A coney is called the first year a rabbit, and afterwards an old coney. The hart, buck, and boar often take soil without being forced; and all other beasts are said to take water, except the otter, and he is said to beat the stream.

When a stag breaks herd, and draws to the covert, we say he goes to harbour, or takes his hold, or he covers; and when he comes out again, then he discovers himself.

There is a great difference between the frith and the fell; the fells being taken for the valleys, green pastures, and mountains, and the friths for springs and coppices.

By the word way is meant the high and beaten ways on the out side of a forest or wood: and by the word trench, a very small way, not so commonly used.

Blemishes are the marks to know where a deer hath gone in or out, and they are little boughs plashed or broken to hang downwards; any thing that is hung up is called a sewel.

FEATHERED GAME. A brace, a leash, a pack of grouse; a brace, a leash, a pack of black game: a brace, a brace and half (3), a covey of partridges; a brace, a leash, a nid, an eye, or nye of pheasants; a brace, a brace and half (3), a bevy of quails; a couple of snipes (in Ireland called a brace), a couple and half (3), a wisp or walk of snipes; a couple, a couple and half, a fight, or fall of woodcocks; a flock or badelynge of wild ducks; a gaggle of geese; a wing or congregation of plovers; a trip of dotterel; a flock of bustards. Raise a grouse, or pack; raise a black-cock, or pack; raise a partridge, or covey; raise a quail, or bevy; push a pheasant; fiush a woodcock; spring a snipe.

SPORTSMAN. Sportsman is

SPREAD-NET. For catching partridges generally consists of four square meshes.

SPRINGER (Canis extranius). The true English springer differs

but little in figure from the setter, except in size; varying only in a small degree, if any, from a red, yellow, liver-colour, or white, which seems to be the invariable external standard of this breed; and being nearly two-fifths less in height and strength than the setter, delicately formed, ears long, soft, and pliable, coat waving and silky, eyes and nose red or black, the tail somewhat bushy and pendulous, and always in motion when actively employed.

The COCKER, though of the same race, is smaller than the springer. It has also a shorter and more compact form, a rounder head, shorter nose, ears long (and the longer the more admired), the limbs short and strong, the coat more inclined to curl than the springer's, and longer, particularly on the tail, which is generally truncated; the colour liver and white, red, red and white, black and white, all liver-colour, and not unfrequently black, with tanned legs and muzzle. The cocker is so called from being adapted to covert or woodcock shooting.

SPRINGES, GINS, SNARES. Devices for the taking of game of various descriptions, placed usually in

got Marske (the sire of Eclipse), Syphon, Mr. Pratt's famous Old Mare (the dam of Pumpkin, Maiden, Purity, &c. &c.) Squirt was sire of many good runners; and it is to be lamented that a greater number of well-bred mares were not put to him.

SQUIRT MARE, foaled in 1750, her dam (Lot's dam) by MogulCamilla, by Bay Bolton-Old Lady (Starling's dam), by Pulleine's chestnut Arabian-Rockwood-Bustler. This famous mare produced seventeen foals-two died young, three were never trained, and the remainder proved most excellent racers. She was dam of Virgin, Miracle, Dido (dam of Goldfinch), Conundrum, Ranthos, Enigma, Riddle, Miss Timms (dam of Prince Ferdinand), Pumpkin, Maiden, Rasselas, and Purity (the dam of Rockingham), her last produce. She

died, August 20, 1777, aged twentyseven. This mare, the property of Mr. Pratt, was never trained: she was covered twenty-three seasons. Speaking of this mare, Mr. Smith says, in his" Observations on breeding for the Turf," that," From her has sprung more good blood than from the produce of any other mare in the whole stud-book."

STABLE-STAND. See BACK

BERIND.

STABLING. Loftiness is very desirable in a stable. It should never be less than twelve feet high, and the best method of ventilation is by means of a chimney or square opening in the ceiling, communicating with the open air, or it may be made in the form of a dome or cupola, which would be more ornamental. The chimney need not be open at the top so as to admit the rain, but should be roofed, and have lateral openings by means of weather-boards, as they are termed. As to the admission of air into the stable, the usual means provided for that purpose are quite sufficient; that is, by windows. The best floor for a stable, by far, is hard brick;

and, next to that, limestone not less than one foot square.

STAG. A game cock of the second year.

STAG. See RED DEER. STAGGERS, MAD. The leading symptoms of this disease are, unusual drowsiness, loss of appetite, and an inflamed appearance under the eyelids. As the disorder advances the animal becomes suddenly ferocious, endeavours to bite and destroy any other horse near, or any being who attempts to approach him. After those convulsive efforts he sometimes lies down; and, when recovered from exhaustion, rises up suddenly, and resumes his furious operations. This desperate disease originates sometimes from worms in the stomach, called botts; and, in other cases, from too much confinement in the stable, and high feeding; the horse should be immediately secured in this violent stage of the disorder; the two jugular veins should be opened, and, as in the case of inflammatory fever, the animal should be bled even to fainting, and if convulsive symptoms should again appear, the operation must be repeated. When the animal is thus rendered quiescent, he should be served with a few emollient clysters, and one or two purgative doses. As soon as his strength is sufficiently recruited, give him occasional bran mashes, and green herbage in small proportions. some time after (if the weather be favourable) send him to grass on a light wholesome pasture. The remedies to be relied upon most, are repeated bleedings and purging.

