termed nervous are probably required, particularly the fetid gums and the bark, preceded by a mercurial purge.

Mr. John Lawrence says, "There can be no doubt that horses are frequently troubled with the asthma nocturnum, incubus, or night-mare: the symptoms of which are those profuse sweats, and twisting and dishevelling of the mane, discovered at their uprising in the morning; which the country fellows of old attribute to the jockeyship and hard post-work of Oberon and his queen. The cause is a dense and sizy blood, and intestinal accumulation. It is one of the salutary warnings of beneficent nature, which is not always neglected with impunity." Venesection, purgatives, exercise, and grass, are the remedies he prescribes.

NIPPERS. Four teeth in the fore part of a horse's mouth, two in the upper and two in the lower jaw. They appear between the second and third year. See AGE OF HORSE.

NOSEBAND is that part of a military bridle, headstall, martingal, or hunting rein-halter, which, passing below the under jaw, and round the nose above the nostrils, assists in keeping the other parts of either in their proper positions.

NOSTRILS. The nostrils of a horse are generally supposed to be a tolerable criterion of his wind, as well as his blood. A horse having a wide and well-extended nostril, may be supposed to possess a free

and easy expansion of the lungs this cannot be more perfectly comprehended, than by adverting occasionally to the shape of horses which race, and are thorough bred; where the form and expansion of the nostrils will be found more than one third larger than such horses as are of common lineage, and inferior description, and arises perhaps from their swift exercise and swift work.

NOVEMBER. This may be called the sportsman's meridian, as the diversions of the field, generally speaking, may all be pursued. It is true, grouse will have become very wild, and partridges, unless where they are abundant, and little disturbed, will not easily allow the approach of the shooter; but cover shooting may be enjoyed in perfection, and this month is, in fact, the very zenith of pheasant and woodcock shooting.

Coursing, and the pursuit of the hare with hounds, may now be followed without interruption.

The regular season for fox hunting commences generally at the beginning of this month; in some places rather earlier.

Wild-fowl make their appearance in the month of November; and are seen earlier or later, and indeed numerous or otherwise, according to the severity of the season. The early and numerous appearance of wild-fowl may be regarded as an indication of a severe winter.

OATS. A well known grain, which constitutes a material part of the diet of horses.

Gibson reckons them to be of a middle nature between wheat and barley. They agree well, and are generally so palatable to horses, that he never knew even a foreign horse, that had been used to barley and other kinds of grain, refuse to eat them. Yet many of our horses will not relish barley, unless it be scalded, or they are first suffered to be very hungry, and even then they do not care to eat it. "Oats (says he) are cleansing and opening, and our horses seldom receive any damage from them, unless given with too liberal a hand, and then they are looked upon to be heating. Besides, when horses have too many oats given them, they are apt to eat little or no hay. But this seldom happens, except where hay is scarce, or not good of its kind, and oats are plen

tiful; but horses that eat little hay and many oats, though their flesh is generally firm, yet they seldom carry any belly, and, if they have not a good deal of exercise, are apt to fall into fevers.

The oats are generally good all over England, but are best in the north parts; for they thrive most in cold moorish grounds, and in some countries are their chief product. Those that have a thin shell and not large and husky, feel heavy in hand, and rattle when poured into the measure, are the best. The ship oats that come to Bear-Key are chiefly from the northern counties, but are sometimes musty and unwholesome, and lose their whiteness by the water carriage; but when they are put into dry granaries or dry lofts, and spread out on the floors, and often turned and sifted, they frequently recover their sweetness, and may be given with safety; yet I should always

prefer the freshest and newest oats, especially for fine horses, though they may be worse in kind; and where they abound in husk there needs no more than to increase the allowance. Some prefer the black oats to the white, but I believe the difference is but small, only that in some places the black are more firm and hard than the white, and have a thinner shell, and in those places they generally sow a superior number of black oats among the white, though the white that grow up with them are not much, if at all, inferior to the other, which shews the difference lies chiefly in the goodness of the seed and the fitness of the soil."

