Related article: the time, so as Order Imuran to enable the men
to dig down to the pipe (a west-
country term for one or other of
the badger's dwelling-rooms), and
also to keep him from digging.
In sandy soil it is an acknow-
ledged fact that a badger can bury
himself quicker than three or four
men can dig over him. In all we
used seven dogs in turn before we
were near to our quarry, having
dug some 7 to 8 feet through
chalk. Then came a piece of
science, where a knowledge of
otter hunting was useful, viz., in
41 tailing " the badger. My worthy
host, with the aid of a spade,
managed this feat admirably,
bringing up a badger which
weighed about 30 lbs. Without
more ado we put this gentleman
down, giving him some 100 yards
law in the open, and slipped a
dozen terriers, most of them
the wire-haired variety. To my
astonishment I found that the
badger, snapping from right to
left, inflicting severe Generic Imuran punishment,
was getting away from the terriers
without a scratch, until one of the
men running up hit him over the
snout with a crow-bar, giving the
coup de grdce. It was pointed out
to me afterwards that there is
practically only one vital spot in
the badger at the mercy of dogs,
and that even a pack of fox-hounds
will not roll one over unless there
might be one who had tackled the
same before. The badger's skin
is like parchment, and practically
impenetrable to a terrier's teeth.
An old sheep dog of the true breed
is about . the only dog who can Buy Imuran
neatly turn him over, fixing the
belly, which is the only vulnerable
part.
Having an impression of the
foulness of the badger's habits, I
was agreeably surprised, on ex-
amining the earth, to note his
I899-]
THE HUNT BALL.
19
cleanly ways, each " pipe " being
used for different purposes. A
dozen badger skins, properly
dressed, make a splendid carriage
rug, impenetrable even by a Scotch
mist.
It seems a pity that a war of
extermination should be carried
on against this interesting animal. Purchase Imuran Online
Naturalists now admit that he is
more sinned against than sinning,
being an inveterate enemy to mice,
rats, moles and hoc omtu genus.
Consequently a friend to the
farmers.
It would be interesting to learn
in how many English counties the
badger still exists.
In Scotland he Imuran Online is believed to be
almost extinct, owing to the bitter
and prejudiced action of the gentle-
men in velveteen, doubtless with
the consent of their employers.
Philocunos.
The Hunt Ball.
It is curious to note that in Voveran Sr 75 the
otherwise comprehensive " Bad-
minton " volume concerned with
dancing, no mention is made of
that essentially English insti-
tution, the Hunt Ball ; possibly,
therefore, a few words concern-
ing the origin and evolution
of these important social fixtures
will not be out of place at
this time of year. Like the sport
which suggested them, the date
of their systematisation would ap-
pear to be extremely obscure,
although as early as Buy Imuran Online 161 7 Hey-
wood's play, "A Woman Killed
by Kindness," mentions as Voveran Sr 100 a
favourite dance one entitled
" Hunting of the Fox," which
may, possibly, have had some-
thing to do with the convivial
evenings indulged in by our seven-
teenth century fox-hunters.
To come to more enlightened
times, viz., the commencement
of the present century, it is evi-
dent that the hunt ball was no-
thing more than a piece of courtesy
extended by the master of a pack,
at his own private expense, as a
kind of quid pro quo to the farmers
and small proprietors over whose
land he rode, being, in fact, a
festive gathering for all the
humbler followers and dependents
of the hunt, where the wives
and daughters of the squireens,
farmers, yeomen, and sporting
tradesfolk, &c, had an oppor-
tunity given them of airing their
fine feathers, and of partaking in
all the enjoyments of a real dance,
unaccompanied by the frigid eti-
quette and atmosphere of exclu-
siveness that characterised most
of county balls a hundred years
ago. For those, it should be
remembered, were the palmy
days of Almack's, when, it is
said, three-fourths of the nobility
knocked at its doors in vain ; and
when also, all over the country,
foolish attempts at aping the
manners of the grand London
ball-patronesses were being per-
petuated.
But there can be but little doubt
that the hunt ball, as it is now
known, was the direct outcome
of the institution of convivial clubs
in connection with various hunts,
the leaders of which had inaugu-
rated distinctive dress uniforms
that grew more elaborate as the
century advanced. The very first
of these was the " Stratford-on- Purchase Imuran
20
BAILY S MAGAZINE.
[January
Avon," afterwards the " Warwick-
shire Hounds," which club, as
early as the year 1801, chose for
its evening uniform, " black stock-
ings, breeches and waistcoat, and
a scarlet coat with handsome gilt
buttons, with the letters ' S.H. 1 Order Imuran Online
upon them, and a black velvet
collar," the latter appendage gain-
ing for the members the name of
" Black Collars." For many
years, however, these striking
evening toilets (where they ex-
isted) blushed unseen ; that Buy Voveran Sr is to
say, no general inclination was as
yet evinced to follow up in the
relaxation of the after - dinner
hours the effect produced by the
red-coat of the morning. The
fox-hunting men of the period
were, as a rule, averse to going
out in the evening; the winter
months being regarded by them
as too precious and fleeting Buy Cheap Imuran to be
impregnated with the observance
of social duties. Hence it was that
not until trie rise of various
fashionable spas in the heart of