seems more qualified to follow, if not vie with the great O, than any of the great swells or prudent managers who have since tried their hand at the difficult game of hunting Leicestershire. Mr. Colville gives up the Atherstone-a vacancy that it will be difficult to fill up with as good a man at present the country is "Lodgings to Let." The Pembrokeshire, in future, will be under the direction of Mr. Lort Phillips, of Ashdale, who has them already in his kennels. This change will in no way interfere with, or alter the system on which the country has hitherto been hunted. John White (we can't offer any title to so known a man) resigns the Cheshire-" Another still." EXTRAORDINARY SAGACITY IN A Fox.-A few days back, a vixen being rather closely pressed by Mr. Payne and the Essex Union, put her wits to work for a place of refuge. Earths were or might be stopped, scent in cover was far too good to think of any safety from that, while in the open-if there is any open in Essex-it was even worse. The scientific advance and improvements lately effected in one quarter was, luckily, not unknown to her; and so away she went, and in she went to one of the deep drains of Tiptree Hall Farm. Of a truth, then, Mr. Mechi may thus add one more triumph to his long list of patriotic improvements, and that is the great and good act of saving a vixen in the middle of April. The Members of the Royal Thames Yacht Club have resolved on following the example of the Royal Yacht Squadron, by erecting a monument to their late commodore-W. H. Harrison, Esq.-one who certainly might, in every act and motive, have classed with his brother president, Lord Yarborough. The first match of the season with the R. T. Y. C. is fixed for May 11th. The Royal Victoria Yacht Club have determined on holding their annual regatta on the 29th and 30th of July-provided that time be in accordance with the wishes of her Majesty, whose opinion the commodore has been requested to ascertain through the lords in waiting. A "Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club" is about being established on a scale fully commensurate with the size and strength of the county. It is proposed to consist of three divisions-Whitby, the chief, where the commodore's flag will be worn by the Earl of Mulgrave; Scarborough, where the vice-commodore's flag is intended for Sir Charles Ibbetson; and Hull, with the rear-commodore's flag is for Mr. Turnbull. ANGLING. The first clean salmon of this season, taken from the Ness, by rod-fishing, was caught in the Holme Pool, on Wednesday, the 14th, by Charles Woodmas, Esq. Here, as in most of the northern rivers, the spring rivers have been very unproductive; but from the quantity of spent fish that have gone down the rivers in February and March, it is expected that the late fishing will make up for the early. In the Beauly, Lord Lovat has taken three clean salmon, and the Master of Lovat six. From the Blackwater, H. Ross, Esq., landed the same number within the last fortnight. CATCHING AN OTTER ASLEEP.-On Monday, the 19th of last month, an under-keeper of T. B. Hildyard, Esq., M.P., Flintham, near Newark, discovered an otter asleep upon the banks of the Trent, near Flintham Hall. With the assistance of a companion, they managed, ere he awoke, to pin him with the boat-hook, and after considerable difficulty to strangle him. It was the largest otter ever caught in Nottinghamshire, measuring four feet six inches, and weighed within an ounce or so of 28 lbs.-Provincial Paper. We recollect, too, within these few weeks, hearing from some other of our country friends of another, so far from wide awake, as to walk into a town and trip up the first lady he met. Really King Otter is becoming as valuable a friend in time of need as the shower of frogs or infuriated ox. The cricketing season has begun in earnest at Oxford, where Hillyer, Dean, Royston and other professors are busily engaged teaching the young idea how to give or take a shooter." 