so on till all are gone. Each player scores the money value of the cards in his Safety Fund, and, in addition, ten cents for each card. Since each card counts thus in addition to its face value, as many cards as possible should be taken; thus, it is better to exchange a dollar for four quarters than for two half-dollars. MOON, Observations on the. The moon is described in C. C. T. The curious things on its surface may be seen by any one who has a common opera-glass. The best time to look at the moon is not when it is full, as people are apt to suppose, but when it is waxing or waning. The part to look at is the line that divides the bright from the dark surface. At this line, it is sunrise on the moon when it is waxing, and sunset when it is waning. Near it the shadows are longer and more noticeable, just as they are on the earth at sunrise or sunset. The outlines of the lunar mountains can thus be seen much more plainly than when the sun is shining down full upon them, as it is at full moon. By watching carefully, the shadows can be seen to change as the line of sunrise or sunset moves slowly over the moon's surface. The principal things to be noticed on the bright surface of the moon are the dark patches, which were formerly thought to be seas, and the bright streaks that run over the surface; but with an opera-glass these are not nearly so interesting to watch as sunrise and sunset on the lunar mountains. MURIATIC ACID, Experiments with. See HYDROCHLORIC ACID. MORA, or MORRA, A game played by any number of persons, who hold up fingers and guess at the total number. A leader is appointed, who counts three, or makes some other signal, and at that instant each holds up as many fingers as he chooses and shouts out his guess. He whose guess comes nearest to the total number of fingers held up, gains a point, and he whose points soonest amount to a number previously agreed on, wins the game. Every one must make his guess and hold up his fingers at the signal, if he holds up any fingers at all; but any one may guess and hold up no fingers. No one must change the number held up, and each must keep his hand raised till the leader can count the fingers. Mora is a very ancient game, and is played in all parts of the world, generally by only two persons. The Romans called it Digitis Micare (flashing or snapping with the fingers), and the Italian name of Mora, or Morra, is said by some to be derived from Micatura, another form of the Roman title. The French call it Mourre, The game is a great favorite in China. In the Friendly Islands a kind of Mora is played called Liagi. The players sit opposite each other, and make signs with the hands at the same time. The player whose turn it is holds up either his open hand, his closed hand, or his forefinger. His opponent does likewise, and if he chance to make the same sign, it becomes his turn, and neither gains. But if the first player can make one or other of the signs five times in succession without his opponent's doing the same, he scores a point. Five points win the game, and the score is kept by throwing down little sticks held in the left hand. MOSAIC, a writing game played by any number of persons. Each writes a word on a slip of paper, and after the slips are mixed, one of the players draws and reads them one by one. Each writes them down in the order in which they are read, and must then write a story containing the words in that order. The game may be made more difficult by requiring the story to be within a specified length, or written within a certain time; and it may be made easier by allowing the players to in troduce the words in any order they please. The attendants may have dustbrushes, and carefully dust the figures before bringing them forward. It adds to the amusement if a careless attendant overturn one of the figures. The figure should fall stiffly forward, putting out his hands just before he reaches the ground. This requires practice, but if well done is very effective. The attendants then try to lift him, one at the head and one at the feet, when he bends at the waist, and has to be straightened out again. With a little ingenuity, many laughable variations may be introduced. The figures should practise their motions until they are perfectly familiar, and they should also hear Mrs. Jarley's account of them several times before the performance, otherwise some of the jokes, being unexpected, may cause them to lose their gravity. The stage should not be crowded with figures, and if there are more than can be ranged around it at once, there should be more than one scene. There may thus be shown a "Historical Chamber," a "Chamber of Horrors," a "Shakespeare Chamber," and so on, at the pleasure of the performers. MRS. JARLEY'S WAX-WORKS, a theatrical entertainment suggested by the character of Mrs. Jarley and her wax-works, in Charles Dickens's story of "The Old Curiosity Shop." One of the performers, dressed like an old woman, takes the part of Mrs. Jarley, a little girl represents Little Nell, and two boys act as attendants. The rest of the performers represent wax figures, arranged singly, or in groups. When Mrs. Jarley wishes to exhibit a figure, she calls on the attendants to bring it forward. They stand, one on each side of the figure, double up its arms at the elbow, and