REVIEW OF THE PAST COURSING SEASON.]

SIR,-Coursing has lately assumed so prominent a position among our national sports, that a short notice of the events of the season just closed will not I imagine be out of place or uninteresting.

The Scotchmen opened the campaign, having taken the field at Abington as early as the 20th September. The attendance was by no means confined to our friends across the border, but several from England and the sister king dom honoured the meeting with their presence. The weather was brilliant in the extreme, and the sport super-excellent; the hares, although so early in the season, giving the dogs more than their ordinary work. There was a good display of puppies for the two purses of fifty guineas each, the Marquis of Douglas with Drift, and Dr. Brown with Charlotte, being the successful competitors. In the Crawford plate, which was won by Mr. Proudfoot's Doctor, the course between King Lear and Ian Roy was most severely contested, and Mr. Pollok very prudently drew his dog in the second ties. In this stake, Fret (now called Paddy from Cork, and which was presented to Mr. A. Graham, on his visit to Ireland, after running up for the King William Town open stakes in July last), was only beaten by Doctor in the last struggle after one undecided course. He has since distinguished himself by winning the Ardrossan stakes at the autumn meeting in gallant style, thereby sustaining his previously well-earned reputation.

The first English meeting of importance was the Fleetwood; and a splendid lot of puppies came to the post, Roderic Dhu by Exciseman proving himself a worthy descendant of so distinguished a sire. Mr. Swan was very unlucky, having run second for the two great stakes. His somewhat dangerous experiment of breeding from a dog whose pedigree is I believe unknown, seems in this case to have turned out right.

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Deptford Inn came out with renewed vigour, and presented a most extraordinary contrast to the October meeting of the former year. No less than thirty-two dogs were entered for the Great Western cup of ten guineas each, including aspirants for fame from all parts of the country. The field was under the management of Mr. A. Graham, and most ably did he do his duty, only one dog during the three days having got loose, notwithstanding the large number on the ground, thanks to his regulations and spirited management. is impossible for the fines in these cases to be too rigidly enforced, and no excuse whatever should be admitted; although, to my astonishment, at Hampton Court, a portion of the double couples were exhibited, and their want of strength urged, and I regret to say allowed, as a reason why the fine should not be paid. The example of this club, however, as at present constituted, will not fortunately have much influence. The principal stake was severely contested, and was won

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by Mr. Charlton's Crape, by Lyster's Lopez, out of Biggs's Bombasine: she was bred by Mr. Biggs, and sent with a lot of others from his kennel, to Tattersalls at the close of the last season; and in consequence of her unpretending, and somewhat coarse appearance, was knocked down for £7 10s.; a pretty good investment for her owner. Mr. Graham's Blue Banner, who ran up, showed amazing speed and fire, cutting down many of his opponents with perfect ease. He, however, hardly had a fair chance given him, having travelled from Glasgow to Cork or Dublin, and from thence to Bristol by steam, performing the remainder of his journey on foot; and it is only wonderful that he was able to take so distinguished a place, being lame, and in other respects not much improved by his journey: certainly, his worthy master does not keep his dogs to look at, but run they At this must, and pretty often too, or they are of no use to him. meeting one of those unfortunate occurrences took place, which appear to be occasionally inseparable from the sport-I allude to the course in the Wiltshire stakes between Mr. Bowles's Billy-go-by-em, and Mr. Bradley's Blake, which was given to the former. Great dissatisfaction at the decision was felt by Mr. Bradley, and in consequence he drew his Baroness and Bertha, which were engaged in two other stakes. Of course,' great variety of opinion existed among the company present as to the correctness of the decision, but only one feeling of regret, that Mr. Bradley should consider himself unfairly dealt with. He had not long made his debut in the coursing field, though well known as the popular master of the Leamington stag hounds for many years; his large fortune, sportsmanlike feeling, and gentlemanly manners, rendered him a desirable acquisition to any club. The spirit and liberality with which he took the thing up is well shown by the price he gave for Mr. P. Houghton's Tyrant, after winning the Waterloo Picture, being no less than 200 guineas; and although it was not a lucky purchase for Mr. Bradley, perhaps no dog during his day ever distinguished himself more than Tyrant; after he became Mr. Bradley's property, he served bitches at the large figure of ten guineas each, and many took advantage of the opportunity afforded them. Unluckily in running a trial over the downs at Amesbury, in October last, the hare took to a plantation, poor Tyrant struck against a tree and died on the spot. Not more than two or three of his produce have as yet appeared in public, but from the performances of Mr. Rodgett's puppies in particular, great things may be expected from them next season.

