appearance in the London market. I imagined it would prove a treasure, but, in common with other piscators, was disappointed; it was inferior in strength. Some anglers stain gut: this is often done in the shops to disguise its inferiority (its dulness): if this be done, a light blue is probably the best colour. Gut should always be wetted before you at tempt to knot it, and even then the knot should not be drawn too tight immediately: I mean, the tension should be moderate in closing the knot. If pulled hard, the miscroscope will convince the sceptical or the satirical that immediately under the knot the gut will be more or less flattened and injured. If this slight precaution be observed, the angler will be spared many mortifications, and not have to deplore the loss of many a good fish. Another great objection to knotting gut dry is, that, when subsequently wetted in the river, the coil of the knot loses its position, and it is apt to slip. Great care should be taken, in uniting the links, that the substance of the gut be as nearly as possible the same, as otherwise, in the constant use of the casting line, the weakest link would be sure to go close by the knot. In the doubling and twisting treble gut for large salmon flies, each link of gut should be of the same thickness; by which means in the machine each link will receive an equal number of twists: if this be not attended to, and the links of unequal thickness, the tension will

be unequal, one or more of them being useless, and the coarseness of the cast line increased without adding to its strength.

Pretending to no arrangement, while on the subject of cast lines, I shall make a few remarks upon the manner in which they are used in actual practice. With some (and certainly the best anglers) the tail fly is the first which touches the water. To do this without splashing, the casting hand must be slightly raised or checked, just as you are aware the fly is about to descend; it is a very minute and delicate operation, and requires long practice to reduce it to certainty. With some the bottom of the hair or silk line, just above where it is joined to the cast, touches first, the tail fly falling over-in throwing a very long line this is admissible, and cannot well be helped, but is not the best practice, the drop of the fly (for large trout especially) being worth all. To throw your fly to the opposite side of a bank, on stones or rocks, the leaves of aquatic plants, &c., and then let it fall off, is very killing, and should be well practised. It is these apparent trifles which are advantageous when reduced to practice, and render one man successful, where another goes home empty. Almost every one now-a-days knows the principles, but how few are up to the niceties of the art! and did I not dread being tedious, I should dilate more. I have still a few remarks to make in my next.

A QUARTOGENARIAN.

SIR,

THE nearest place to London where Grouse are to be found is in the several forests and uninclosed lands on the borders of Surrey and Sussex, and some parts of Kent; and I believe they were formerly, if not at the present day, to be found within thirty miles of the Metropolis. On these lands there is only Black Game.

The next place, westward, is the New Forest, all Black: then the heaths near Poole in Dorsetshire; the hills in the parish of Sidbury, Devon, extending to Honiton, Ottery St. Mary, &c.; Hall Down, on the road from Exeter to Newton Bushell; and on the wilds of Dartmoor.

Turning northward, in the parish of North Molton, on the lands of Lord Poltimore, where they are more plentiful at present than any of the beforementioned lands. Exmoor Forest, and some lands belonging to Lord Carnar von, in the vicinity of Dulverton, they are also to be found.

More in the centre of the king dom, they are also in abundance at Beaudesert, the property of the Marquis of Anglesea; and also in Sutton Colfield Park, belonging to the Corporation of that townboth in Staffordshire, and within ten miles of Birmingham.

All the abovementioned places afford only the Black Game.

There may have been formerly Black Game on some of the heaths and commons in Shropshire and Cheshire; but although I have known those counties well for forty years, I never remember to have seen any: and, to the best

of my knowledge, I believe I have enumerated all the places in the South of England where Grouse are to be found.

I shall next proceed to Wales. The first place is the mountains near Crickhowell; the Black Mountain, near Brecon; and, running south to Merthyr Tyd vil, westward to Penderyn, Estrevelle, and to Llandovery, in Carmarthenshire. In Pembroke. shire they were formerly in abun dance. On the highest mountain of that country, called Priscilla Top, I have been told that for many years they were totally ex tinct, but that lately some had come to that spot, but whence or how nobody pretends to know. Farther westward in that countybut I never heard of any going north-east intoCardiganshire-they are again found; on the borders of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire; in the vicinity of Tregaron, Yspythy-Istwyth; to the eastward, in Radnorshire, on New Radnor Forest, the property of the Earl of Essex; on the property of Mr. Macnamara, of Langoidmore Castle; on the Cwn Teither Hills, near Rhaedor Gwy; on the hills near Hafod, the seat of the late Col. Johns, but now the Duke of Newcastle, and those of Crosswood, Lord Lisburn's.

Formerly the greater part of these moors were not preserved, and any person shot over them without interruption now they are all preserved, with very little exception.

