The bill and feet are deep lake red; hood of dark bluish ash-colour;
quill feathers all black, and two inches longer than the tail; length of
the shank one inch and three-fourths. In the month of August, 1774, we
saw five of them together feeding in a pool upon the shingley flats near
Winchelsea; two only were black on the head; the others were mottled all
over with brown. We also saw two others near Hastings, in Sussex. It is
found in Russia and America, and, according to Natterer, on the coasts
of the Mediterranean and the Adriatic.—_Montagu_—_Temminck._
HOODWINK, _v._ To blind with something bound over the eyes.
HOOF, _s._ The hard horny substance which composes the feet of
several sorts of animals.
_Hoof Ointment._—Tar and tallow in equal parts: when melted let the
mixture be removed from the fire, and stirred until it is cold. This
ointment is applied to the coronet and heels, when dry and
cracking.—_White._
HOOK, _s._ Any thing bent so as to catch hold; the bended wire on
which the bait is hung for fishes, and with which the fish is
pierced; a snare, a trap; a sickle to reap corn; an iron to
seize the meat in the caldron; an instrument to cut or lop with;
the part of the hinge fixed to the post.
In the choice of hooks, those should be preferred that are longish in
the shanks, strong, and rather deep in the bend, the point fine and
straight, and as true as it can be set to the level of the shank (which,
for fly making, should be tapered off to the end, that the fly may be
the neater finished), the point should be sharp and the barb of a proper
length; many experienced anglers, who have impartially tried both kinds,
consider these to be more sure than the crooked hooks, that they cause a
smaller orifice, and are less liable to break their hold. At Limerick,
in Ireland, the best of these hooks are manufactured. A hook, whose
point stands outwards, ought never to be chosen, as it frequently
scratches the fish without laying hold; if the points were somewhat
shorter, and the barbs a trifle wider, the hooks of every maker would be
improved. When hooks are blunt, a small whetstone will restore their
sharpness much better than a file, which always leaves them rough and
jagged.
* * * * *
I find, by sad experience, that in hook-making the Irish are far before
us; our workmen either do not understand the method of forming and
tempering hooks, or they do not take sufficient pains in their
manufacture. It is strange, that when so much of the angler’s pleasure
and success depends upon the quality of his hooks, that more attention
is not bestowed upon their fabrication. The art of forming, and the
process of tempering them, appears simple enough; and that little
difficulty is required to attain it, is evident from the fact that many
fishermen make their own hooks. For my own part, however, I consider
hook-making to be an unnecessary accomplishment for the angler, as the
best hooks in the world can be procured without trouble, and at a
trifling expense, from O’Shaughnessy of Limerick.
* * * * *
I have even made a hook, which, though a little inferior in form, in
other respects, I think I could boast as equal to the Limerick ones.
I never used any hooks for salmon-fishing except those which I am sure
have been made by O’Shaughnessy of Limerick; for even those made in
Dublin, though they seldom break, yet they now and then bend; and the
English hooks, made of cast-steel, in imitation of Irish ones, are the
worst of all.
* * * * *
_Hooks, to whip on._—When hooks are armed, especially to hair, it should
be done with small but strong silk, well rubbed with shoemaker’s wax,
after having smoothed the shank with a whetstone, to hinder its
fretting; from a straw’s breadth below the top of the hook, wrap the
silk about the bare shank until it comes to the top, which will prevent
its slipping, or cutting the line from frequently using; then lay the
hair or gut on the inside and whip the silk downwards almost to the bend
of the hook; the colour of the arming silk should be as near that of the
baits used as may be, and its size be regulated by the thickness of the
wire, hair, or gut, to which it is joined. In whipping on a hook, it is
to be held in the left hand, and the silk whipped down to within four
turns of its bend; the shank is then to be taken between the fore finger
and thumb of the left hand, and the end of the silk close to it, holding
them both tight, and leaving the ends of the silk to hang down; the
other part of the silk is then to be drawn into a large loop, and with
the right hand, turning backwards, continue the whipping for four turns,
and draw the end of the silk, which has hung down under the left thumb,
close, and cut it off.—_Salmonia_—_Wild Sports_—_Daniel._
HOOK, _v._ To catch with a hook; to entrap; to draw as with a hook.
