Star.
London, England, 1824-07-09 00:00:00

FIELD SPORTS FOR JULY.

Tit the bei;inning of June, though no lack of rain appews to hue
been experienced in the midland and southern counties, so great
was the drought in the nottliern and north Ave-tent parts, that the
grass on the hills and sandy uplands suffered severely. Lowering
clouds frequently passed over those districts; and most likely d-pt..
sited their contents more to the south, till the evening of Sunday,
the 13th. when the rain Commenced, and continued with occaliou.
Intermissions during the three following days and nights. For de
vegetation of those parts of the kingdom just t smed a more salwary
circumstance could not possibly have occurred ; Hut, as the ran
fell at the precise period when the generalihatch of patwidgee
pheasants takes place, it is very probable that some little injury
has been sustained in consequence. The rain, however, did no:
descend so rapidly as to cause a flood, or even to fill die ditches;
and therefore in those places only where the nest happened to be
placed in an exposed situation, would the incubation or hatchin:
sustain serious tncuavenience, as vegetation way gene-ally, styli.
ciently advanced to afford ample slither. Further, by the rain
descending at this precise time ;then the ground was greatly in
want of it (the grass lands in particular), the general snowing, that
would otherwise have taken place immediately, was postponed for
at least a fortnight; and although the destruction effected by the
rain was great, it could nut be considered equal to that wt kis
would have been caused by the premature introduction of the
scythe,—consequently, it may be reasonably expected that game of
all kinds will be found in plenty.
On the loth of June, the writer saw a covey of eleven 'townr
partridges in Altcar, in lanicashire. the property of the Earl or
Sefton; and these little birds were able to raise themselves on the
wing, and continue a flight of a few scare yards. In the sarr •
neighbourhood, he observed several pheasants' nests on the same
day, which were deserted; the birds had evidently hatched; egg-
shells remaining in the nest, but not a single addle egg. From ex-
tensive observation, see are induced to suppose that the hat:hiss:
birds In general took p'.acs rather sooner this season than usual;
young rooks were ready to fly at an early period ; and a titmoust
and also a throstle, which have for years formed their nests in the
writer's garden, produced their young unusually early. The nen:-
low tribe appears less numerous than usual
The wAeat crops, and cans in general,never looked more promi4ine.
The young angler, for the sake of practict, or such as are
satisfied with the small fry, may ra'te for pages** and whip for
dace and Meek, and expect plenty of sport during the remaining
summer months. _ _ _

If July prosie dry and the waters become low, let those who de.
light in 'niggling get their tackle in order, and by using it
they will kill some very large and Ane eels; July, generally speak.
ing, being the most favourable for this sport.—Autals Sportint.
LAWS OF RACING.

Noises take their ages front Nlay-day, i. e. a horse faaled any
time in the year 182 S, is one year old on the lit of May, 1824.
Four inches are a hand; 14 pound a stone; 240 yards a distance.
—Catch-weights are, each to appoint a party to ride without weigh-
ing.—Feather-weight signifies the same. Give-and-take
arc weights for inched ; fourteen hands to carry a stated weight, all
above to carry extra, or be allowed the proportion of /lb. to an
inch.—A Whim-Plate, is a weight for age and a weight for indies.
—A Post-Match, is to insert the ages of the horses in the articles.
and to run any horse of that age, without declaring till you come to
the post to start.—Handicap weights are, weights according to the
supposed abilities of the horses.—Plates or shoes are not allowed in
the weight—The horse that has his head at the Ending Post hrg
wins the beat—Elders must ride their horses back to the Winnin-
g to weigh; and he that dismounts before, or wants weight, is
distanced.--If a rider fall from his horse, and the horse be tiddeu
in by a person of sufficient weight, he will take place the same as
if it had not happened, provided he went back to the place where
the rider fell. Horses not entitled to start without producing a pro-
per certificate of their age, if required; except where aged horses
are included, in which case a junior horse may start without a err.
tificate; provided he carry the same weight as an aged horse.—Fot
the best of the Plate, when there are three heats run, the horse it
second that wins one.—For the best of the heats, the hone is se.
coed that beats the other twice out of three times, though be &tit
not win a heat.—When the Plate is won at two heats, the prefer-
ence of the horses is determined by the places they hold in the se-
cond heat.—When three horses have each von a heat, they only
must start for a fourth, and their places will be determined ley it,
though before no difference between them. No distance in a four,'
hat.—ln running heats, if it cannot be decided which is first, the
heat goes for nothing, and they may all start again, except it laa be-
tween two horses that had each won a beat. I lorses drawn before
the Plate is won, are distanced.—A bet made after the heat is over,
If the horse betted on does not start again, is no bet.—A confirmed
bet cannot be off, without mutual consent. —Hither party may de-
mand stakes to be made, and on refusal may declare the bet void.—
If a party be absent on the day of running, a public declaration of
the bet may be made on the Course, and a demand wbethet any
person will make stakes for the absent party; if no person consent
to do so, the bet may be declared void. !lets agreed to be settled in
town, or any particular place, cannot be declared off on the Course.
The person who bets the odds, has a right to choose the horse on
the field. When be has chosen his bane, the field is what starts
against him; but there is no field unless one starts with him. If
odds are bet without Mentioning the horse before the race is over.
it must be determined as the odds were at the time of makFna
Bets made between particular horses are void, if neither of them be
the winner, unless specified to the contrary. At Newmarket, if a
match be made for any particular day in any meeting, tied the
parties afterwards change the day, all bets must stand ; but if at'
tered to a different meeting, bets made before the alteration are
void. Bets determined, though the horse does not start, when the
words a absolutely"—" run or pay"—or " play or pay"—are made
use of in betting. For example, I bet that Mr. Udny's eham. Mi-
randola, absolutely wins the King's Plate, at Chelmsford, in 1824.
I lose the bet though she does not want and win (bough the goes
over the Course alone. All double bets are considered as play or
pay. Since Epsom races, 1812, all bets are made in pennds, and
not in guineas, as formerly. Hone, running on the wrong side of
a post, and nut turning back, are distanced. Horses distanced, if
the riders cross or jostle. Horses that forfeit, are the beaten hennas
where it runs cr pays. Bete made on hot les winning any number
of plates that year, remain in force till the first day of May. Ed-
ney given to have a bet laid, not returned if not run. All matches,
bets, and engagements, are void on the decease of either party be-
fore determined. An untried stallion or mare, it one whose pro-
duce had not started in public at the time of closing the engages
went. In estimating winnings, it is the practice to consider the
clear sum gained only, and consequently to exempt the wi ;rat I
stake. A winner of sweepstakes of 20gs. each (three subs.) is.
therefore, not disqualified from running for a £5O plate, eerie-zed
to be for horses that never won a plate, match, or sweepstake, ai
that valise.