footer for the purpose of recovering the bowl, but it is considered a played bowl; he may, however, recover the bowl if he can do so without leaving the footer.

23. BLOCKING AT HAND.-No player, for the purpose of blocking, shall play his bowl a less distance than three yards from the footer, and if he do so it shall be deemed a dead bowl. In blocking, the bowl must be played, not placed.

24. INSTRUCTING A PARTNER.-A player may instruct his partner in any way except by showing him how his opponents' bowls lie, provided that he shall not, whilst his partner is in the act of playing, place or retain any object between his partner and the jack which can have the effect of indicating the land to be taken, or otherwise assisting his partner. Spectators are not allowed to instruct or give to a player any information whatever relating to a game.,

25. TURNING THE JACK.-The last player may decline to play his last bowl if the game be already up without his play; or he may request his partner to turn the jack; and if this be allowed by an opponent, then such last player may play, and if he disturb the position of either the jack or bowls, it shall not alter the game; but if a player turn the jack without having a sufficient number of casts to make the game, or his opponent not having played his last bowl, he shall forfeit as many points as the end will allow to have been made.

26. PLAYING IN THE DARK.-If during the progress of a game it becomes so dark that the jack cannot be distinctly seen from the footer, the game shall be postponed to a future day, unless the players are unanimous to play off in the dark; in which case neither party can place a light at the jack, nor can any person be allowed to stand at it, except a partner, without the consent of the opponents.

27. REFUSING TO PLAY A GAME OUT.-If a player commence a game, and without sufficient cause (in the judgment of the umpire) refuse to finish, he shall forfeit it.

28. STOPPING ANOTHER PARTY'S BOWL.-No person, while his bowl is running, shall stop a bowl belonging to another party, during its course, to prevent its rubbing against his own bowl. Should he stop the other party's bowl, it must be returned, and his own bowl must be considered a dead bowl.

29. A PLAYER FOLLOWING UP HIS BOWL.-No player, after delivering his bowl, shall approach within one yard of it during its progress. 30. A PARTY CONTINUING TO PLAY.-Should a party continue to play without throwing in again, one of the losers of the previous game shall lead the jack.

QUOITS.

QUOITS is a game requiring great strength in the arms and shoulders, and quickness of sight. It is played with a flattened ring of iron called a quoit, thick at its inner, and thin at its outer edge, and with a pin of iron driven into the ground, called a "hob."

The quoits are light or heavy, according to the strength of the player; and in playing a match it is usual to specify the weights.

THE GAME is played by driving two hobs into the ground 19 yards apart; but the distance is frequently altered by agreement to distances varying from

15 to 30 yards. The players are either two or more; but if more than three, they are generally arranged in sides in the usual way. The method hitherto most generally adopted is as follows:-Each player has two quoits, and throws one of them in his turn, with the view to its falling over the hob; after all have thrown one round, each throws a second, and then all throw back again to the other hob. It will be seen, however, by the most recent rules, that each player is to play both quoits in succession. The quoit is held with the forefinger along its outer edge, in which there is a small dent for the end of

QUOT AND HOB.

the finger to lie in without cutting it. The two surfaces are held between the thumb and the other fingers, and the quoit is pitched flat, with a slight rotary motion to make it pass smoothly and horizontally through the air. The score depends upon the quoit falling on the pin, or upon the distance from it. Thus —a“ ringer” (i.e., a quoit which surrounds the pin) scores two, and two ringers count four. If a player has placed both his quoits nearer to the hob than his antagonist, he scores two; if he has but one nearer, he scores one; and when the nearest quoits are equi-distant and belong to different players, neither player scores.

RULES.

1. That the distance from pin to pin shall be 19 yards, and that the player shall stand level with the pin, and deliver his quoit with the first step. 2. That no quoit be allowed which measures more than eight inches external diameter, and that the weight may be unlimited.

3. That the pins be one inch above the clay.

4. That all measurements shall be taken from any visible part of the pin to the nearest visible part of the quoit ; no clay or quoit to be disturbed. 5. That no quoit shall count unless fairly delivered in the clay free from the outer rim, and that no quoit on its back shall count unless it holds clay or is knocked out by another quoit. That no quoit rolling on the clay shall count unless it first strikes another quoit or the pin.

6. That each player shall deliver his quoits in succession, his opponent then following.

7. That an umpire shall be appointed, and in all cases of dispute his decision shall be final.

CROQUET.

This is a game of very modern invention, and yet, in a few years, it forced its way into such extraordinary popularity, that there is not a parish in the kingdom where the game is not known-scarcely a lawn, suitable or unsuitable, where the hoops were not to be seen; scarcely a house of any pretensions above those of the labourer's cottage, in whose entrance hall or passage the long white deal box, which tells of mallets and balls within, was not a prominent object.

