Colonial Greyhounds - 'Australian Coursing Calendar for the Seasons 1873 and 1874: Containing Returns of all Public Courses Run in Australia, with Extended Pedigrees of Winning Greyhounds and Greyhounds at Stud'
Compiled by Thomas Haydon, Secretary of Victoria Coursing Club, printed by H. Thomas, Melbourne 1875. 222pp. + 18pp. advertisements.
Not just fields and results, this contains fulsome accounts of coursing where a field often has 4 run offs down to a final 2 to chase down a hare for quite high stakes.
Begins with the first official Coursing event held W.J. Clarkes estate at Sunbury over 4 days in 1873.
Race descriptions are very detailed…'Countess jumped the dividing fence most beautifully, but Bismarck scrambled it. After many a wind, in which the slut had all the best of the points, the hare saved her scut [tail] in the long grass. Having got onto better ground (after a dull half hour) a leveret rose under the slipper's feet and Pearl and Prince were instantly loosed. Both jumped upon her and seized in about two strides and half a second so the judge rightly gave "no course"….'
Another: '…. After an extremely rough and not very ready lunch at a melancholy establishment supposed to be an [sic] hotel the party returned to town well pleased with the day's sport and the inspiriting exercise in the bracing weather.'
Publishers original embossed pebbled maroon boards are marked, edge worn and bumped. Gilt title on a separate strip glued to the spine is peeling at the edges. Pastedowns heavily darkened. Text is almost free of foxing, binding good.
(19x12cm)





Estimate $120-200