gave them a rattling burst over the allotments at Sonning Common, and down to the Peppard Road, where she turned sharp round by Radish Farm, and by a curious way took in some part the route of the first hare. Eventually they got far enough off, beyond Chalk House Farm, although, as a matter of fact, one of our staff had the pleasure, or nuisance, of seeing the hunted hare swelling on some seeds some fifteen minutes before them. The end of the day was one hound lost (a previous one at Checkendon), and Mr. Portal and hounds got home as best they might in such weather. We have rather dwelt on this pack, because they afford sport for a large district (Wycombe to Woodcote), which is now practically without sport, in consequence of the absolute absence of foxes, which does not make it worth while for the respected Master of the South Berks to come and try it. We have already in our numbers last year advised our readers of this eventuality.

Hunting Extraordinary.

In the number of BAILY for October last was given a short summary of the life of one James Hirst, of Rawcliffe, in Yorkshire, an eccentric devotee of sport, of whose feats and freaks, in the end of last century, many marvellous stories still survive in his own county. Probably among the most generally known and best authenticated incidents in James Hirst's career is that he broke a bull to saddle. He called the bull Jupiter; he habitually rode Jupiter on his weekly journey to the nearest market town. On more than one occasion Hirst went out with the hounds on Jupiter's back, and found himself in a good place at the finish. History has so far repeated itself, that on February 8th a young man similarly mounted joined Sir Watkin Wynn's Foxhounds, when running near a farm called the Wyches, not very far from Malpas, and for nearly an hour this lad kept with the field, taking whatever came in his way. His bull, known as Billy, is said to have had neither bridle nor saddle upon him, yet the rider is said to have controlled Billy to such an extent that, whilst getting his own full share of the sport, he incommoded no one, and nothing else. In the Daily Graphic for February 15th is to be seen an illustration-surely a highly imaginative one!-of what must be accepted there being several independent records of the day's proceedings-of a real occurrence; and as such it forms a very remarkable addition to the histories of hunting in 1890, as well as in records of bulls and of "cowboys."

The stately heads of the "Monarchs of the Glen' Deerstalking in the at the Sports and Arts Exhibition recall the glories Highlands in 1889. of the past season, as the sharp crack of the sportsman's rifle echoed through the mountain passes and corries in the Highlands. The finest head at the Grosvenor Gallery is perhaps that of the royal, killed by the Duke of Fife in Mar Forest. This is only equalled in beauty by one contributed by the Duke of Edinburgh, which was killed in the Balmoral Forest.

Stalkers are certain to remember the magnificent sport which last year the deer forests yielded; and 1890, owing to the mild winter in the North, promises t present to be as successful a season. A little wintry weather would brighten prospects for the "Twelfth,'

although at present they are by no means unfavourable. Birds should again pair as early as they did last year.

The forests in Inverness-shire and Sutherland yielded some very heavy stags. At Reay, which extends to over 64,000 acres, situated in the north-west of Sutherland, the Duke of Westminster brought down several animals weighing nineteen stone. At Dunrobin the Marchioness of Stafford killed her first stag, weighing sixteen stone. At Torridon, a small forest in the west of Ross-shire, Mr. Darroch killed two fine stags, each weighing over seventeen stone; and Sir Richard Sutton had two at Kinlochmore which weighed over sixteen stone each. At Rhidorroch, which contains about 20,000 acres of afforested ground, Captain Starkey had a stag of sixteen stone. Lord Burton, in Glenquoich, with its immense area of 50,000 acres, had a royal of eighteen and a half stone, and a splended stag with thirteen tines, weighing nineteen and a half stone."

1889.

At Arran the Duke of Hamilton with a single shot brought down a hind and a magnificent stag of twenty-two stone. At Ardlussa, a small forest in the Island of Jura, Mr. Sydney Platt killed a stag weighing seventeen stone. At Caerlochan, which only contains about 9,000 acres, and is situated near Alyth, in Forfarshire, Mr. C. J. Lucas killed one weighing over seventeen stone; and in Glencally, in the same county, Mr. George Wilder had four averaging sixteen stone. The chief facts of Mr. Ffennell's annual letter, Weights of Salmon, which occupies three columns of the Times, stating the weights of salmon taken in our principal rivers during 1889, deserve to be put in permanent record as being of unusual interest to lovers of angling. In compiling the past year's record, Mr. Ffennell has taken great pains to have the particulars authenticated; and we should think the weight of nearly every salmon of note has found its way into his statistics. A remark in the preliminary part of the letter is especially appropriate. It is, "that whereas a 20 lb. salmon from the Tay, Tweed, Shannon, or other of the larger rivers would not be considered anything very remarkable, a fish of that weight taken in one of the lesser rivers-where salmon as a rule run small-would be pronounced a veritable monster."

