The back part of the floor of the court is divided into two equal oblongs, into one of which the ball must be served according to the court from which the "man in" is serving. A line is drawn across the front wall two feet two inches above the floor of the court, and all the space below this line should be covered with deal board, painted black, like the walls of the court. The object of the wood is to tell by the sound when a ball strikes on it, as in this case the ace counts against the side that struck the ball. Another white line on the front wall, seven feet nine inches above the floor is called the "cut line," above which the ball must be served when the player first goes in. An entrance door, D, flush with the wall on the inside, is placed in the middle of the back wall, the bottom of it being level with the floor of the court; and a spectators' gallery is usually built on the top of the back wall, but not projecting into the court.

THE BEST MATERIAL for the walls is brick, well and evenly plastered, in order to be true, and then covered with a good coat of black paint.

THE RACKET is composed of a long handle ending in an oval frame, which

is crossed by catgut; and also is of a regulation-pattern and size.

THE BALLS are very hard, about the size of a large walnut, and covered with leather.

THE FOLLOWING RULES are those usually observed :

:

1. The game to be 15 up. At 13 all, the out-players may set it to 5; and at 14 all, to 3, provided this be done before another ball is struck.

2. The going in first, whether odds be given or not, to be decided by lot; but one hand only then is to be taken.

3. The ball to be served alternately right and left, beginning whichever side the server pleases.

4. In serving, the server must have one foot in the space marked off for that purpose. The out-player to whom he serves may stand where he pleases, but his partner, and the server's partner, must both stand behind the server till the ball is served.

5. The ball must be served above, and not touching the line on the front wall, and it must strike the floor before it bounds, within and not touching the lines inclosing the court on the side opposite to that in which the server stands.

6. A ball served below the line, or to the wrong side, is a fault, but it may be taken; and then the ace must be played out, and counts.

7. In serving, if the ball strikes anywhere before it reaches the front wall, it is a hand out.

8. In serving, if a ball touch the server or his partner before it has bounded twice, it is a hand out, whether it was properly served or not.

9. It is a fault—(a) if the server is not in his proper place; (b) if the ball is not served over the line; (c) if it does not fall in the proper court; (d) if it touch the roof; (e) if it touch the gallery-netting, posts or cushions. The out-player may take a fault if he pleases, but if he fail in putting the ball up, it counts against him.

10. Two consecutive faults put a hand out.

11. An out-player may not take a ball served to his partner.

12. The out-players may change their courts once only in each game. 13. If a player designedly stop a ball before the second bound, it counts against him.

14. If a ball hit the striker's adversary above or on the knee, it is a let; if below the knee, or if it hit the striker's partner or himself, it counts against the striker.

15. Till a ball has been touched, or has bounded twice, the player or his partner may strike it as often as they please.

16. Every player should get out of the way as much as possible. If he cannot, the marker is to decide if it is a let or not.

17. After the service, a ball going out of the court or hitting the roof is an ace; a ball hitting the gallery-netting, posts or cushions, in returning from the front wall, is a let; but if it hit the roof before reaching the front wall, it counts against the striker.

18. The marker's decision is final, but if he has any doubt, he should ask advice, and if he cannot decide positively, the ace is to be played over again.

TENNIS.

TENNIS is a most ancient game, as well as a most intricate and difficult one to play. It was probably first played in France during the middle ages, though remains of ancient buildings very much resembling tennis-courts have been found in Mexico. About the end of the fifteenth century the French game was divided into longue paume and courte paume, the latter being the same as the modern game of tennis.

THE TENNIS COURT is a very complicated one, and the area varies according to circumstances, but is usually about 95 feet by 35 feet, and is covered in. A low net, three feet above the floor in the middle, hangs across the court, exactly in the middle, and is termed "the line." One side of the court so divided is called the "service side," and the other the "hazard side," and at the end of the former the "dedans" is situated, where the spectators sit, and on the hazard side are the "grille" and "tambour." The left-hand side of the court, looking from the dedans, is divided into a series of galleries, and the pent-house, or sloping roof, extends along the whole of this side and the two ends; the floor being divided into "chases" by lines drawn across. The game requires a bat somewhat stronger and of a slightly different shape to a racket one, and a large number of balls.

