At an early hour the town of Epping became densely crowded with people, from all parts of the country; parties on foot, and on horseback, in carriages, gigs, wagons, carts, donkey-chaises, and vans, crammed to overflowing. The "meet" (" we met, 'twas in a crowd,") presented the appearance of a large fair, or the borders of a racecourse pea-and-thimble boards; E. O. tables, and various other apparatus of petty gambling, shows and exhibitions, gingerbread stalls glittering with kings and queens. At one o'clock there was a goodly assemblage at the brow above Fairmead Bottom, while the pollard oaks, which skirt the bottom on either side, were filled with men and boys. Suddenly the loud notes of a horn were heard; then a keyed-bugle, playing the inspiring air of the hunting chorus in "Der Freischutz;" when the huntsman and hounds were seen coming over the hill by the Bald-faced Stag; hundreds of Jemmy Greens, and Johnny Gilpins rushed gallantly forward to meet them. The huntsman, dressed in a huge antique red frock-coat, with a grass-green collar, mother-o'-pearl buttons as big as crown pieces; yellow and black striped waistcoat; pair of dark, greasy, corduroy inexpressibles; mahogany tops; mounted on a worn-out bit of blood, with one eye and a string halt; a snafflebridle in his mouth, decorated with a nose-band; and an ivory ring under his jaws, to keep the reins together; saddle and its crupper, looked rather the worse for wear. The whipper-in sported a green cut-away, a pair of ochre-coloured balloon-like leather breeches, a black velvet cap, some rusty couples, and a horse the fac-simile of Petruchio's: "His horse, hipped, with an old mothy saddle, and stirrups of no kindred, full of windgalls, sped with spavins, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots, swayed in the back, and shouldershotten, ne'er legged before, and with a half-checked bit, and a headstall of sheep's leather, which, being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots." The pack consisted of eight couple, of every shape, sort, colour, and size. Three couple from the "E. E. M. U. H." (East End Metropolitan Union Hunt); two and a half drafted from "the drag, or red-herring" pack of a sporting cavalry regiment; a couple of dwarf staghounds, one cur, a sheep-dog, and a terrier. After an hour's delay, the door of the cart was opened, and, amidst the laughing, and whooping, and shouting, and holloaing of the males, and the screaming and fainting of the females, and the yelling, and barking, and whining of the canine race, a young buck, who "wore a wreath of roses" round his neck, a girth of rainbow-coloured ribands, and a gaudy silk pennon "streaming in the wind," was turned out. The poor animal looked like the picture of innocence, gazed for a few moments at the spectators, and trotted off perfectly unconcerned. At a given time the hounds were laid on: "Yoicks! Melody; have at him, Pilgrim," cried the man in red (we will not again profane the name of huntsman). Vere's the stag?" bellowed a young grocer from Whitechapel.. "Vot a swell," cried a second. "There he goes," screeched one. "Hold hard," shouted another. "Stop my horse," cried a third. A yelp here,—a growl there. "Ware hound!" said the man in the green coat and velvet cap. "Hector has it; forward, forward!" bellowed the huntsman. "Want your horse holded, sir?" beseechingly asked a St. James's-street cad, to a young gentleman on a snaffle-bridle runaway; and away they went, 66 hurry-scurry, helter-skelter,-red coats and green coats, blue coats and black coats, sporting sweeps with no coats at all, horses without riders; dogs, donkeys, baronets, butchers, dandies, dustmen, knifegrinders; tinkers, tailors, nobocracy, snobocracy. There were many most disastrous chances, and hair-breadth 'scapes, and moving accidents by flood and field; lots of M'Adamizers. The stag, after trotting some few miles, turned back towards Woodford, and was ultimately "taken," nobody knows by whom, how, or where. SUGGESTIONS FOR GAME PRESERVERS. MONTHS have rolled by since the last sun of January cast its farewell rays on the frost-clad hills; with its departure, bringing rest to the greater part of our winged game. To criticise the new code of laws-which, by granting unlimited licence for the sale of game to every blackguard who can raise money enough to purchase a licence, threatens soon to annihilate every species, the preservation of which has been the constant pride and desire of our gentry, for centuries past is not my intention: I merely presume to offer a few words of advice to those who are fortunate enough to possess lands suited for preserves, but which, without care and management, might as well (as regards the sportsman's views at least) remain, like commons, unenclosed and uncultivated. Although our laws sanction the destruction of pheasants, partridges, &c., until, the last day of January, yet no sportsman, nor any one desirous of preserving game, would think of killing them after about the middle of December. No doubt there will always be found those who, more anxious to fill their pockets than to obtain fair sport, will not scruple about shooting till the very last day or hour. But, in a moderately mild season, birds begin to pair about the middle of December, and then, no doubt, many a right and left shot will offer, if any one be mean enough to take advantage