HOOKED, _a._ Bent, curvated.
HOOKNOSED, _a._ Having the aquiline nose rising in the middle.
HOOP, _s._ Anything circular by which something else is bound,
particularly casks or barrels.
The hoop net is a very destructive engine. For large and deep waters the
mesh should be an inch and three quarters, the length full nine feet,
and the hoops (of which that in the centre should be iron, rounded like
a curtain rod, and painted red to prevent its rusting) should be strong
and three feet high. In laying hoop nets, place them where the water
gets tolerably deep from a gravelly scour. All the infallible attraction
of brass candlesticks, yellow ribands, flowers, and looking-glasses, are
superseded by the arcanum of encircling a live fish brought from other
waters in each hoop net; whether the old inhabitants approach the
stranger out of vengeance or curiosity remains a mystery, but that they
will run into the hoop net to get at him, Mr. Daniel positively insists.
It was a secret which an old gamekeeper would not impart, until after
being in his service for many years.—_Daniel._
HOOP, _v._ To bind or enclose with hoops; to encircle; to clasp.
HOOT, _v._ To shout in contempt; to cry as an owl.
HOP, _s._ A plant, the flowers of which are used in brewing. Hops
were introduced into England in the sixteenth century, from the
Netherlands.
HORN, _s._ The hard pointed bodies which grow on the heads of some
quadrupeds, and serve them for weapons; an instrument of wind
music, made of horn; the extremity of the waxing or waning moon;
the feelers of a snail; a drinking cup made of horn.
HORNET, _s._ A very large, strong, stinging fly.
HORNOWL, _s._ A kind of horned owl. _Vide_ OWL.
HORSE, _s._ A quadruped used in war, draught, and carriage.
[Illustration]
The generic character of horses, according to Linnaeus, is, that the
fore-teeth are twelve in number, the upper six erect and parallel, the
lower six more prominent; the tusks are solitary, included, remote;
teats two, inguinal: they fight by biting, and kicking with the hind
feet; and they have the singular property of breathing only through the
nostrils, and not through the mouth.
Cuvier places the horse in the class Mammalia, which contains those
animals that suckle their young, and forms the ninth genus of his sixth
order, called Pachydermata, of which order the following are
characters:—Skin very thick; some of the genera are partially without
teeth, others with three sorts of teeth; quadrupedal, generally with
hoofs, and the toes varying in number; stomach simple, and they do not
ruminate; without clavicles, or collar-bones. They are either
herbivorous or omnivorous, and their habits are various. They generally
inhabit the temperate and torrid zone.
The genus Equus is subdivided by Cuvier into six species, and thus
defined:—Incisory teeth, six in the upper jaw, and six in the under; two
canines, one above and one below, on each side of the cutting or
incisory teeth, (the females of some of the species with no canine
teeth,) and six cheek teeth, or grinders, on each side, on both jaws;
they are furrowed on both sides with flat crowns and several ridges of
enamel. Between the canines and cheek teeth is a void space; the upper
lip is susceptible of considerable motion; the eyes are large; the pupil
oblong-ovate, placed laterally; their sight excellent, and, although not
formed for seeing in the night, they can distinguish objects very
clearly in the dark; ears rather small, pointed, and erect, having great
mobility in the external conch, so that their hearing is very acute, and
is the sense which, in all probability, they possess in the greatest
perfection; feet, with a single apparent toe, covered with a thick hoof;
the tail is furnished with long hair, or with a tuft at the extremity;
mammæ two, inguinal; the stomach is simple and membranaceous, and the
intestines and cæcum very large.
The six species of this genus are the horse, ass, common zebra, zebra of
the plains, quagga, dzhiggtai, with the mule, which may be regarded as a
sub-species.