THE GAME IS PLAYED in "sets" consisting of the best of eleven games, each of which has four points, viz., 15, 30, 40, and game. When "40 all" is reached it is called "deuce," and then two points in succession must be gained in order to score the game; if each side gains one the score reverts to deuce. A return into the last gallery on the hazard side, the dedans, or grille, counts a point, but in the case of chases they have to be played out. The other minutiae of the game are so intricate that they can only be explained by actually playing.

The best work on the subject has been written by Mr. Julian Marshall. It is published at the office of the Field newspaper, 346 Strand.

LAWN TENNIS.

LAWN TENNIS requires a level ground; and if of turf, the court must be marked out with whiting.

The ground is either of turf well rolled and closely cut, or asphalte, or cement. It is also sometimes made of gravel, cinders, or a mixture of broken granite and gas tar.

The following are the laws now general throughout the United Kingdom :

THE SINGLE-HANDED GAME.

1. For the single-handed game the court is 27 feet in width, and 78 feet in length. It is divided across the middle by a net, the ends of which are attached to the tops of two posts, A and A, which stands 3 feet outside the court on each side. The height of the net is 4 feet at the posts, and 3 feet at the centre. At each end of the court, parallel with the net, and at a distance of 39 feet from it, are drawn the Base-Lines, CD and EF, the extremities of which are connected by the Side-Lines, CE and DF. Half-way between the Side-Lines, and parallel with them, is drawn the Half-Court Line, GH, dividing the space on each side of the net into two equal parts, called the

Right and Left Courts. On each side of the net, at a distance of 21 fect from it, and parallel with it, are drawn the Service-Lines XX and YY. 2. The balls shall be not less than 23 inches, nor more than 2 inches in diameter; and not less than 1 ounces, nor more than 2 ounces in weight.

3. In matches, where Umpires are appointed, their decision shall be final. 4. The choice of sides and the right of serving during the first game shall be decided by toss; provided that, if the winner of the toss choose the right to serve, the other player shall have the choice of sides, and vice versâ,

5. The players shall stand on opposite sides of the net; the player who first delivers the ball shall be called the Server, the other the Striker-out.

6. At the end of the first game, the Striker-out shall become Server, and the Server shall become Striker-out; and so on alternately in the subsequent games of the set.

7. The Server shall stand with one foot beyond (ie., further from the net than) the Base-Line, and with the other foot upon the Base Line, and shall deliver the Service from the Right and Left Courts alternately, beginning from the Right.

8. The ball served must drop within the Service-Line, Half-Court Line, and Side-Line of the Court which is diagonally opposite to that from which it was served, or upon any such line.

9. It is a fault if the service be delivered from the wrong Court, or if the Server do not stand as directed in Law 7, or if the ball served drop in the net or beyond the Service-Line, or if it drop out of Court, or in the wrong Court.

10. A fault may not be taken.

11. After a fault the Server shall serve again from the same Court from which he served that fault, unless it was a fault because served from the wrong Court.

12. A fault may not be claimed after the next service has been delivered. 13. The service may not be volleyed—i.e., taken before it touches the ground.

14. The Server shall not serve until the Striker-out is ready. If the latter attempt to return the service, he shall be deemed to be ready.

15. A service or fault delivered when the Striker-out is not ready counts for nothing.

16. A ball is returned, or in play, when it is played back, over the net, before it has touched the ground a second time.

17. It is a good return, although the ball touch the net; but if the ball served touch the net, the service, provided it be otherwise good, counts for nothing.

18. The Server wins a stroke if the Striker-out volley the service, or fail to return the service or the ball in play, or return the service or ball in play so that it drop outside any of the lines which bound his opponent's Court, or otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by Law 20.

19. The Striker-out wins a stroke if the Server serve two consecutive faults, or fail to return the ball in play, or return the ball in play so that it drop outside any of the lines which bound his opponent's Court, or otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by Law 20.

20. Either player loses a stroke if the ball in play touch him or anything that he wears or carries, except his racket in the act of striking; or if he touch or strike the ball in play with his racket more than once; or if he touch the net or any of its supports while the ball is in play; or if he volley the ball before it has passed the net.

21. On either player winning his first stroke, the score is called 15 for that player; on either player winning his second stroke, the score is called 30 for that player; on either player winning his third stroke, the score is called 40 for that player; and the fourth stroke won by either player is scored game for that player; except as below :