of it; and thus, perhaps, in each brace, destroy a future covey. Every one who has an eye to the next season's sport, will be careful to leave a sufficient supply on his estate for a breeding stock. Supposing the proprietor to possess a keeper, the task of preserving becomes, though far from a sinecure, much less laborious; but, should he not have that auxiliary, the whole care and responsibility rests upon his own shoulders. No doubt, the first object is to conciliate his tenants, without which all his cares will prove fruitless; but if, as I am happy to say is the case, in my own country at least, the landlords and tenants are on good terms, the mere request, aided by the present of a few brace of birds, generally suffices. A small sum of money, distributed among his men, will also be of great service, as it will then be their benefit not to destroy the nests, and young leverets, which can avail them nothing, when taken. The favourite breeding-places of birds, are thick hedgebottoms, or clover seeds: to prevent their breeding in the latter is very important, as they are usually mown before the hen has brought off her brood, and thus many nests are annually cut over. One advantage the latter certainly possess, viz., that vermin are less likely to find them there; and in lordships without regular keepers to destroy predatory birds and animals, they are the worst enemies game have. The number of rabbits and hares which a single stoat will destroy, in a season, is almost incredible. Advancing with a stealthy step, it springs on the neck of its unsuspecting victim, from which no struggles can dislodge it: it remains there till it has sucked every drop of blood, and then, generally, leaves it. The strength of the stoat is very great; I have watched one dragging a rabbit by the neck, about four times its own weight, to its hiding-place; and it even returned after I had driven it away: the second time, thinking such perseverance deserved reward, I left it to the quiet enjoyment of its meal. All birds of the hawk tribe are terribly destructive to game, from the kite down to the sparrow-hawk. Carrion crows, and owls too, are mischievous poachers, though the latter do it in a more quiet and gentlemanly way; and, in the dusk of a September morning, I have seen one of our white owls beating a stubble-field as regular as a setter; but I much doubt whether he would attack full-grown game of any description, though leverets and very young birds would have received no quarter. A domestic cat, once having taken to poaching, rarely ever quits it; and should never be spared, if caught in the vicinity of covers, or any place containing game. As soon as the young birds are hatched (the covey generally consisting of from twelve to eighteen), the mother leads them to some high grain in the vicinity of a grass field, which generally abounds in ant-hills, the eggs of which constitute the favourite food of her young progeny. Persons going through fields with dogs, during the breeding season, should be very careful, as they are apt to destroy the young birds; and it is very difficult to call a dog off, when once engaged in pursuit of them amongst the grain. Hares have, generally, from two to three at a litter, and, unless well looked after, many of the young are destroyed. Why sapient law-makers allow the destruction of hares the whole year round, more than that of other game, I cannot comprehend. What can be more unfair and unsportsmanlike than destroying a doe hare, when she may, perhaps, be suckling two or three young ones, which, without her, must inevitably perish? At this season, too, hares are scarcely worth shooting, even for the veriest pot-hunter, being poor and very badly flavoured. However, let us hope that a change, in this particular, will be ultimately included among many other necessary alterations in our game-laws. Some of the keepers about me have lately adopted a plan of rearing partridges and pheasants, by setting their eggs under common hens, and it has succeeded perfectly. The birds are turned out when sufficiently strong; and though, at first, they come to be fed to the spot where they were reared, yet, after some time, they gain their natural wildness. This is an excellent plan, no doubt, for stocking large manors; but I fear the neighbouring ones suffer for it. As eggs must be obtained somewhere, to set their hens on, I regret to say, the practice of taking partridges' nests has become very common latterly in my neighbourhood; in fact, nineteen nests were taken out of a long hedgerow, that ran across a wellstocked lordship near me, in one night. For my own part, I heartily wish to see the practice of rearing birds by the hand discontinued; for if a manor be well preserved, it will generally produce game enough to afford a good season's sport, and then leave a sufficient breeding stock, Since 1 without the necessity of having game annually turned into it. commenced this paper, I see that an alteration, relating to the expiration of game certificates, has taken place. As some of my readers may chance not to have seen it, I copy it literally: it runs thus :— "Notice is hereby given, that by 3rd section of Act 2 and 3 Victoria, c. 35, it is enacted that all certificates for taking or killing game, in force at the time of the passing of the said Act (29 July, 1839), and all such certificates