—is a term of very extensive signification, including a long list of noxious animals, some of which contribute largely to the sports of the field. The principal vermin of this country consist of the fox, the badger, the martern, the pole-cat, the weasel, the stoat, the rat, and the mouse; of which a description of all the former will be found under their distinct heads.
VERT
—is a term in the Forest Laws, meant to include every plant growing within a forest or its purlieus, bearing a green leaf, and of sufficient magnitude to hide or cover a deer beneath its branches; but it must be understood to signify such plants as are either trees, woods, bushes, or underwood; not descending to inferior shrubs, passing under the denomination of plants, but affording no cover. By vert is therefore implied those trees of growth and size sufficient to be entitled conjunctively to the appellation of covert; as well underwood, as great woods; and overt-vert is all sorts of high trees, as nether-vert includes every kind of underwood.
VERTUMNUS
—was a horse of some racing celebrity; and there is reason to believe he would have been held in equal estimation with his cotemporaries as a stallion, if he had enjoyed the run of fashion in his favour. He was bred by the late Colonel O'Kelly; foaled in 1775; got by Eclipse, dam by Sweeper, out of an old Tartar mare, the dam of Mercury and Volunteer. Vertumnus got many tolerable runners as country plate horses; but his merits as a stallion were never known, till a circumstance occurred at a period of life when it was generally considered too late to bring his powers experimentally into action. Baronet was got by Vertumnus, dam by Snap, out of an own sister to Nabob. He was foaled in 1785; bred by Sir W. Vavasour, and by him sold to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who brought him forward from obscurity, at six years old, to start at Ascot Heath for the great Oatlands Stakes of 100 guineas each, half forfeit, two miles, forty-one subscribers, for which nineteen started, (forming one of the richest and most striking spectacles ever seen upon the turf,) and was won by Baronet; beating Express, Chanticleer, Escape, Coriander, Toby, Skylark, Precipitate, Minos, Pipator, Euphrosyne, Competitor, Microscope, Crazy, Turnip-Top, Buzzard, Lambinos, and Vermin, who were concluded the best horses in the kingdom. The sums betted were immense, which were sported in the following proportions. Three to one against Vermin; seven to one against Precipitate; eight to one against Buzzard; nine to one against Chanticleer; twenty to one against Baronet; and one hundred to three against Express, who was second. Vermin, who was then the best three year old in the kingdom, and carried only five stone, three pounds, was universally expected to win easy; but the diminutive juvenile who rode him, was so hemmed in, and completely surrounded, by the rest at starting, that those horses keeping their strokes, and going well together, (or what is sportingly termed all in a hustle,) they never afforded him the least chance of extrication.
VETERINARY COLLEGE
.—The Veterinary College is a national establishment for the general improvement of farriery, situate at Camden Town, in the parish of St. Pancras, at the northern extremity of the Metropolis; and derived its origin and institution from the following circumstance. In January, 1789, issued from the press, a Treatise upon Farriery, in an octavo volume, under the title of "The Gentleman's Stable Directory," by the present Writer; the popularity of which occasioned it to pass through seven editions in the first twelve months, which number has since been exactly doubled. In the course of the work, it was repeatedly regretted, that, amidst the infinity of improvements for which the English were so remarkable, the system of farriery should still remain in its original state of barbarism. In a few months after which, advertisements appeared in the different prints, under sanction of the "Odiham Agriculture Society," proposing a public subscription for sending a certain number of lads annually to France to study farriery, (now called the veterinary science.) The Author of the Stable Directory, who was then preparing his second volume for the press, availed himself of the opportunity to congratulate the promoters of so laudable an undertaking; at the same time obliquely observing, he was concerned to see France was to have the reputation of doing that for us, which we could not do for ourselves.
Whether it was from the force of this admonition, or the effect of chance, is not material; the scene within a period of two or three months was totally changed. With a grant from Parliament, aided by public contributions, and private subscriptions, the College was erected, and instituted in February; and their propositions, rules, and regulations, published April the 8th, 1791: the principal purport of which were as follows. The establishment to consist of a President, ten Vice-Presidents, twenty Directors, Treasurer, Professor, and Secretary. The Society and School to be called the Veterinary College, London. The President, Vice-Presidents, ten of the Directors, and the Treasurer, to be chosen every year by ballot. The President, Vice-Presidents, and Directors, to form the Council, in which shall be lodged the whole executive power of the College; subject to the controul of the members (that is, the annual or perpetual subscribers) at large, at four quarterly meetings. The Council to meet the first Tuesday in every month; from which Council a Committee was to be elected, and called the Permanent Committee, who were to meet the remaining Tuesdays in each month: this Committee were to act with the authority of the Council, but subject to its controul.
After various regulations respecting meetings of council, committees, and members, it proceeded to state the annual election of a Medical Experimental Committee, and a Committee of Transaction. The former to meet occasionally, for the purpose of suggesting and trying experiments, with a view to throw additional light on the animal œconomy, and to discover the effects of medicines upon different animals, to be procured for that particular purpose; and this Committee, from time to time, were to make reports of their proceedings to the Council. The Committee of Transaction to be charged with the selection, compilation and arrangement of the matter for the annual volume of transactions, and the preparation of a prefatory discourse. This annual volume was promised to each subscriber gratis, in page the eighth of their original Prospectus, dated 1791; but how many volumes have appeared in the twelve years is not publicly known.
Of the SCHOOL, there shall be a Professor of Veterinary Medicine, who is to continue superintendant of the whole. The Professor to be elected at a general meeting, and to have the sole arrangement and direction of the studies and occupations of the pupils of the school, of their matter and order, of the distribution of his lectures, of the number and nature of the subjects required for dissection. He shall likewise judge of the kind and quality of the forage to be used in the infirmary; of the regulation of the cattle therein, and of the remedies to be employed. The Professor to have a yearly income, or salary, to increase proportionally with the revenue of the College; but not to exceed a certain sum per annum. There shall be a Clerk to assist the Professor in keeping his books, and to follow his directions in entering and registering all the concerns of the school, infirmary, laboratory, and forge.