In

STAGGERS, STOMACH. The stomach is sometimes, when in a diseased state, affected by acute inflammation, from receiving into it poisonous or highly stimulating substances. However, this is not a case of very frequent occurrence. Botts are supposed to produce sometimes a species of chronic inflammation in the stomach. The principal indications of acute stomachic in

flammation are, general heaviness, quick breathing and pulsation, legs and ears chilly, &c. If an over quantity of arsenic, blue vitriol, or corrosive sublimate, be received in the stomach, the best antidotes against their poisonous effects are, liver of sulphur; a solution of soap, with an infusion of flax seed; a solution of gum arabic, or arrow-root boiled, is also recommended. If acute inflammation ensue from the action of violent stimulants, such as an excessive dose of nitrate of potass, linseed infusion is considered the best anti-stimulant. The animal should also be bled. If the stomach be inflamed by botts, doses of olive or castor oil should be given, and clysters of oil and warm water be thrown up. As the disease abates, his regimen of diet should be very temperate, nutritive mashes of bran, and a small portion of bruised oats; also green herbage, as grass, &c. are the best diet.

STAG-HOUND. The largest and most powerful kind of dog kept for

the purpose of hunting in England. It is the produce of a cross between the old English hound and the fox

hound.

STALING. A term used to signify, in a horse or mare, the act of evacuating the urinary bladder. It is a humane and necessary practice to suffer horses to void their urine at full leisure; and to encourage them to it by whistling, or any other of the soothing methods which they may understand. The evacu

ation of urine is liable to interruption from various causes. STALKING-HORSE. See

FOWLING.

STALLION, or STONE-HORSE. A horse kept to propagate the species: he ought to be sound, well-made, vigorous, and of a good breed: in him should centre all the points and qualities that it is possible for a good horse to possess; since the produce, whether male or female, much more frequently acquires and retains the shape, make, marks, and disposition of the sire than the dam. This justifies us in rejecting stallions with the least appearance of disease, blemish, or bodily defect. It is even necessary to descend to the minutiæ of symmetry in the head, neck, shoulder, fore-hand, ribs, back, loins, joints, and pasterns, attending to a strict uniformity in the shape, make, and texture of the very hoofs.

"The mare," says Buffon, "contributes less than the stallion to the beauty of the foal, but, perhaps, more to its disposition and shape.'

STAND-HOUSE. A building erected on a rising ground, in a position commanding a view of the course, and open for the accommodation of the public generally, or of subscribers by whom it is maintained.

STARS. Distinguishing marks in the foreheads of horses: they are usually white.

STARTING. A horse is said to start, that is skittish or timorous, and that takes every object he sees to be otherwise than it is.

This fault is most common to horses that have defects in their eyes, or that have been kept a long time in the stable without airing: a starting horse should never be beat in his consternation, but made to advance gently, and by soothing means, to the object that alarms him, till he recovers and gains confidence.

It is also used for a hare being moved from her seat, or for a racehorse beginning his course; indeed

it is so appropriated to this, that it | is difficult to find a phrase to explain it. In the first instance, it is used as a transitive verb; in the last, as a neuter, when applied to the horse, though sometimes the owner will say, "I mean to start my horse." STERN. The tail of a greyhound or a wolf.

STEW. A small store pond or reservoir wherein fish are kept alive for present use. This should be so situated as to be near the chief mansion, and enclosed, the better to be defended from robbers.

STICKLEBACK (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Spawns in May, and is found in rivers, ponds, and ditches. Trout and pike rise easily at them, and when the prickles are cut off, they make excellent baits.

STIFLE (in a Horse). That part of the hind leg which advances towards his belly, similar to the small cramp-bone in a leg of mutton; and is a most dangerous part to receive a blow upon.

STIRRUP (in the Manège). An iron frame attached to the saddle to assist the horseman to mount, and afterwards to aid him in preserving a proper seat. When your foot is in the stirrups you should depress the heel, and the right stirrup leather should be half a point shorter than the left.

The ancients were not acquainted with this mode of mounting their horses, but supplied the want by agility, by the assistance of their slaves, by training their horses to bend for them, by the assistance of their javelins; and they had stones laid along the road side in very many places to facilitate the same abject.

latter is always tipped with black, is longer in proportion, and more hairy; while the tail of the weasel is shorter, and of the same colour with the body; thirdly, the edges of the ears, and the ends of the toes in the stoat, are of a yellowish white. It may be added, that the stoat haunts woods, hedges, and meadows, especially where there are brooks whose sides are covered with small bushes; and sometimes (but less frequently than the weasel) inhabits barns, and other farm buildings.

The natural history of the stoat and weasel are much the same. They both feed on birds, rabbits, mice, &c. In agility they are alike, and the scent of both is equally fetid. The stoat is more common in England than the weasel.

STOOPING (in Falconry). When a hawk on her wings, and at the height of her pitch, bends down violently to take the fowl.

STOPPING. The filling the hollow of a horse's foot with cow-dung, poultice, or any other moist application. It has the effect of softening the sole, and, on some occasions, may be advantageous, though it is frequently misapplied.