granted after that date, and before the 6th July, 1840, instead of expiring on the 5th April, 1840, shall continue in force until the 5th day of July, 1840; and that all such certificates which shall be granted at any time after the 5th day of July, 1840, shall continue in force until and upon the 5th day of July next after the time of issuing the same.” It is hard to say who will reap the benefit of this extension of three months; I should think, certainly not the sportsman. As all my readers know, the period for shooting partridges, pheasants, and grouse ends long before the 5th of April; and though, perhaps, a few snipes may be shot after that time, yet none are found worth the trouble of going after. Of course, nobody would shoot rabbits, in woods at least, after March, as they begin to breed about the end of that month, and continue breeding through all the summer months. Thus it is evident, that though the new enactment nominally grants further leave for shooting game, yet no real advantage accrues in that respect. The only species of game it will affect, are the unfortunate hares, which will thus be open to destruction for another three months however, it may lead to further alterations, and then it would be indeed an advantage. With regard to the next season, everything augurs a plentiful supply of game. The weather, for the last month (which forms a very important crisis in the breeding of game), has been unusually mild and dry, and very propitious for young partridges and leverets; I saw some of the latter, three weeks ago, and they looked very forward and healthy. A good supply of birds was left last year for the breeding stock, and hares were never more plentiful, at least about me; and, indeed, all the accounts I have heard at present, speak in the same favourable tone that they may prove true, no one more sincerely wishes than myself; for, though an ardent lover of our national sports, in all their varieties, in my opinion, the trigger stands first of them all. The verdant appearance, and health-bearing perfumes of our fields, bathed in the morning dew ;-the sight of my dog, standing fixed and motionless as a statue ;-the quick whirring noise of the covey, have charms for me rarely equalled,-never excelled. "At eve return'd, my bag well fill'd, I envy not ambition's cares, Nor e'en the crown a monarch's wears; Oh! may those joys ne'er cease!" Тоно! ANGLING FOR MARSEER, AT THE MOUTH OF THE SOANY. (Concluded from page 370.) As the fish were a good deal disturbed by the landing of this marseer, I crossed the main stream of the Soany, and walked to the small branch to the left. I then peeped over the bank and saw three large marseers steadying themselves in the current, exactly where it rushed into the Ganges. There was, however, no possibility of throwing a fly to the spot, as the bank was ten feet above the water, and so immediately over the fish, that, had I advanced to the edge, I should have been seen, and they would instantly have disappeared. Under these circumstances I considered myself justified in poaching, more particularly as the sport principally consists in killing a fish after hooking him, especially when the monster is as big as a Soany shark. I therefore retrograded some distance, and descended into the little stream, down which I walked until within twenty paces of the mouth, when I gradually let out my line, keeping the fly dancing on the surface of the water, and peeping, cautiously, in the direction of my friends. In this way the yellow fly skipped along, a foot at a time, until within about two yards of the Ganges, my heart going pit-a-pat at each successive evolution of the wheel, when I saw a dorsal fin cut along the stream with the rapidity of lightning, and with a lash of the tail which made the spray fly again. Whiz-z-z-z went my reel, and the line was in an instant whirled round the corner of the bank, at the junction. I held my breath as I raised my rod, and cleared the line from the bank, expecting a rush; but, most fortunately, the fish had merely bolted into deep water, and did not continue his career. When satisfied on this point, I lost no time in climbing out of the brook, and gave the junction a wide berth, so as not to alarm the other two marseers. I circled round until I had headed the fish already hooked, and, making all ready for business, gradually tightened my line till I felt him. There was not the slightest notice taken of this hint, however, by the fish. He had sulked at the bottom, some fathoms deep, and, but for the singing vibration along the line, I should have believed I was holding a rock. I gave him the butt for some minutes, but did not raise him above a foot nearer the surface; so, having no time to lose in this way, with "other fish to fry," I commenced pelting with stones from the bank, but for some time without moving him. At last, I suppose, I must have touched him, for he sprang down the Ganges "like mad," and I was obliged to run for it (for hold him I could not), until brought up by the main stream of the Soany, which I had before crossed considerably higher up. Now, however, I had no help for it, but to try the perilous experiment at the very mouth of the roaring torrent; for the fish had caught the current of the Soany, as it rushed into the Ganges, and was rattling along with redoubled speed. I therefore dashed in, just |