The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2) / Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the Field

by William Taplin

LEASH

,—the sporting term in use to imply the number THREE, as exceeding ONE, and not reaching TWO brace; for instance, a brace of hares, a leash of pheasants, and two brace of partridges. A brace of pointers, a leash of greyhounds, and two brace of spaniels. Custom, however, in this, as in most other things, admits of deviation and exception; in proof of which we say, a brace of spaniels, a couple and a half of hounds, and two brace of pointers. A brace of snipes, a couple and a half of woodcocks, and two couple of rabbits. It is therefore confident, and sportsman-like, to say, a LEASH of birds, (partridges,) a leash of pheasants, a leash of hares, or any other article where TWO are termed a BRACE; but improper to call three a LEASH, where two of the kind are called a COUPLE.