Of all quadrupeds, the horse possesses, along with grandeur of stature,
the greatest elegance and proportion of parts. By comparing him with the
animals above or below him, we find that the ass is ill made, and that
the head of the lion is too large; that the limbs of the ox are too
slender, and too short in proportion to the size of his body; that the
camel is deformed; and the grosser animals, as the rhinoceros,
hippopotamus, and elephant, may be considered as rude and shapeless
masses. The great difference between the head of man and that of the
quadruped, consists in the length of his jaws, which is the most ignoble
of all characters. But, although the jaws of the horse be very long, he
has not, like the ass, an air of imbecility, nor, like the ox, of
stupidity. The regularity and proportion of the parts of his head, give
him a light and sprightly aspect, being gracefully attached to his
finely arched neck, which is well supported by the beauty of his chest.
He elevates his head, as if anxious to exalt himself above the condition
of other quadrupeds. In this noble attitude he regards man, face to
face. His eyes are open, lively, and intelligent; his ears handsome, and
of a proper height, being neither too long, like those of the ass, nor
too short, like those of the bull. His mane adorns his graceful neck,
and gives him the appearance of strength and courage. His long bushy
tail covers, and terminates with advantage, the extremity of his body.
His tail, very different from the short tails of the deer, elephant, and
hippopotamus, and from the naked tails of the ass, camel, and
rhinoceros, is formed of long, thick hairs, which seem to rise from his
crupper, because the trunk from which they proceed is very short. He
cannot, like the lion, elevate his tail; but, though pendulous, it
becomes him better; and as he can move it from side to side, it serves
him to drive off the flies, which incommode him; for though his skin is
very firm, and well garnished with close hair, it is, nevertheless, very
sensible.
* * * * *
Brown says, the head of the horse should not be too long, and it ought
to be rather thin than otherwise. The front should be narrow, and a
little convex; the eye-pits well filled, and the eye-lids thin; the
eyes large and prominent, clear, lively, and sparkling with fiery
glances; the pupil should be large; the under jaw should be a little
thick, but not fleshy; the nose slightly arched; the nostrils open and
deep, and divided by a thin septum or partition; the ears should be
small, erect, and narrow, but not too stiff, and placed on the upper
part of the head, at a proper distance from each other, but not too
wide, as this always gives a horse a disagreeable aspect; the mouth
should be delicate, and moderately split; the withers sharp and
elevated; the shoulders flat and not confined; the back equal, a
little arched lengthwise, and raised on each side of the spine, which
should have the appearance of being slightly sunk; the flanks short
and full; the crupper round and plump; the haunches well furnished
with muscular flesh; the dock, or fleshy part of the tail, firm and
thick; the thighs large and muscular; the hough round before, broad on
the sides, and tendinous behind; the shank thin before, and broad on
the sides; the tendon Achillis prominent, strong, and well detached
from the leg-bone; and the fetlock somewhat prominent, and furnished
with a small tuft of long hair behind; the pasterns should be of a
middling length, and pretty large; the coronet a little elevated; the
hoof black, solid, and shining; the instep high; the quarters round;
the heels broad, and a little prominent; the frog thin and small, and
the sole thick and concave.—_Vide_ ARABIAN—HUNTER—ROADSTER, RACE
HORSE, &c.
* * * * *
The horse is considered to have been originally a native of what is
called the old world, and by the industry of man to have been planted in
the new. It appears from the sacred records, that his subjugation did
not take place until many years after that of the camel and the ass.
At what precise time foreign horses were brought into Britain is
uncertain; but it is not improbable that it was a very early one, since
history informs us they were sufficiently numerous, and their uses well
known, when Julius Cæsar invaded the island. Whether these early horses
were the entire produce of Britain, or whether they had already been
mixed, it is likely that their intercourse with the Roman cavalry would
introduce new races, as diversified as the countries from whence the
Romans themselves drew their own immense supplies. Freed from their
conquerors, the English cultivated the arts of peace, and were
consequently not unmindful of the horse, which was become, as early as
A.D. 930, so valuable that Athelstan prohibited their exportation.