Beginning with the rivers in England and Wales, we find that in the Tyne, where the numbers taken were 10,000 less last year than in 1888, the heaviest salmon taken with the rod weighed 335 lb. ; and that by the net 33 lb. In the Eden the largest that fell to a rodster was 40 lb., and to the net 57 lb. The heaviest fish that the Ribble produced with the rod was 25 lb.; but a fish taken in the drift nets pulled down the scale at 35 lb.

From the Lune a 30-pounder was the heaviest landed by an angler; one of 45 lb. being taken in the nets. A very fine fish of 51 lb. was taken by net in the Wye, whilst the heaviest landed by the angler weighed 36 lb. The largest fish landed by the rod in the Usk weighed 35 lb., but one of 42 lb. was taken in the nets. A fish of 44 lb. was landed with the rod on the Derwent water. Two magnificent fish of 61 and 60 lb. are reported from the Severn; and these weights are the biggest recorded authentically in the letter.

We are informed that in Ireland the "salmon fishing last year

was, on the whole, highly disappointing; and that discontent prevailed along the Shannon at the manner in which certain drainage works were being carried out under the direction of the Board of Works." This is to be regretted, at the same time there is a record of a 49 lb. fish taken by the rod from this river; a 50 lb. fish being the largest taken in the nets. From Galway the record with the rod is made by Mr. W. Townsend, with a fish of 404 lb., and we learn the average weights of fish from this river was last year the heaviest for the last thirty-five years.

The largest fish of the season taken by the rod in the United Kingdom was caught in the Tweed, by Mr. Brereton, on Lord Polwarth's water at Mertoun, and it weighed 55 lb. It was taken with a small "Wilkinson" fly on single gut. Another 48 lb. fish was caught by Lord Alexander Paget, on the Birgham Dub. We hear from the captort hat this fish was in most excellent condition, and gave some capital sport before it was landed. Many other heavy fish were taken in the Tweed; but these two stand out alone, as far as size goes. In the Tay the heaviest fish was caught by Mr. Howard, at Meiklour; it weighed 49 lb.; and there are several other fish of heavy weights recorded from this river. From the Spey, the heaviest fish of the season was landed by the Duke of Richmond, and weighed 45 lb. Besides these mentioned, there are the weights of several other salmon caught in various rivers, but these we quote are the best authenticated and of the most importance. The year, taken on a whole, was certainly an average one, and in many rivers more than this can be asserted.

Fishing Rights on the Test.

An important action respecting fishing rights in the River Test has just been decided in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice by Mr. Justice Kay. The plaintiff, Mr. George Tilbury, claimed the right of fishing in a portion of the Test from the land in the possession of the defendant, Mr. Edward Silva. The decision of the judge was in favour of the defendant on all the points of the case, and from a careful survey of the evidence before him we do not see how it could have been otherwise. In a river like the Test, where the fishing is perhaps the choicest of any river in England, an interference of fishing rights is a matter of no small importance. From what we can gather, popular opinion was not with the plaintiff in this case; and we hear that on an appeal being made to "South West," a well-known Test angler, who has a reputation of being tenacious of the public rights, he distinctly refused to countenance the proceedings taken. Under these circumstances, although we ourselves do not wish to see the public rights curtailed in any way, we are glad that Mr. Silva has come out of this "test case victoriously.

Since writing the above, an article has appeared in the columns of the Fishing Gazette taking quite an opposite view of this case, and although we are sorry to differ from such an authority as this paper is on matters piscatorial, yet we retract nothing from what we have here stated. Can the Fishing Gazette tell us the reason the so-called public allowed the obstructions to the footpaths along the river to remain for nearly four years without a protest, and did not attempt to assert their quondam rights to fish in the river? Is the Fishing

Gazette aware that the fishing was not worth having until the river was well stocked by Mr. Silva? No, it is like the dilatory public. As soon as the river has been well stocked, and the fishing has become valuable at someone else's expense, it is always ready to step in and lay claim to some ancient right, which it had before ceased to use.

Exhibitors at this cycle show will be disThe Stanley Show. appointed if they think that we are going to select individual specimens for comment. Rather is it for the calm reviewer to say whether there has been anything in the show to demand special treatment. No doubt there has been this year an influx of so-called non-vibrating machines; but have they advanced the manufacture of cycles one iota? Of this class we fancy the "Whippet" was one of the first in the market; but was it not rather by the excellence of their work that the makers obtained such extended orders? If the ordinary cycle saddle of commerce does not give us freedom from vibration, by all means let us improve on it. Still, I must put on record that, as a very elderly person, I have ridden six thousand six hundred miles in some fourteen months, without any cause to call out for a method more novel than the old one. On behalf of the public, we should rather ask for improvement in useful details, and for a very considerable reduction in the cost; for what is (practically) a ready-money article there is at present-well, what shall we say, gentlemen in the trade?-100, 80, 60 per cent. profit? Not much less, we fancy.

