A DEFINITION OF SPORT.
[To THE EDITOR OF TEE " SPECTATOR." J
Siz,—In your article on the Bishop of Hereford's Bill you appear to be at a loss for a definition of sport. May I suggest one? Sport is the pursuit and capture of wild animals amidst their natural surroundings. Nothing outside this definition deserves the name of sport when properly used. Killing and cruelty have nothing to do with it, and are not the tests to apply. I suppose all sport is more or less cruel. But fishing does not cease to be sport because we put our fish into a bucket of water instead of knocking them on the head. Stag- hunting is not the less sport when (having hunted the stag and brought him to bay) we secure him alive with ropes instead of killing him. Hunting "the carted stag" is less cruel than the chase of the wild red deer; but it is not sport, because the stag is not wild and not in his natural surround- ings. Rabbit-coursing is not sport any more than pigeon- shooting from traps, for like reasons. Both these pastimes may or may not involve cruelty. Pheasant-shooting (when the birds have just come from Leadenhall Market, or have fed from the keeper's hand the day before) is obviously not sport, though not more cruel than shooting wild pheasants. I suggest this definition to Lord Newton.—I am, Sir, &c.,
HAROLD RUSSELL.
Previous page