William the Conqueror brought with him the means of greatly improving
the island horse; and the barons who accompanied him, being spread over
the kingdom, in their newly acquired estates, rapidly diffused a
valuable mixture among the native breeds. One of these nobles (Roger de
Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury) is particularly celebrated for introducing
Spanish stallions into his Welsh possessions.
In 1121, the first Arabian horse on record was imported into England,
and the crusades, which soon succeeded, were the means of introducing a
large accession of eastern horses from the Levant. The traffic in horses
now began to assume much of its future character: Smithfield was
established as a horse-market; and the dealing in this animal was
already become a regular profession, as well as already garnished with
much of its trickery.
To Edward the Second the breed of English horses owes much of its early
improvement: he procured cavalry horses from Lombardy, Italy, and Spain,
and heavy draught horses from Flanders. From this time the public
attention appears to have been particularly directed to the necessity of
improving the breed of horses; and many public ordinances were
promulgated to that effect. In the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII. it
became common to import foreign stallions for this purpose from Barbary
and Spain; and, in the two following reigns, others were imported from
Belgium, Flanders, and Denmark; and as the former were intended to
improve the speed, spirit, and beauty, these latter added greatly to the
size of the future breeds. As early as the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, there were horse-races in England; but these appear to have
been principally confined to trials of speed and continuance over
uncertain grounds between native horses. In the reign of Henry VIII.,
horses either procured from Barbary, or bred from such, were expressly
used for this purpose; and we may date the systematic improvement in the
breed, by the admixture of what we call _blood_, to have its origin
about this time.
James the First pursued the system, and imported from Barbary a set of
the finest mares, for purity of breed and excellence of form, which
could be procured: these, known significantly as the _Royal Mares_,
greatly assisted the general purpose. James also imported an Arabian,
whose own qualities, as well as those of his produce, not answering to
the expectations raised, the breed for many years became in disrepute.
Regular race-courses were now established, and racing was conducted on
fixed principles, and confined within rules. Charles the First
encouraged these sports, and to him we owe the establishment of the
Newmarket course; and in such estimation were they, as connected with
the national good, that even the fanaticism of Cromwell gave way to it,
for he also had his stud of race-horses. The Restoration gave a new
impulse to racing, and a new impetus to the improvements meditated. The
Arabian was again resorted to, and, on the renewed trials, his proceeds
justified the former expectations. From that time to the present, by a
judicious mixture of _crossings_ of the native and the eastern horses,
in different degrees of consanguinity, according to the different
purposes for which they are required, we now stand unrivalled among
nations; and we now send our breeds back to eastern countries, to
meliorate that _blood_ which we originally borrowed from them.
* * * * *
It would appear that the ancient Irish horses were held in high
estimation:—
“Horses they have of pace easie, in running wonderful swift. Therefore
they make of them great store, as wherein at times of need they repose a
great piece of safetie.
“I heard it verrified by honourable to honourable, that a nobleman
offered (and was refused) for one such horse, an hundred kyne,
five pound lands, and an aery of hawks yearly during seven
years.”—_Brown_—_Blaine_—_Strutt_—_Campion._
HORSE, _v._ To mount upon a horse; to cover a mare.
HORSEBACK, _s._ The seat of the rider, the state of being on a
horse.
HORSEBEAN, _s._ A small bean usually given to horses.
HORSEBREAKER, _s._ One whose employment is to tame horses to the
saddle.
HORSECHESTNUT, _s._ A tree, the fruit of a tree.
HORSECOURSER, _s. obs._ One that runs horses, or keeps horses for
the race; a dealer in horses.
HORSEHAIR, _s._ The hair of horses. _Vide_ HAIR.
HORSELEECH, _s._ A leech that bites horses; a farrier.
HORSEMAN, _s._ One skilled in riding; one that serves in wars on
horseback; a rider, a man on horseback.
HORSEMANSHIP, _s._ The art of riding, the art of managing a horse.
HORSEPOND, _s._ A pond for watering horses.
Pond water, from a clay bottom, is by some preferred to running water;
but in summer stagnant water often becomes putrid and nauseous, and is
consequently highly injurious.