The Bendrigg meeting over the grounds of Mr. Alderman Thompson shewed more than an average quantity of sport; the principal stakes were won by his old dog Bendigo, who was a considerable winner so far back as the years 1840-1.

The South Lancashire Club, at Southport, commenced on the 19th October with the Annual Dinner stakes, for dogs of all ages, and brought out a long list of veterans; among others, Sandy, Zurich, Distiller, Dangerous, Ariel, and Blacklock; the latter of course was defeated, although not without difficulty, by Mr. Hunt's Harkaway; and after one undecided course, in the middle of which the gallant dog made two or three splendid points: in the second course his

leg failed him when leading full three lengths up to his hare. He must now repose upon his former laurels, which he can well afford to do. It was a pity, after his brilliant career and unfortunate accident, to subject him to almost certain defeat; but his sporting owner, sometimes expects his dogs to do more than he is justified in asking from them. The stake was won in excellent style by Mr. Robinson's rough dog Ariel, and his subsequent performances, although unfortunate for the great event of the year, the Waterloo cup, prove him to be a superior animal.

The Scarisbeck stakes were won by Mr. Deakins's Wing, own brother to Blacklock and Birdlime; Mr. Bake running up with their half-brother Zurich, and winning the Crossens stakes with Birdcatcher.

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The Newmarket Club held their first meeting for the season on the 1st. Nov., and three following days. The attendance was miserably small, and the sport anything but satisfactory. some cases, for instance, there were no less than three undecided courses, and several of the decisions were far from giving satisfaction. The principal winners were Mr. Nash and Mr. Dobede; the former, with but a very small kennel, has managed to carry off two or three good stakes at Newmarket this season; and the condition in which his trainer, Deverell, invariably brings his dogs to the post, is highly creditable to him. Messrs. Dobede and Fyson, who are confederates, may well be proud of the success attending their blood; for, upon reference to the returns, I find, of the five stakes contended for, they win two-the Port and the Rutland- run up with Dolon for the Cup, and the winners of the other two, Cruiskeen and Captain, are got by their Damon. It is much to be regretted that these gentlemen confine themselves so entirely to their own club; possessing as they do some of the finest blood in the kingdom, they would be quite certain, were they to extend the sphere of their operations, to carry away their full share of honours.

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The meeting at Altcar, on the 3rd, was looked forward to with the greatest possible interest by the lovers of coursing throughout the United Kingdom, in consequence of the two matches for £100 a side, in which England and Ireland were each arrayed against our brethren in the North. They had their origin in a most sporting challenge from Mr. M'Guire to run his bitch Lady Harkaway against any dog in England or Scotland, the best of three courses. Dr. Gibb, with a spirit which does him honour, promptly stepped forward, and named Dr. Brown's Heather Jock, and it was agreed to run it off at the Altcar meeting in November; previously to which, however, another match of a similar kind was made between Mr. Bake's Birdlime, on the part of England, and Mr. Pollok's Major for Scotland. On the second day, Lady Harkaway and Heather Jock were put in the slips, and both courses were won with the most perfect ease by the Lady. The next match created, if possible, even more interest than the former one, from the fact of both dogs having greatly distinguished themselves; Major, in particular, having carried off the Waterloo cup at the Open meeting in the previous March, which made the Lancashire coursers doubly

anxious as to the result. Any thing more satisfactory it was impossible to conceive; Birdlime nobly sustained her well-earned reputation, and that of her family. The first course was severe in the extreme, the second undecided, and the third long but easily won by the bitch. She is own sister to Blacklock, and their performances as puppies are perhaps unprecedented. After a long series of victories, having scarcely suffered a single defeat, Blacklock broke his leg while running the last tie for the Lowther cup with Mr. Thompson's Lady. Their owner, Mr. Blake, has put him to the stud, and, looking at the performances of his full brother Wing in this season, and of Zurich and Gazelle, his half brother and sister, during the last three, I should think he will be pretty much in request, his dam being sister to Mr. Deakin's Priam, a winner of several very important stakes, and descended on the other side from the celebrated Streamer, the sire of perhaps more distinguished greyhounds than any other on record, including Rocket himself (the sire of Tyrant), Cob Coal, Enchantress, Bates's Sandy, Traveller, Marquis, Violet, Grasper, and Reubens; from whom, again, we have Exciseman, Distiller, and many others; and, by the returns of the season just closed, it will be seen that many of the principal prizes have even been carried off by their descendants.

