The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-03 00:00:00

FIELD-SPORTS FOR FEBRUARY.

(From the Annals of Sporting.)
Sometimes with pure snow rob'd, and sometimes crown'd
With coronet of starry ice, that gleams
Like diamonds, sunlit, February, now,
His elder brother follows ; sometimes bound
About with girdle, chaining fields, and streams,
He comes with blust'ring wrath and ruffled brow ;
Yet oft, more kind, with genial mildness beams.
The crocus, vent'rous flower, of wintry spring,
Struggles through earth to meet him ; fruit-tree buds
Swell at his parting.; while the woodlark sweet,
Or heaven-aspiring thrush, are caroling
Their early harbing'ry. Now, too, the Hunter scuds,

Cheer'd by the chase'; music—horn and hound—
And echo joins the cry, enamour'd of the sound.

When this number is being forwarded to our supporters, two im-
portant field-sports will have expired for the season, inasmuch as
partridge and pheasant shooting cease on the Ist of February ;
others, however, still remain to gladden the sportman's heart--
employ his skill—try his steeds, and breathe his hounds ; and
foremost of these will be that noblest of diversions—fox-bunting—
now, indeed, in its greatest glory, and persevered in the most.
The noble stag and the less daring hind, they will, also, be ob-
jects of pursuit ; and, as an old book, 66 imprinted at the Shak-
speare's Head, in Paternoster-row," tells us, a chase, after such,
is, sure, superior to all wealth :
It gives us pleasure, and it gives us health."

COURSING, every year gaining converts, and becoming more
understood, will be -followed during the whole of this month ;
there, however, it should stop ; a March hare, any more than a
May fox, is not to our taste ; neither man nor beast should follow
them. Probably, the latter part of January and the early part of
February, provided no frost bind the plains with Nature's fetters,
are the finest portions of the season for the diversions we speak of;
for the hares, braced, possibly, by some December frosts, and
affrighted from the coverta and warrens by the leaves that rustle
amongst them on windy nights, make their seats (i. e. forms)
far from home, and thus not only run stouter, but afford longer
courses in consequence. But of this, as well as retrogressive and
progressive, notices and anticipations of apart, experienced friends
have spoken in our " Noctes" of the present number.
What has been here said of coursing will almost equally apply
to hare-hunting ; that will still employ our yoke-fellows in all
parts of the country. Let them, also, the " ides of March re-
member."

Wooncocxs and SNIPES will Still be followed ; indeed, we be-
lieve there is no restriction to the Sportsman's filling his bag with
them as often as he can find them, and shoot well enough—
" there's the rub !"

WiLn-rows, too, come kindly to shooters, and when what is
termed " game" may not be warred against. To such Sportsmen
who reside in the vicinity of Neptune's kingdom, or of marshes,
water-meadows, fens, &c. these winged and periodical visitants,
choosing our colder months for their appearance, will afford much
employment and active exercise, as well as require some caution
and skill to reach them, particularly when the crackling of the
frost, o'er glaced meadows, give proclamation of their approach.
RABBITS now give sport to many ; inasmuch as there are divers
ways of taking or destroying them, viz. by net, by beagle, by
spaniel, by ferret, or by gun. In a few counties small packs of
pocket dogs, as it were, are kept for their pursuit, and afford, for
pedestrians, many a breathing burst ; whilst, in the neighbour-
hood of warrens and gorse-covers, they are driven out by spring-
ers, and fall victims to the tube, levelled, perhaps, by a numerous
party, stationed at the different gaps and runs of the shelter. We
have been out with such parties, and once saw the greatest num-
ber killed by a friend of ours, who took his station in a tree, and
then " hurled thunder down ;" he beat us all hollow. The sport,
however, is, to tyros, dangerous ; a man ought to have his eyes
and senses about him.

ELEGANT FURNITURE, GLASSES, &c.--I-1, L.
Cooper, 93, Bishopsgate-street-Within, respectfully apprizes the
Nobility and Gentry, that he continues to supply every description
of Upholstery and Cabinet Work, with Glasses of the most en-
treme size as well as moderate dimensions, and every other article
connected with the furnishing of Houses in the most splendid as
well as the neatest style, combining elegance and simplicity with
true taste, thus obtaining, at a very moderate expence, such a su-
perior general effect, which the most laboured and costly furniture
when not well arranged, ever fails to produce. Fenton's New
Hotel, St. James's-street, which is considered one cf the first in
Europe for elegance and convenience, was entirely fitted up from
this E3tablislimeut,
and presents a handsome specimen of the style
adopted by H. L. C. to attain the desired effect. H. L. C. con-
siders lie can compete for excellence of workmanship and quality of
materials with any other house in London, and at such reasonable
Prices as will ensure him the patronage and support he has so
long enjoyed of some of the most distinguished families in the
kingdom.