HORSERACE, _s._ A match of horses in running. _Vide_ RACING.
HORSESHOE, _s._ A plate of iron nailed to the feet of horses; an
herb. VIDE _Shoe_.
HOSTLER, _s._ One who has the care of horses at an inn.
HOT, _a._ Having the power to excite the sense of heat; fiery;
ardent, vehement, eager.
HOUGH, _s._ The lower part of the thigh.
HOUGH, _v._ To hamstring, to disable by cutting the sinews of the
ham.
HOUND, _s._ A dog used in the chase.
_The old English hound or Talbot._ (_Canis Sagax_, LINN.)—This is
undoubtedly the origin of those famous hounds for which Great Britain is
celebrated above all other countries. In former times this dog was of a
pure white, but is now generally of a white and black colour, and tanned
over the eyes.
This majestic animal is distinguished by his great size and strength;
his body is long, his chest deep, and his ears long and sweeping, with
great gravity of expression. From the particular formation of his
organs, or from the extraordinary moisture which always flows from his
nose, or from some other unknown cause, he is endowed with the most
exquisite sense of smelling, and can discover scent hours after other
dogs have given up.
Although the talbot hunts with great certainty, yet he becomes tedious
from the slowness of his motions; this, however, enables him to receive
more distinctly the directions of the huntsman. And he can trace with a
cold scent, which he is too apt to make so by his want of speed.
The talbot, in the “History of Manchester,” is stated to be the original
breed of this island, used by the ancient Britons in the chase of larger
kinds of game, with which the country at one time abounded. They were
common in all parts of the kingdom, and were much larger than they are
at present; and have been gradually declining in consequence of mixing
them with lighter dogs for the purpose of increasing their speed. We
have no doubt that, from this cause, the breed will eventually become
extinct.
It is said, that the tone of his voice is peculiarly deep, sonorous,
powerful, and mellow.
* * * * *
Among sportsmen it is generally understood that hounds of the middle
size are the most proper, all animals of that description being stronger
than such as are either very small or very large. The shape ought to be
particularly attended to; for, if the hound be not well proportioned, he
can neither run fast nor do much work. His legs ought to be straight,
his feet round and not very large, his shoulders back, his breast rather
wide than narrow, his chest deep, his back broad, his head small, his
neck thin, his tail thick and bushy and well carried. None of those
young hounds which are out at the elbows, or such as are weak from the
knee to the foot, should ever be taken into the pack. That the pack may
look well, the hounds should be as much as possible of a size; and if
they be also handsome, the pack will then be perfect. This, however,
contributes nothing to the goodness of a pack, for very unhandsome
packs, consisting of hounds entirely different in size and colour, often
afford very good sport.
It is only necessary that they should run well together; to which indeed
a uniformity in size and shape seems to contribute. The pack that can
run ten miles, or any other considerable space, in the shortest time,
may be said to go fastest, though the hounds taken separately might be
considerably inferior to others in point of swiftness. A pack of hounds
considered in a collective body, go fast in proportion to the excellence
of their noses and the head they carry. Packs composed of hounds of
various kinds seldom run well. When the packs are very large, the hounds
are seldom sufficiently hunted to be good; twenty or thirty couple,
therefore, or at most forty, will be sufficient for the keenest
sportsman in this country, as thus he may be enabled to hunt three and
even four times a week. The number of hounds to be kept must however, in
a considerable degree, depend on the strength of the pack, and the
country in which they hunt. They should be left at home as seldom as
possible; and too many old hounds should not be kept. None ought to be
kept above five or six seasons, though this also is somewhat uncertain,
as we have no rule for judging how long a hound will last. In breeding
hounds, considerable attention ought to be paid to the dog from which
you breed. All such are to be rejected as have a tender nose, or are
babblers or skirters. An old dog should never be put to an old bitch.