then each, placing his hands under one of the figure's elbows, carry it to the front of the stage. The figure must hold its elbows stiffly at its side, but after reaching the front, the arms are straightened out by the attendants. After giving a comical description of the figure, in which Little Nell aids by pointing to the various features with her wand, as each is mentioned, Mrs. Jarley orders one of the attendants to wind it up, which he pretends to do, with a large imitation key. At the same time MUGGINS, or SMUT, a a person behind the scenes turns a played by any number of persons, watchman's rattle, to imitate the usually not more than six, with a sound of winding. The figure then full pack of CARDS. The cards are goes through movements, practised dealt, one by one, and each player beforehand, and then is set back in places his, face downward, in a pile its place, as before, by the attend- before him, without looking at ants. The motions of each figure them. Beginning at the dealer's must be appropriate to the charac-left, each one in order then turns up ter it is supposed to represent. a card, and places it face upward, They should be simple, and performing a second pile for each playformed in a series of stiff jerks, as if er, as the game goes on. When an worked by badly-oiled machinery. The face should be immovable, and the carriage stiff and awkward. The motion should grow slower toward the end, as if the machinery were running down, and should stop with a jerk in the midst of a moveThe attendants should then bend the arms or body back into the original position. ment. game Ace is turned up, it is placed in the middle, and on each Ace the other cards of its suit must be placed in order, as they appear, ending with the King. Any card that cannot be placed on one of the middle piles can be put on any other visible card on the table that is just above it or just below it in value, without regard to suit; thus, if a Ten is turned up, and there is no Nine on the top of any of the middle piles, it may be placed on a Nine or a Knave on top of any player's pile. So long as a player can thus dispose of his cards, he can continue to turn up; but when he cannot do so, the turn passes to the next. Each player's object is to get rid of all his cards, and the one who does so first, wins, if he can sit till the end of the game without being "mugginsed." A person is said to be "mugginsed " if he breaks any of the rules of the game, when the players cry "Muggins," and each gives him a card. The rules are very strict, and should be studied carefully. They may be changed, or new ones may be added at the pleasure of the players. Much of the fun of the game consists in watching for some player to break one of the rules. RULES OF THE GAME. 1. No one must touch the table, or his cards, except when playing. 2. Each player, in turning a card, must take it with both hands by the corners farthest from him, and turn it face outward. 3 As long as he can dispose of his card by placing it in the middle, or on some other player's pile, he may continue to play; but when he can no longer do so, he must place his card on the one of his piles which is face upward, and say "Stop;" but if a player is mugginsed, his play ends at once. 4. A player may not be mugginsed for not saying "Stop," till the next one has begun to play. 5. Before a player turns his card he must look at the top card of his face-upward pile, and see whether that can be disposed of. If it can, he must place it, and then look at the one under it, and so on; and in no case may a card be turned over before this is done. [For instance, suppose A has on top of his face-upward pile a ave and under it a Nine. B's pile shows a Knave on the top. A looks first at his own Knave, and, seeing that it cannot be played, turns up a card, which proves to be a Queen. He places this on B's Knave, and must then place on it his own Knave before turning another card. The Nine which is thus exposed cannot be played, so he turns up another card, which we will suppose to be a Ten. He places this on B's Knave, and then puts on his nine before turning again. If he turns up a card that cannot be played, he must lay it down, saying "Stop."] 6. If a card can be played either in the middle of the table or on a player's pile, it must go in the middle; and if it can be put on any one of two or more players' piles, it must go on the one that is first met in moving to the left around the table. 7. When a player's cards are all face upwards, he must turn the pile over (saying " Flop" as he does so) and begin again. 8. When a player comes to his last card he must, before playing it, turn it over three times in the air, saying "Muggins" each time, then blow it thrice and snap it once. When it has been played, he must not utter a sound during the rest of the game. If he does, he is "mugginsed," receives a card from each player, and enters the game again. The other players may do what they choose (without touching him) to make him speak or laugh aloud. 