game is arbitrary, but eleven is generally fixed upon. Of course it would be more were there a great number of bowlers. The sport of the game consists in driving your opponent's ball from the Jack, and putting your own near it. When one side scores eleven before their opponents get five, it is called a lurch. The players at Bowls change the Jack from one side of the green to the other after the whole of each side have bowled once.

QUOITS.

The game of Quoits resembles Bowls. It is played with flat rings of iron of various weights. At a certain number of paces apart (to be agreed upon), two circular pins of iron are driven into the ground. The players beginning the game stand at one of these pins, called the Hob, and pitch the quoits to the other, each person having two. When all the quoits are cast from one Hob, the players walk to the other and pitch to the first, and so on in succession.

Those who get nearest to the Hob, are, of course, nearest to the game, and each pair of quoits counts two,—each single quoit, one; but if a quoit belonging to A lies nearest to the Hob, and a quoit belonging to B the second, A can claim but one towards the game, although all his other quoits may be nearer to the Hob than all those of B, as the quoit of B is said, technically, to have cut them out.

WHY AND BECAUSE.

This is also a new game, and one of those that combine amusement and instruction. To play it, a king must be chosen, who is called "King of the Shy," who sets up a brick on its end and puts a stone upon it, as a mark for the players to bowl their stones at, which they do successively. When a player has bowled, if he knocks the stone off the brick, he may take up his own stone and run back to his bounds, if he can do so before the king sets his brick and stone up again; but if the King can touch the player after having set his brick up, he is obliged to answer a "Why," or be King instead of him. The "Why" must be proposed by the King, and it may either be a conundrum, or it may contain the reason of any thing, as, "Why does a stone fall to the ground?" "What makes the smoke go up the chimney?" If the player cannot answer the "Why," he is obliged to mind the shy and let the others bowl. Sometimes it will happen, that of all the boys who have bowled at the shy, not one has thrown it down; the King then looks sharply at each one who tries to take up his stone, to touch him. It generally happens, that whilst the King is pursuing one, who has taken up his stone, to touch him, all the rest take to their stones, and make off home. But it should have been said, that by the place from which they bowl, a string is stretched for a leap, over which a player running from the King is obliged to jump before he is considered home.

(Some good Conundrum Questions for this game will be found in the "Book of Sports," on In-Door Amusements.)

BOMBARDMENT OF A SNOW CASTLE.

There is no game like this for promoting warmth and exercising the ingenuity. To play this, a Snow Castle, Tower, and Fort must be constructed, and a Bombardment got up.

When the snow is on the ground, let a party go into a meadow and divide themselves into two companies, and appoint a general to each. Each company then takes up its respective position, and proceeds to build a fort and castle, for defence, on each side; the dexterity with which the work is performed, and the celerity with which it is accomplished, being much in favour of those who play. During the building of the castle, some must be employed as sharp-shooters, who must annoy the builders on each side with snow balls, and some must be employed in making a store of snow balls for the magazine. When the castle is commenced, the first thing to be done is, for several of the builders to make a roll of snow about eighteen inches in length, and as thick as his arm, and to roll this on the snow, which will attach itself to it till it forms a large ball as high as the builders's shoulders. This must be turned over on its flat side, and as many more as can be arranged in the following manner, for a fort (supposing the other side to be erecting a castle). The foundation thus being laid, other balls not quite so large must be rolled up and laid on the former, so as to make the rampart about four feet high. Behind this, a single line of snow balls must be placed, about one foot in height, on which the attacking party may mount to discharge their balls to the castle opposite. On elevated parts of the forts, long sticks with pocket-handkerchiefs, as flags, must be raised, and in the centre, a larger flag should be placed, and it must be the object of the opposite party to demolish them with their balls. When a player wishes to throw a ball, he mounts upon one of the inner partings of snow, discharges his shot, and jumps down behind the parapet for more shot. The party on the opposite side may build their castle as they please; but each party should watch each other's movements, and build their different places of defence or annoyance in such a manner as to defend themselves and annoy the enemy in the most effective manner. It may be observed, that the fort must be so constructed with reference to the castle, that it is brought to bear on every point of it. The two ends are towers, which should be a foot higher than the ramparts, and should be made by three snow balls laid one upon the other,—the last one being turreted, with room for one boy to mount to the top, if necessary, to discharge his shots. The highest place of all, is the keep, and should be at least six feet high, with room and steps behind for two boys to mount. Convenient places should be left behind, where the ammunition should be piled up.

When the fort or castle is built, each party uses its best efforts for the demolition of the other, but no one is allowed to make use of his hands in the demolition of either castle or fort; battering-rams may alone be employed. In ancient times, battering-rams were large beams, hooped and shod with iron; but the moderns do things better, and the way in which it may be done is as follows:—A boy who volunteers to be battering-ram has his legs tied and then two other boys take him up, and, swinging him by the arms and legs, force his feet against the walls of the castle or fort to batter it down, the opposite party pouring on them, all the while, snow balls heated to a white heat from the ramparts above. Parties also may go out from one side to the other, as in playing "Hippas," mounted, and may meet in the open space and endeavour to pull each other from their horses. If a player on either side can break over the fort and capture one of the flags without being touched, he may bring it off and place it on his own ramparts as a trophy, and the party from whom the flag is captured must not replace it; but if in this act he is touched, he becomes a prisoner, and must make snow-balls for his adversaries. Every one who is thrown down, either from his horse or by any other means, is considered a dead man, and can do nothing but make snow-balls for the opposite party. When the flags are all struck on either side by being shot away, or when the men are all taken prisoners or slain, or when the ramparts are demolished, the victors may sing, "Old Rose and burn the Bellows."