66 STATE OF THE ODDS, &c. 66 A month so full of action as April could not, of course, be without its effect on the great" object of interest." The changes, however, either advance" or "retire," have not been so striking as we often see about this period. Many of the second-rate swells, to be sure, have gone right out of the market; while the first-class, on the other hand, continue, with an exception or so, no very great way from the mark they have lately been set at. Planet, from losing the Two Thousand, becomes a little worse, as Conyngham, from winning it, a little better; War Eagle's and Red Hart's two races have brought both to nearly as you were,' though at the same time the chief alterations may be traced to the vanquisher of the one and the vanquished of the other-Cossack going up and Epirote down. The prominent features disclosed here are the extraordinary strength of John Day's stable and the helpless character of John Scott's; and the total of the whole a result more favourable to those horses which have not appeared than to those who have. This may, in some measure, be accounted for by the number of starters which have come out evidently in anything but proper form, so that triumphs have not been accompanied with that éclât or decisive proofs of superiority the large fields alone might lead one to suppose would follow. We rather expect to see some of the beaten cracks of last month belie or at any rate improve on their performances before the end of this. Still, we repeat, the most formidable-looking party is in the untried of the season-Van Tromp, Glentilt, and Co.; as certainly the further we get into it, the greater does the claim of Lord Eglinton become to that high place his horse has held so well since last autumn. Writing as we do under the double disadvantage of Chester "on" and Epsom so long forward, we shall in no way attempt to anticipate; while the retrospective shows a month so full of uncertainty and on-and-off work, that we see no profit in going into a review of it. What we do gather from it is that Van Tromp should be first favourite to the day, though some very touchand-go tactics may be used in picking one against him from John Day's two-Conyngham or Cossack? For the Oaks, Clementina's victory-another of the conquering C's -has given her the premiership past all doubt. William Scott, with very excellent discretion, has disposed of his great gun, Sir Tatton Sykes, Isaac Day having tempted him with something too enormous to be whispered. FALLEN STARS.-But a very short time since, two of the lions of the ring-in rather different spheres, perhaps -were Mr. Goodman Levy and Mr. Young-man Clifton; a brace of leviathans who have been hauled into court and hung up to vulgar view during the last month. Mr. Levy went on his "misfortunes," and Mr. Clifton his "minority," and both like Goldsmith's "Ruined spendthrifts, now no longer proud, Put in those pleas, and had their pleas allow'd." EXTRAORDINARY AND FATAL ACCIDENT AT MIDDLEHAM.-On Friday, the 23rd of April, while at exercise at Middleham, Sir John Gerard's mare, Curiosity, and Mr. A. Johnstone's Little Nell, and one of the lads, were struck dead by a flash of lightning. The poor lad was "shivered to pieces, limb from limb." The horses were trained by Dawson. An effort made during the first Spring Meeting to put back the Epsom settling from Tuesday to Monday again was negatived by a very large majority. No betting at Tattersall's on Monday the 26th, the members having left for Chester. LATEST BETTING.-CHESTER.-DERBY.-5 to 1 agst. Cossack, 6 to 1 agst. Van Tromp, 7 to 1 agst. Conyngham, 14 to 1 agst. Glentilt, 20 to 1 agst. Wanota, 20 to 1 agst. Mr. Martin, and 33 to 1 agst. Mathematician. OAKS.-7 to 1 agst. Farmer's Daughter. The TRADES' CUP of 200 sovs., added to a Handicap of 25 sovs. each, 15 ft., &c. Two miles and a quarter. Mr. Drinkald's St. Lawrence, aged, 6st. 7lb. (Ford) Mr. Gully's Mendicant, four years old, 8st. (F. Butler) 2 3 Twenty-six others also ran. 25 to 1 agst. the winner. Won by half a neck. EMBELLISHMENTS. CONTENTS. Page. DIARY FOR JUNE THE RACING IN MAY.-BY CRAVEN 387 THE STAGE OF LIFE; INSIDERS AND OUTSIDERS; AND TRA- A "YARN" ABOUT YACHTING.-BY THE EDITOR THE STALKER'S HOME. -BY OXONIAN ON THE DUTIES OF AN UMPIRE IN COURSING.-BY E. JEF- 13 Second Sunday after Trinity. Morning. 923 0 19 3 4724 0 48 6 12 6 40 7 8 7 40 8 10 8 48 s 8 1125 1 16 9 24 9 55 r 3 4626 1 4610 3011 2 s 8 1327 2 1911 36 r 3 4528 2 56 0 s 8 1429 3 41 1 afternoon 14 M CRIC. at Lord's, M.C.C. v. N. C.s 8 15 1 9 7 15 T SUTTON PARK RACES. 70 35 3 1 30 1 53 2 20 2 42 3 0 r 3 44 29 46 3 25 3 45 16 W BIBURY CLUB RACES. Wrexh. F.s 8 16 17 T STOCKBRIDGE RACES. 18 F Battle of Waterloo. 19 S 20S Third Sunday after Trinity. 21 M CRICKET at Lord's Kent v. Eng. 22 T NEWCASTLE RACES. 23 W NORTHUMBERLAND PLATE DAY.r 3 4510 27 S Fourth Sunday after Trinity.r 3 4614 3 5 0 52 1 15 28 M CRICKET at Lord's, Kent v. Eng. s 8 19 F 29 T WINCHESTER RACES. 30 W LUDLOW RACES. r 3 47 16 s 8 1817 1 39 2 0 8 42 2 20 2 43 9 21 3 5 3 25 |