9. In giving a card to a "mugginsed " player, each shall draw such card from the bottom of his back-upward pile, and the mugginsed player shall place them under his own pile. The game is sometimes called Smut, from the old custom of blackening the face of the last player to get rid of his cards. MULBERRY BUSH. BERRY BUSH. See BAR MUMBLE THE PEG (corrupted into Mumbledypeg), the name of A two different games. I. An outdoor game played by a number of players usually not exceeding four, each with a stick of wood about eighteen inches long and two or three inches thick, pointed at one end, called a peg. Each player, in an order which is decided before the game begins, throws his peg so that it may stick in the ground. He has but one throw at a time, whether he succeeds or not, and in either case his peg remains where it sticks, or lies, till his next turn. Any player, in making his throw, may try, in doing so, to knock the peg of another player out of the ground, or to move any peg that is lying on the ground. If he succeed in doing either of these, and at the same time put his own peg into the ground, he must knock the peg so overturned or moved as far as he can with his own peg, and then try to stick his own peg into the ground three times before the owner of the other can do so once. If he succeed, the owner of the other peg is out of the game; if not, that owner holds his peg in his hand till his next turn. The game goes on till only one player is left, who is the winner. RULES OF THE GAME. 1. A peg shall be judged to be in the ground when any other peg can be placed under it without touching it. 2. When a peg is thrown, it shall touch no other before leaving the player's hand. This game is very old. The Greeks played it, calling it Kandalimos. In England it is known as Loggats; in France as Riding to Rome, and in Germany each locality has a different name for it. The Swiss call it Horniggeln (probably The Horn Yell), the Austrians Schmer pecken (probably Greasy Sticks), the Suabians Stöckles (Little Sticks), and the Bavarians Pickeln (Picking). A game somewhat like it is played on horseback by the Turcomans and other tribes, in Central Asia and India. The Oriental name is Neze Baze, and the English call it Tent Pegging. A peg like those used in fastening tents is driven into the ground, and the players in order try to knock it out with their lances as they ride past. II. A game played by any number of persons, each with a pocketknife, one of whose blades is open. Each player, in turn, tries to throw his knife so that it will stick in the ground or the floor. Any one who does not succeed in three trials is out of the game. Any knife shall be judged to be in the ground when the handle of another knife may be held under it without touching it. When all have tried, holding the knife in one way, another way is tried, and so on, till only one player is left, who is the winner. The ways of throwing the knife, and the order in which they come, are different in different places. The following order, or something like it, is common: 1. The knife is held by the handle and thrown as in Fig. 1. the palm of the right hand, with the blade pointing outward. 10. Same, with the blade inward. II and 12. Same, with knife held across the palm, the blade pointing first to the right and then to the left. 13-16. The four preceding, with the left hand. 17-24. The eight preceding, making the knife turn over before striking. 25. Place the point on the knee, and throw as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2. 26. The same, with the handle on the knee. 27 and 28. The two preceding, with the left hand and knee. These are all sometimes repeated with the blade at right angles with the handle. These two games derive their names from the custom, still sometimes followed, of making the loser in each pull out with his teeth a small peg, which is so driven into the ground by the winner that the end is level with the surface. MUSICAL, a SOLITAIRE game of CARDS, played with one full pack. An Ace, Two, Three, and Four of any suit are placed in a line, and under them, respectively, a Two, Four, Six, and Eight, thus: I 2 3 4 2 4 6 In playing, any card may be placed on one of the lower line, if the number of the former's pips is the sum of those on the card it is placed on and the one just above; thus, a Three may be placed on the Two, or a Nine on the Six. The Knaves count as 11, the Queens as 12, and the Kings as 13. If the sum of the two cards exceeds 13, the excess only is counted; thus, Queen and Four, instead of being 16, counts only as 3. Any card that cannot be used is placed aside to form Stock, and the top card of the Stock can be used at any time. The Stock can be twice shuffled, and played again. To win, all the cards must be placed on the piles, when the top cards in the lower row will all be Kings. This game is entirely one of chance, and is not often played successfully. It is called Musical because the cards are laid out in two scales of numbers. MUSICAL FRIGHT. See GOING TO JERUSALEM. MUSICAL GLASSES. If the moistened finger be rubbed around the edge of a glass finger-bowl or an ordinary goblet of thin glass as in the illustration, a clear musical sound will be produced. This note is higher or lower according to the size of the finger-bowl and the amount of water in it. By choosing Musical Goblet. bowls of different sizes and pouring in water to different depths, it is possible to tune them to the notes of the musical scale, so that tunes can be played upon them. A set of glasses of the same size may even |