OBERON. A bay horse, foaled in 1782, bred by and the property of his Grace the Duke of Grafton.

Oberon was got by Florizel; his dam, by Snap; grand-dam, Blank Mixbury.

At Burford, August 11, 1785, Oberon won 501. for three years old, colts 8st. 4lb. fillies 8st. 2lb. beating, at three two-mile heats, Lord Abingdon's Monarchy, and Mr. Lade's brown filly, which was distanced the first heat. At Swaffham, September 26, he won 501. for three years old colts and fillies, 8st. each, one mile, beating Lord Abingdon's Monarchy, Mr. Hale's Icarus, Mr. Hull's Drover, Prince of Wales's Figaro, Mr. Vernon's Bedford, and two others. At Newmarket second October meeting, he won 501. for three years old, colts 8st. fillies 7st. 12lb. A. F. beating Mr. Lade's Pilot, Sir C. Bunbury's Blackcock, Lord Egremont's brown colt, by Highflyer, out of Angelica, Lord Vere's Fox, Lord Grosvenor's Grantham, and Mr. Hull's Little Anthony-3 to 1 against Oberon, 3 to 1 against Lord Egremont's colt, 3 to 1 against Little Anthony, and 4 to 1 against Grantham.

At Newmarket first spring meeting, 1786, Oberon won 501. three-year olds, 7st. 4lb.; four, 8st. 71b.; and five, 9st. D. C. beating Sir F. Evelyn's Egham, 5 years old; Mr. Vernon's Trusty, 3 years old; Prince of Wales's Figaro, 3 years old; Mr. Stacie's Bacchus, 4 years old; Mr. Clarke's Trinidado, 5 years old; and Duke of Queensbury's Cutter, 4 years old:-7 to 4 against Oberon, and 3 to 1 against Bacchus. In the second spring meeting, he won the Jockey Club purse, for four-year olds, 8st. R. C. beating Sir F. Standish's Lepicq, Lord Grosvenor's Vulcan, Mr. Maynard's Smith, Mr. Wentworth's Cowslip, and Mr. Bullock's Lunardi:-5 to 2 against Oberon, and 4 to 1 against Lepicq. In the July meeting,

at 8st. he won 60gs. for all ages, D. I. beating Mr. Dawson's Roscius, 5 years old, 8st. 8lb.; Mr. O'Kelly's Soldier, aged, 9st.; Mr. Lade's brown filly, by Highflyer, 3 years old, 6st. 9lb.; Mr. Hull's Alphonzo, aged, 9st.; Sir C. Bunbury's Volatile, aged, 9st. and Lord Grosvenor's Roundelay, 4 years old, 8st. -6 to 5 against Soldier, 5 to 2 against Oberon, and even betting either Soldier or Volatile won. In the first October meeting, at 7st. 7lb. he won the 140gs. subscription, for all ages, B. C. (seven subscribers,) beating Lord Derby's Peru, aged, 9st. and Lord Foley's Blandish, 4 years old, 7st. 7lb.-4 to 1 on Oberon.

At Newmarket second October meeting, 1787, Oberon, 7st. 12lb. beat Lord Clermont's Collector, 8st. 3lb. last three miles of B. C. 50gs :—6 to 4 on Collector. He afterwards proved unsuccessful in England, and was sold to Noble Mannis, Esq. who raced him in Ireland.

At Limerick, July 9, 1788, Oberon won 501. for six-year olds and aged, 8st. 12lb. each, four mile heats, beating Mr. A. Daly's Friar, aged; Mr. M'Craith's Tulip; Mr. Hamilton's Trifle, 6 years old; Mr. Hewson's Munster Lass, aged; and Mr. Strange's Tormentor: Trifle the favourite; after the first heat, 2 to 1 on Oberon. Next day, he won 501. for all ages, beating Mr. Kirwan's Hippomenes, 4 years old, and Mr. Dennis's Kildare, 5 years old. At Kilkenny, July 31, he won 60gs. for six-year olds, 9st. each, two-mile heats, beating Mr. Dennis's Ranunculus, and Mr. Hamilton's Tommy Orde. He afterwards proved unsuccessful.

