used until she conceives her first foal. A stud is a collection of breeding horses and mares, and a horse in the stud is engaged in serving mares. Turf is the term used in connection with running races; track, in connection with trotting races. Standard-bred is the proper term for trotting horses. A thorough-bred is a running horse descended from running horses of recorded pedigree, and the term should not be applied to a trotting horse. Imp. is the abbreviation for imported. The pacer lifts the legs on the same side together. The height of a horse is measured in hands, the hand being four inches. AGGREGATIONS OF UNITS. companies - regiment regiments - bri oxen - drove swine - herd horses troop or stud robbers - band troops - body children troop people - crowd gade judges – bench engineers - corps corps army lawyers - bar Senators and Representatives Legislature or Congress rays - beam wild-fowl - plump swarm, or cast foxes skulk monkeys - troop bears sleuth sheep - flock mules - drove ruffians - horde sailors crew soldiers - company brigades - corps officials - board delegates - convention barons - barony worshippers - congregration SPELLING. When a writer desires the use of particular forms of spelling, he should prepare a list to accompany his ms., unless on each recurrence of the words in question he will take the trouble to write, 'Follow copy.' In any case he should try to use the same form throughout. This is especially important in the matter of names, for while the proof-reader is liable to make all common words conform to the style of his office, he may not notice discrepancies in name spelling. So throughout stick to Stephen or Steven, Brown or Browne, Roma or Rome, Menton or Mentone, Mainz or Mayence, Brussels or Bruxelles, Edinburgh or Edinboro, one or the other, not both. The spelling reformers, though their cause is righteous, make slow headway. Few of their recommendations have received acceptance enough to warrant use without fear of distracting the reader's attention or arousing his criticism. Anybody wanting to encourage them might make a start by using the dozen spellings first adopted in various city schools in accordance with the plans of the National Educational Association, viz. program (programme), tho (though), altho (although), thoro (thorough), thruout (throughout), catalog (catalogue), prolog (prologue), decalog (decalogue), demagog (demagogue), pedagog (pedagogue). The "Printers' Rules," so called because they were recommended by a considerable number of printers a few years ago as the best that could be devised for a beginning in spelling reform, were:— 1. Drop ue at the end of words like dialogue, cata logue, etc., where the preceding vowel is short. spell demagog, epilog, synagog, etc. Thus 2. Drop final e in such words as definite, infinite, favorite, etc., where the preceding vowel is short. Thus spell opposit, preterit, hypocrit, requisit, etc. 3. Drop final te in words like quartette, coquette, cigarette, etc. Thus spell cigaret, roset, epaulet, vedet, gazet, etc. 4. Drop final me in words like programme. Thus spell program, oriflam, gram, etc. 5. Change ph to f in words like phantom, telegraph, phase, etc. Thus spell alfabet, paragraf, filosofy, fotograf, etc. 6. Substitute e for the diphthongs æ and œ when they have the sound of that letter. Thus spell eolian, esthetic, diarrhea, subpena, esofagus, atheneum, etc. Some of these suggestions make progress, but slowly. It is sure, however, that the general tendency of spelling changes is toward simplicity and brevity. For instance, amidst, amongst, and whilst have become archaic. We now say way rather than ways in relation to time and distance, and it is preferable to write without a final s— It is clear that æ and œ are going out of favor. There is now dictionary authority for Also there is excellent authority for one 1 rather than the ll in these and kindred words : The American tendency is to use er rather than re in Of the leading seven dictionaries, five prefer despatch and two dispatch; six, boulder, one, bowlder; five, clue, two, clew. There is no deciding weight of authority as between reinforce and reenforce - skeptic and sceptic syrup and sirup - woful and woeful - gruesome and grewsome peddler, pedler, and pedlar. Only one dictionary prefers whiskey to whisky. Fancy may govern the choice between enclose and inclose endorse and indorse – enquire and inquire - enfold and infold - enwrap and inwrap. The Century Dictionary says the tendency is to revert to the Latin in; the New English says the tendency is to use en-; others differ likewise. The Century authorizes envelop for both noun and verb. Words of one syllable ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel double the consonant before a vowel augment—shrub, shrubby; red, redder; bog, boggy; pup, puppy, etc. But in words having two final consonants, or two preceding vowels, no doubling takes place-rock-y, milk-y, need-y, head-y Words of more than one syllable, accented on the final one, and ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant before a vowel augment, as prefer, preferred, preferring. No doubling takes place before a consonant augment-preferment. Words of this character with the accent not on the final syllable, or with a diphthong, do not double the final consonant; as limit, limited, reveal, revealed. Nearly all the dictionaries drop the e in the syllable preceding the termination ment, as, abridgment, acknowledgment, judgment, lodgment. Where English and American usage differs in the |