Among useful details that may save a cyclist heart-burning, let us mention Reinhold's "Mobilis Radius" (Woolwich) wheels. If there is anything that troubles a cyclist it is a broken spoke. The imposition practised on you by local machinists for mending one is past description. Now with this method anybody can repair their own spokes. Each one carries a supply, and with the ingenious nippers inserted into the rim of the hub, a broken spoke need not be feared. We mention this because a very good provincial maker (Whitehouse, of Reading) exhibited some of his build on this principle at No. 136, a stand reserved by Reinhold's, of Woolwich, the patentees. Mr. Whitehouse had an invalid, leverworked tricycle at the stand of the Metropolitan Machinist Co. A good authority on "bikes," which we do not profess to be, thought the Fleetwing anti-vibration seemed about the best of the exhibits. Tandems have rather replaced the old sociable, and, apart from æsthetic considerations, possibly there is something in their favour. Starley, of the Meteor Works, Coventry, exhibited a Sociable Rover on a very simple system that seemed worthy

of note.

"Dr. Bill."

We own that, as a rule, the so-called "farcical comedies" now so popular with some people do not appeal much to our taste. The rending of garments, the hidings in cupboards, and pantomime rallies of wild confusion, help to create laughter, no doubt; but we are apt to feel ashamed of ourselves, when the curtain drops, that such improbable foolery should have made us smile. However, one comedy of this sort there is which stands out from the rest. Dr. Bill, adapted

from "Le Docteur Jojo," of Albert Carré, is really sparkling with fun. It taxes our credulity, of course; but it makes half London laugh most consumedly. It was very naughty, we believe, in its original French, but Mr. Aidé has skimmed lightly over dangerous ground; and though there are jealous husbands, and wives inclined to be "fast," and the wrong man and the wrong woman get locked into a dark room, no harm is done, and Mrs. Grundy may without fear take "the young person" to the Avenue. The idea of a meddlesome father-in-law compelling his daughter's husband, a young physician, whose patients before his marriage were chiefly recruited from the corps de ballet and the nymphs of the wood, to resume his practice, and having a brass plate screwed on to the door announcing consultations from one till three, is sufficiently absurd. The complications that arise out of it are, however, most laughable. The young physician, now a reformed rake, and very fond of his wife, of course gets consulted by his old friends; and "Dr. Bill," the endearing appellation by which he was known to the ladies in his bachelor days, finds his new garment of virtue sit uneasily upon him. Of course his wife is made jealous by these visits of unknown and dubious females; and another married lady, Mrs. Horton, with a jealous husband, adds to the complications. Mrs. Horton, rather inclined to be frisky, is most admiringly played by Miss Fanny Brough. Her comic seriousness was intense, and we should say that this accomplished actress had scarcely ever done anything better than this. Mr. Frederick Terry as Dr. Bill quite caught the true ring, and his make-up was excellent. The second act is one loud scream of laughter, and Mr. George Alexander has indeed "struck oil" in a way that he hardly perhaps expected. The play is a great

success.

When the time comes for the rattle of bars and Mr. Mackworth Praed. chains to be heard at the Magazine, the kindly face of our well-known and loved wearer of the buff and blue will be missed from the scene. The sudden death of Mr. Mackworth Praed, one of the oldest members of the Coaching Club, when it was announced at Sandown on the 12th ult., fell like a blow on his many friends there present. For Sandown was one of the deceased gentleman's happy hunting-grounds; not from any very special fondness for racing, but because he liked an excuse for bringing over from Mickleham his coach—or in bad weather his omnibus -sure as he was of meeting hosts of friends, and dispensing that kindly hospitality to them which was part of his nature. A warmerhearted man or a truer friend than the one so recently called to his rest it would be difficult for many of us to name. How pleased he was to play the genial host at Epsom, in that snug little enclosure just opposite the chair! What an open house was his coach at Ascot! Last year failing health prevented him having his usual Epsom party; neither was he at Sandown in the winter. How we shall miss, how often we shall speak in affectionate remembrance of our departed friend, those who knew him well will best know. His name was on many lips on the first day of Sandown Spring Meeting; on the next we heard of his death. To his sorrowing relatives we desire to offer our sincerest sympathy.