Many boys-and, perhaps, not a few even of our own readers despise, or affect to despise, the game, as not manly enough, and wanting in interest.

The former of these charges may be brought with precisely the same force and upon precisely the same grounds against billiards; but no one ever dreams of calling that an unmanly game. As for the latter, if they find the game uninteresting, the fault lies either with themselves or with those they play with, or perhaps also with the kind of game they play.

The following code of rules is called the "Field" Code. Although it is not the only code, it has been adopted here as being in the writer's opinion, and in that of the friends he has consulted, perhaps the most satisfactory, taking all in all, of all extant codes. Indeed, there is but one other, the "All England" code, which holds any position at all besides it.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE "FIELD" COMMITTEE.

A full-sized croquet ground should measure 40 yards by 30 yards. Its boundaries should be accurately defined.

The Hoops should be of half-inch round iron, and should not be more than 6 inches in width, inside measurement. The crown of the hoop should be at least 12 inches clear of the ground. A hoop with the crown at right angles to the legs is to be preferred.

The Pegs should be of uniform diameter of not less than 1 inch, and should stand at least 18 inches above the ground.

The Balls should be of boxwood, and should not weigh less than 14 ounces each.

The FOUR-BALL GAME is recommended for adoption in preference to any other.

When odds are given, the Bisque is recommended. A bisque is an extra stroke which may be taken at any time during the game in continuation of the turn. A player receiving a bisque cannot roquet a ball twice in the same turn without making an intermediate point. In other respects, a bisque confers all the advantages of an extra turn. A player receiving two or more bisques cannot take more than one in the same turn. Passing the boundary, or making a foul stroke, does not prevent the player taking a bisque. The following Settings are recommended :

No. 1. Eight-Hoop Setting-Distances on a full-sized ground: Pegs 3 yards from boundary; first and corresponding hoop 5 yards from pegs; centre hoops midway between first and sixth hoops, and 5 yards from each

other; corner hoops 6 yards from end of ground, and 5 yards from side. Starting spot 2 feet in front of first hoop, and opposite its centre.

No. 2. Seven-Hoop Setting-Distances on a full-sized ground: Pegs in centre line of ground 8 yards from nearest boundary. Hoops up centre line of ground 6 yards from peg, and 6 yards apart; corner hoops 7 yards from centre, and in a line with pegs. Starting spot 1 yard from first hoop in centre line of ground.

No. 3. Six-Hoop Setting.-Distances on a full-sized ground as in No. 2, except the middle-line hoops, 8 yards apart. Starting spot 1 foot from lefthand corner hoop, and opposite its centre.

It is essential to match play that bystanders should abstain from walking over the grounds, speaking to the players or the umpires, making remarks upon them aloud, or in any way distracting their attention.

DEFINITIONS.

A Point is made when a hoop is run, or a peg is hit, in order.

The striker's hoop or peg in order is the one he has next to make. The order is shown by dotted lines in the diagrams of settings.

A Roquet is made when the striker's ball is caused by a blow of the mallet to hit another which it has not before hit in the same turn since making a point. The striker's ball is said to be in play until it roquets another. Having made roquet, it is in hand until croquet is taken. Croquet is taken by placing the striker's ball in contact with the one roqueted, the striker then hitting his own ball with the mallet. The non-striker's ball, when moved by a croquet, is called the croqueted ball.

A Rover is a ball that has made all its points in order except the winning

peg.

THE LAWS OF CROQUET.

1. Mallets.-There should be no restriction as to the number, weight, size, shape, or material of the mallets; nor as to the attitude or position of the striker; nor as to the part of the mallet held, provided the ball be not struck with the handle, nor the mace stroke used.

2. Size of Balls.-The balls used in match play shall be 35 inches in diameter.

3. Choice of Lead and of Balls.—It shall be decided by lot which side shall have choice of lead and of balls. In a succession of games the choice of lead shall be alternate, the sides keeping the same balls. 4. Commencement of Game.-In commencing, each ball shall be placed on the starting spot (see Settings.) The striker's ball, when so placed and struck, is at once in play, and can roquet another, or be roqueted, whether it has made the first hoop or not.

5. Stroke, when taken.—A stroke is considered to be taken if a ball be moved in the act of striking; but should a player, in taking aim, move his ball accidentally, it must be replaced to the satisfaction of the adversary, and the stroke be then taken. If a ball be moved in taking aim, and then struck without being replaced, the stroke is foul (see Law 25.)

6. Hoop, when run.-A ball has run its hoop when, having passed through