In North Wales the moors are much more extensive. Those round Llanidloes, the property of

Lord Powis, have been preserved many years, There are some adjoining moors in the neighbourhood of Newtown Commons open to the public. Round Machnllaith, and to the west of Townmeirionydd, the moors belong to Edwards of Talgarth, and Corbet of Ynys-y-maengwyn. At Dynasmawddwy the moors belong to Mr.Mytton of Aldstone in Shropshire, and were always preserved, and the only moors I ever knew let in Wales.

Round Bala it was always said that the moors belonged to the Prince of Wales, and I was in the habit of frequently going there. Six brace a-day was called good shooting. To the north of Bala Mr. Price of Rhiwlas claimed an exclusive right, but I never saw any quantity of birds there. Again to the westward, on the north side of Bala Pool, is a very large range of mountains belonging to Sir Watkin Williams Wynne. On the different mountains further north Grouse are to be found, but in still smaller numbers.

Snowden, I have heard, was once famous, but at the present moment I do not think there are any. On some of the Carnarvonshire hills they were equally plenty with the hills round Bala, which was reckoned the best spot in Wales. On all the hills in South and North Wales the Red Game is only to be found at present; the Black were formerly abundant, but have been all destroyed some years. I have heard the Rev. Mr. Anwyl, Rector of Lanykil, and Chaplain to Sir W. W. Wynne, a man forty years since nearly eighty, say, that he remembered them plenty, but that as people improved in shoot

ing they were all killed, being easy of access, as he had often seen them perched on the turf and peat stacks.

In the North of England the moors nearest London are in the vicinity of Buxton, the property of His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, who kindly gives them up to the visitors at that place: they are not very extensive. Permission is obtained by application to the Duke's Steward, who gives a card for so many days. I have been credibly informed that there have been occasionally as many shooters on the moors as birds. The Duke has other moors at the back of Chatsworth, towards Sheffield, where they are strictly preserved for his own shooting and his particular friends staying in the house, where they are tolerably plentiful. There are other moors in the parish of Eyam, Hathersage, &c. where the commons have been inclosed, and the Grouse are extinct, or nearly so.

At the back of Sheffield is an extensive range of moors, formerly open to every one, but which have been lately preserved, and tickets sold at the rate of ten guineas each for liberty to shoot. To whom the moors belong, or who has the management of them, I am not able to say. Between these moors, Manchester to the west, and Huddersfield to the north-east, there are many acres of moor land belonging to different proprietors.

More to the north, at Rippenden, is a large tract belonging to His Grace the Duke of Leeds, and hired by a party of || gentlemen who preserve them, raising the money by the sale of tickets, as at Sheffield. There are also various other tracts of

ral other tracts of moor, belonging to different proprietors.

To return back to Yorkshire: on the east are very extensive moors, with a decent supply of game, near Helmsley, Pickering, and Kirby moor side, belonging to Lord Faversham; with many other smaller estates belonging to numerous proprietors, reaching eastward to Whitby and Scarborough, and westward nearly to Malton.

Going again north-east from Haltwhistle is Bewcastle, a very extensive tract belonging to Sir James Graham, strictly preserved, which has of late years been advertised both for sale and to let. Adjoining, to the east, are the moors of the Earl of Carlisle; some other small moors at Lamport, &c. &c., which are let. Adjoining are moors belonging to Sir Thomas Blacket, who has lately built an excellent house on them. Then Mr. Allgood, of Nunwick. Further north, Otterbourne Moors, belonging to Greenwich Hospital, part of the Derwentwater estate, letto Messrs. Bell and Brandling of Newcastle; round Kirk Whelpington and Elsdon Moors, belonging to Sir John Trevylian and Mr. Trevylian. Further to the north, the famous moors and Castle of Nielder, belonging to the Duke of Northumberland, well stocked, particularly with Black Game; but on

all the Northumberland moors are Black and Red. In Yorkshire I know of no place where the Black are to be found. Further north, there are many estates nearer the Scotch Border, where Grouse, both black and red, are

to be had in tolerable abundance.

The miners, both coal and lead, are so much in the habit of poaching, that it is not possible to calculate on any good shooting in the north of Yorkshire or Northumberland to any certainty.Two years since I bought two dogs of Mr. Allgood's keeper of Nunwick, who told me that three weeks before the shooting season commenced he was out on the moors, and saw several men at a distance, who he at first took for people gathering sheep, but on hearing guns he soon discovered it was a gang of poachers, sixteen or eighteen in number. Knowing it useless to go alone, he procured three or four other men, and went up to them. On ordering them off, they replied, they were come to shoot for the support of their families, and that they would not only shoot that day, but come the next; and having fallen in with a brood of Black Game scarcely able to fly, killed five or six in their presence. The same thing happened the same year in several places in Northumberland. April 6, 1833.

SIR,

IF you think the following ac

count of three weeks' most superior sport with the Fife Hounds worthy a place in your Magazine you are welcome to it. As, however, these hounds are probably

not so well known to many of your Southern readers as they are to those north of the Tweed, it may be as well, before giving an account of their sport, to give a short account of themselves.