January, February, and March, are the best months for breeding; late
puppies seldom thrive. After the females begin to grow big with young,
it will not be proper to let them hunt any more, or indeed to remain for
a much longer time in the kennel. Sometimes these animals will have an
extraordinary number of whelps. Mr. Beckford informs us, that he has
known a bitch have fifteen puppies at a litter; and he assures us, that
a friend of his informed him, that a hound in his pack brought forth
sixteen, all alive. In these cases it is proper to put some of the
puppies to another bitch, if you want to keep them all; but, if any are
destroyed, the best coloured ought to be kept. The bitches should not
only have plenty of flesh, but milk also; and the puppies should not be
taken from them till they are able to take care of themselves; their
mothers will be relieved when they learn to lap milk, which they will do
in a short time. After the puppies are taken away from their mother, the
litter should have three purging balls given them, one every other
morning, and plenty of whey the intermediate day. If a bitch bring only
one or two puppies, and you have another that will take them, by putting
the puppies to her, the former will soon be fit to hunt again. She
should, however, be first physicked, and it will also be of service to
anoint her dugs with brandy and water. Whelps are liable to the
distemper, to which dogs in general are subject, and which frequently
makes great havoc among them at their walks. Young hounds should be fed
twice a day, as they seldom take kindly to the kennel-meat at first, and
the distemper is most apt to seize them at this time. It is impossible
to determine how many young hounds ought to be bred in order to keep up
the pack, as this depends entirely on contingencies. The deficiencies of
one year must be supplied by the next; but it is probable, that from
thirty to thirty-five couple of old hounds, and from eight to
thirty-five couple of young ones will answer the purpose, where no more
than forty couple are to be kept. A considerable number, however, ought
always to be bred; for it is undoubtedly and evidently true, that those
who breed the greatest number of hounds must expect the best pack. After
the hounds have become acquainted with the huntsman, and answer to their
names, they ought to be coupled, and walked out among sheep; and two
dogs should not be coupled together, when you can avoid it. As young
hounds are awkward at first, a few ought only to be sent out at a time,
with people on foot, and they will soon afterwards follow a horse. With
regard to the first entering of hounds to a scent, our author gives the
following directions:—“You had better enter them at their own game; it
will save you much trouble afterwards. Many dogs, I believe, like that
scent best which they were first blooded to: but, be this as it may, it
is most certainly reasonable to use them to that which it is intended
they should hunt. Hounds ought to be entered as soon as possible, though
the time must depend on the nature of the country in which they are. In
corn countries hunting may not be practicable till the corn is cut down;
but you may begin sooner in grass countries, and at any time in
woodlands. Hounds at their first entrance cannot be encouraged too much.
When they are become handy, love a scent, and begin to know what is
right, it will then be soon enough to chastise them for what is wrong;
in which case one severe beating will save a great deal of trouble. When
a hound is flogged, the whipper in should make use of his voice as well
as his whip. They should be low in flesh when you begin to hunt, the
ground being generally hard at that time, so that they are very liable
to be shaken. Sometimes the huntsman turns down a cat before them, which
they kill; and, when the time of hunting approaches, he turns out young
foxes or badgers; taking out some of the most steady of his old hounds
to lead on the young ones. Small covers and furze brakes are drawn with
them to use them to a halloo, and to teach them obedience. If they find
improper game, and hunt it, they are stopped and brought back; and as
long as they will stop at a rate, they are not chastised. To render
fox-hunting complete, no young hounds should be taken into the pack the
first season; a requisite too expensive for most sportsmen. The pack
should consist of about forty couple of hounds, that have hunted one,
two, three, four, or five seasons. The young pack should consist of
about twenty couple of young hounds, and an equal number of old ones.
They should have a separate establishment, and the two kennels should
not be too near one another. When the season is over, the best of the
young hounds should be taken into the pack, and the draft of old ones
exchanged for them. Many must be bred to enable a sportsman to take in
twenty couple of young hounds every season. It will always be easy to
keep up the number of old hounds, for, when your own draft is not
sufficient, drafts from other packs may be obtained, and at a small
expense. When young hounds are hunted together for the first season, and
have not a sufficient number of old ones along with them, it does more
harm than good.”—_Vide_ BEAGLE, HARRIER, FOX and STAG-HOUND.
* * * * *