OCTOBER. On the first of this month the pursuit of the pheasant becomes a legal object with the sportsman; grouse have become wild, but good diversion may still be obtained with the partridge. Some few woodcocks will most likely make their appearance towards the end of this month.

Coursing is in full activity. The hare is pursued also by the harriers.

Fox-hounds are busily employed cub hunting; and, in some parts of the kingdom, the regular season commences towards the end of the month.

OFF-SIDE. The right-side of a horse, if you stand parallel with him, and look the same way, is the off-side; as the left is the near-side. When speaking of any part of a horse, it is not usual, in sporting terms, to use the words right or left; but to say the near-shoulder; the off-eye; the near-leg before, or the off-leg behind.

OIL, AND THE BEST MODE OF CLARIFYING IT. All vegetable oils possess a harder quality, and are more apt to become cloggy, than animal oils; and are, consequently, not so well calculated for the fowling-piece, the locks in particular. Neat's-foot oil, and the oil from sheep's feet, generally contain a considerable quantity of feculent matter, which may be separated by the following simple process-drop a few small pieces of lead into the bottle, and hang it in the sun for a week or ten days, when the residuum will sink to the bottom, leaving the oil remarkably pure, and admirably adapted for the purpose just mentioned. If it happens in the winter, when the sun is not sufficiently powerful, hang the bottle. near the fire, to keep the oil perfectly fluid, otherwise the residuum cannot sink. -Goose grease, or the fat of fowls in general, will answer the purpose fully as well, if clarified in the manner above described. Oil thus prepared is far superior to any other for the lock, &c. of the fowling-piece; and indeed for all similar mechanism.

OLD BACHELORS. There are few experienced shooters, I apprehend, who have not frequently met with small coveys of partridges, which consisted entirely of male birds. These small coveys are evidently made up of individuals who have not been able to find mates, and which, at the latter end of the summer, congregate, and appear to live in the greatest harmony-a striking instance of the social disposition of the partridge. They are called old bachelors.

ONION is an article which would not have found its way here, but in consequence of its great utility upon a certain emergency, which entitles its property to be more universally known. No trifling occurrence can possibly occasion more temporary mortification to a sportsman than to see his horse labouring under the

strangury (or suppression of urine) after the long stage of a journey, or the severity of a chase. In such cases, the first farrier is generally called in, who, proceeding upon the kill or cure system of former times, prepares a portion of the most powerful urinary stimulants, plentifully besprinkled with spirits of turpentine, oil of juniper, and other equally violent and injudicious ingredients, frequently laying the foundation of inflammation; when an onion being peeled, and a small clove or two of the inside properly insinuated within the sheath, may nineteen times out of twenty be expected to produce the desired effect, without the interposition of any medicine whatever.

OPENING THE HEELS. The ceremony of opening a horse's heels is sometimes necessary, when they are become contracted by so constantly standing upon the dry litter, and hot dung of stables in the metropolis; a circumstance which occurs much less in the country, where the defect is but little known. Although there can be no doubt of a hoof's contracting in a great degree by the means already mentioned, it must be more so, where the hoofs are not moistened or stopped for weeks, or probably months, together. It is, however, a matter of doubt, whether the back-handed stroke of the smith's rasp in shoeing, is not a more constant or frequent cause of the narrowness of the heels than any other. Let it arise from whatever cause, the remedy with them is always ready; "open the heels;" or, in other words, cut away with the drawing-knife, till little or nothing is left: when the basis of bearing is taken away, the heel is let down to the ground, the tendons are put upon the stretch, the horse being divested of his natural support, hobbles like a cripple, and there is no remedy, but to wait with patience for a perfect regeneration of parts so wantonly destroyed.