7st. | W. Saxby | 3 | |
| 100 to 7 agst. Challenger. | |||
| April 10th.—The Newark Plate (Handicap) of 200 sovs.; the Straight Mile. | |||
| Mr. E. Foster’s b. f. Rolandine, by Ravensbury—Queen Marguerite, 3 yrs., 6st. 4lb. | J. Howard | 1 | |
| Mr. J. Milnthorp’s ch. f. Meelagh, 3 yrs., 6st. 5lb. | A. Vivian | 2 | |
| Mr. C. B. L. Fernandes’ b. c. Ripon, 4 yrs., 7st. 2lb. | J. Cockeram | 3 | |
| 7 to 2 agst. Rolandine. | |||
| LEICESTER SPRING. | |||
| April 11th.—The Billesden Plate (Handicap) of 200 sovs.; one mile, straight. | |||
| Mr. G. Parrott’s b. g. Truffle de Perigord, by Perigord—Bit of a Devil, 4 yrs., 8st. 2lb. | B. Lynham | 1 | |
| Mr. J. T. Wood’s Filippo, 4 yrs., 8st. 4lb. | O. Madden | 2 | |
| Mr. Jersey’s b. c. Sea Lion, 3 yrs., 6st. 9lb. | J. Plant | 3 | |
| 100 to 8 agst. Truffle de Perigord. | |||
| The Melton Plate (Handicap) of 200 sovs.; five furlongs, straight. | |||
| Mr. A. Stedall’s ch. c. Melane, by Freemason—Melanie, 3 yrs., 7st. 4lb. | C. Trigg | 1 | |
| Mr. A. H. Ruston’s b. g. Early Bird, 6 yrs., 8st. 7lb. | E. Charters | 2 | |
| Sir H. E. Randall’s ch. c. Sir Edwy, 3 yrs., 6st. 7lb. | J. Howard | 3 | |
| 5 to 2 agst. Melane. | |||
| April 12th.—The Leicestershire Spring Handicap of 300 sovs.; one mile and a quarter. | |||
| Mr. C. S. Newton’s b. h. Extradition, by Prisoner—Panama, 5 yrs., 8st. 4lb. | O. Madden | 1 | |
| Mr. L. Robinson’s b. m. Laveuse, 5 yrs., 8st. 4lb. | W. Halsey | 2 | |
| Mr. L. de Rothschild’s ch. h. Kunstler, aged, 7st. 3lb. | J. Plant | 3 | |
| 9 to 2 agst. Extradition. | |||
SHOOTING.
March 15th.—At Monte Carlo, Prix des Roses Handicap, Count Luca Gajoli and Mr. Asplen divided first and second.
March 21st.—At Monte Carlo, the Prix des Palmiers, Mr. Roberts, Mr. C. Robinson, and Herr Hans Marsch divided first, second and third.
March 27th.—At Monte Carlo, the Grand Prix du Littoral Handicap, Count Luca Gajoli won the gold medal, and divided first and second with Signor Fortunio.
FOOTBALL.
March 17th.—At Edinburgh, England v. Scotland, former won by 3 tries to 1.*
March 17th.—At Dublin, Ireland v. Scotland, latter won by a goal.†
March 19th.—At Cardiff, England v. Wales, former won by 1 goal to 0.†
March 22nd.—At Paris, England v. France, former won by 4 goals 5 tries to 1 goal 1 try.*
April 2nd.—At Wrexham, Wales v. Ireland, drawn, 4 goals each.†
April 7th.—At Glasgow, England v. Scotland, latter won by 2 goals to 1.†
April 21st.—At the Crystal Palace, Football Association Cup Final, Everton v. Newcastle United, former won by 1 goal to 0.†
RACQUETS.
March 31st.—At Queen’s Club, the Amateur Championship (singles), Major S. H. Sheppard beat P. Ashworth in the final.
April 6th.—At Queen’s Club, the Amateur Championship (doubles), F. Dames—Longworth and E. H. Miles beat Major S. H. Sheppard and P. Ashworth in the final.
ROWING.
April 7th.—Oxford v. Cambridge (the University Boat Race). Putney to Mortlake. Cambridge won by 3½ lengths. Time 19 min. 24 sec.
| DIARY FOR JUNE, 1906. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day of Month. | Day of Week. | OCCURRENCES. |
| 1 | F | Epsom Races. The Oaks. |
| 2 | S | Kempton Park Races. |
| 3 | S | Whit Sunday. |
| 4 | M | Hurst Park, Redcar, Wolverhampton, Hooton Park and Hexham Races. |
| 5 | Tu | Hurst Park, Redcar and Wolverhampton Races. At Lord’s, Middlesex v. Somerset. |
| 6 | W | Birmingham Races. |
| 7 | Th | Manchester Races. |
| 8 | F | Manchester and Brighton Races. |
| 9 | S | Manchester and Brighton Races. |
| 10 | S | Trinity Sunday. |
| 11 | M | Lincoln Races. At Lord’s, Middlesex v. Notts. At Oval, Surrey v. Sussex. |
| 12 | Tu | Lincoln and Lingfield Races. |
| 13 | W | Lingfield and Beverley Races. |
| 14 | Th | Beverley and Lewes Races. At Lord’s, Middlesex v. Yorks. At Oval, Surrey v. Kent. |
| 15 | F | Lewes Races. |
| 16 | S | Hurst Park Races. |
| 17 | S | First Sunday after Trinity. |
| 18 | M | At Lord’s, Middlesex v. West Indians. |
| 19 | Tu | Ascot Races. |
| 20 | W | Ascot Royal Hunt Cup. |
| 21 | Th | Ascot Gold Cup. At Lord’s, M.C.C. & Ground v. Worcestershire. At Oval, Surrey v. Oxford University. |
| 22 | F | Ascot Races. |
| 23 | S | Windsor Races. |
| 24 | S | Second Sunday after Trinity. |
| 25 | M | At Lord’s, M.C.C. & Ground v. Cambridge University. At Oval, Surrey v. West Indians. |
| 26 | Tu | Gatwick and Newcastle Races. |
| 27 | W | Gatwick and Newcastle Races. Royal Agricultural Society’s Show at Derby (4 days). |
| 28 | Th | Newcastle and Folkestone Races. At Lord’s, M.C.C. and Ground v. Oxford University. |
| 29 | F | Sandown Park and Birmingham Races. |
| 30 | S | Sandown Park and Birmingham Races. |
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BASSANO PHOTO. HOWARD & JONES COLL.