Swaffham, so long and so justly celebrated as the first coursing meeting in England, seems to have gradually declined: the entries were small, and the sport devoid of any public interest.

One of the great meetings of the year was held at Southport, on the 9th of November; and perhaps a more splendid lot of dogs were never brought into the field. For the Scarisbeck Cup Mr. E. G. Hornby took his usual place in the front rank with Hermit; and Mr. Slater, with a puppy got by his old dog Sandy, ran up for the Puppy Cup, won by Mr. Standish's Streamer.

The Ashdown Park Meeting, on the 14th, was a sad failure, and but for the timely interference of a few of its members, through whom the rules were altered, the subscriptions reduced, and the expenses generally put upon a fair and wholesome footing, this oncecelebrated meeting must have died a natural death.

At the Clydesdale Meeting I was glad to find Lord Eglinton-an old and true supporter of the leash-winning four of the principal stakes; the other two were won by Mr. C. Dunlop with Engineer and Bob, both out of his Ruby by Sir W. Maxwell's Massaroni.

The month of December commenced with two of the principal gatherings of the year. At the Newmarket Champion the entries were numerous, although chiefly confined to its own members, probably on account of the Ridgway Meeting falling at the same time. Sixteen brace of dogs were drawn for the Puppy Stakes. None of the courses, however, were of very great severity, with the exception of the one between Mr. Bradley's Bess and Mr. Edward's Auber. The Stakes were ultimately won by Mr. Bagge's Traveller, Captain Daintree running up with Kotzebue. For the All-aged Stakes there was an equally good entry, including two strangers nominated by Mr. Gillett, viz.-Floss, belonging to Mr. Minton, of Windsor; and Burford's Mischief, who had previously distinguished herself at New

market as Busybody, under the patronage of Mr. Bowles. Captain Daintree with Kizzie won the stakes in most gallant style, as he did the Chippenham Puppy Stakes with Viscount and Kate--not a very bad performance for one kennel. Lord Stradbroke, who usually takes so prominent a position, was particularly unfortunate in not having won a single course during the meeting; however, his lordship has had rather more than his share of the good things in the coursing world.

The Ridgway Meeting was exceedingly well attended, twenty-four dogs being entered for the splendid cup of sixty guineas value, which was presented by Joseph Ridgway, Esq., with a sweepstakes of five guineas each. Mr. Swan with his two puppies by Stork, and Mr. Graham with Sir William Wallace, a son of Dr. Brown's Sport, distinguished themselves greatly. Mr. Slater and Mr. Eden have every reason to be proud of the success of their blood, the winner, Scrutiny, being got by Mr. Eden's Echo out of Slater's Fly; and Kilmore, having since changed masters, and now named Speculation, being got by Mr. Slater's Sandy out of Eden's Enchantress.

At the Fleetwood Open Meeting, the principal feature was the triumph achieved by the rough greyhounds. The great Fleetwood Cup for all Ages was won by Mr. Hunt's rough dog Harkaway, his Pippin being second, and Mr. Robinson's Ariel, also a rough one, third. It has been too much the fashion, in former days, to look down upon the old rough greyhound: this prejudice is happily fast wearing away; they have been fortunate enough to have a most distinguished champion in Mr. A. Graham and some other northern coursers, which, combined with their own merits, has now placed them upon an equality with their more fashionable brethren. It is difficult to imagine upon what grounds they could ever have been excluded in former years. The victory achieved by Mr. Graham's Gilbertfield and Goth, in having carried off in two successive years the Glasgow Gold Cup open to all England, and for which nearly one hundred dogs were entered upon each occasion, gave them at once a most prominent position in the coursing world; and the performances since that time of Mr. Graham's My Lord, His Royal Highness, Molly Loo, The Prince of Wales, of Mr. Herbert's Fly, Mr. Hardman's Ariel, Mr. Hunt's Harkaway, Mr. Hitchinson's King of Hearts, and many others, have served to establish it completely.

The Tarleton and the Southport Meetings brought additional fame to the blood of the celebrated Rocket, the Radcliffe Hall Cup being won by a son, and the Tarleton Puppy Cup and the Fleetwood Puppy Cup by grandsons of his, the winners of the two latter being got by Tyrant, the first which have appeared in public. Mr. Hardman's rough dog Ariel again distinguished himself by winning the Crossen Stakes, beating Wing, Zurich, and Lottery.

The Great Clifton Cup of £10 10s. each was won in brilliant style by Birdlime, beating Mr. Hornby's Hermit in the run up, and showing that she has lost none of that speed and fire which obtained for her brother Blacklock such undying fame.

(To be continued.)