April U, 1882.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



523 



type, may bo compared to the incapacity of tlie infant for that 

 which is easy for the grown man, or for the inability of the lower 

 laces to effect what is well within the power of the higher. I say 

 with you, " there is something; loathsome about untrnth." It would 

 be exceedingly loathpome, therefore, for mo to say 1 agree with you 

 in aoght save that general proposition — Narcissus, Lcnatic. *' No 

 more on that head," as the bald man said. — Foreigner. Man 

 is inquisitive, and wants to know what there is at the Pole. 

 That is the only reason I can imagine for polar expeditions. — 

 Easy. Thanks ; but do not see our way to taking a pai't in the 

 matter — Scalpel, C. H. C. We have been obliged to decline to 

 insert any question asking for name or names of books on special 

 gnbjects, thongh we question the bona Jules of no individual querist. 

 In three cases wo have had replies to snch queries in the same 

 handwriting as the queries themselves. We are sorry that 

 for the sako of a few dishonest querists, the great majority 

 of honest ones suffer, bnt we cannot help it. — Nicholas Whitley. 

 That may do very well for the V. I., but we would as soon insert a 

 paper by Paralltix asserting the earth's flatness, or any other absur- 

 dity. — J. B. T. Well : but that is just what inertia requires. — R. 

 W. Bkanthwaite. You say "the dental formula at p. -159 is 

 entirely wrong and needs correction," and then you give the dental 

 formula for man. Since No. 1 of Knowledge appeared, I have 

 been told many things which I knew before, and I thought scarcely 

 anything in that way could surprise me ; but 1 frankly confess you 

 beat me. I did not expect to have it carefully (and I must admit 

 very lucidly and fully) explained to me that man does not ordinarily 

 possess twelve incisors, or twenty -eight molars, or forty-four teeth 

 all told. " It will go near to be thought so shortly." Where, in 

 p. 459, is it stated that the dental formula there given is man's ? 

 KoB Croniel (? ?). We could scarcely find space for Cottier Life. 

 — Gerald Massey. Thanks ; but these verbal questions are not for 

 us. The mistakes in the letter arose from its accidentally escaping 

 correction. There are no such eight stars. — G. W. Hart. Thanks ; 

 bnt Chemistry of Genesis would hardly suit us. — Thos. A. Cotton. 

 We cannot say where that or any instruments are to be purchased, 

 either here or privately. In fact, stamped and addressed envelopes, 

 except for return of MSS., are sent to us in vain. Our rule on that 

 subject has been very clearly stated. — C. A. E. The subject is a 

 good one, and we hope to have such an article shortly. — G. F. 

 Hanap. We cannot take the office of private tutor even to a 

 section of our readers. Besides, the questions you ask are not even 

 complete. — James Deas. Guillemin on Comets, translated by 

 Glaisher. Can recommend no book on astrology. — Unitas. Thanks. 

 — Cogito. Jlr. Grant Allen appears to presuppose some intelli- 

 gence in his readers, when he speaks as if there were intelligence and 

 volition in plants. — J. Rcs.sell C. Cheese problcmrather tooordinary. 

 — Alpha. The right answer, as I vindcrstand the question, is 42f . A 

 takes one-third before D, who takes two-ninths, retires. A then should 

 now take nine-sevenths of one-third, or 42f per cent.— Arthur 

 Geaei.ng. You solve a problem not given in these pages. A 

 rectangle formed of three squares is not the same thing as three 

 squares arranged so as to form three-quarters of a square. — 

 Zeta. Loomis's Astronomy has good refraction tables. Price, I 

 think, 8s. 6d. — A. N. S. If that (referring to your probabilities 

 question) needs proof, we had better prove that two straight lines 

 cannot enclose a space. — H. C. Standage. Thanks, but table of 

 payments quite unsuitable. — Comitatus. I suppose the front 

 engine draws the front half of the train, and the hind engine 

 pushes the hinder half. — J. Parker Fowler. If you were 

 acquainted with the formulas of spherical trigonometry you could 

 hardly ask the question ; if you are not acquainted with it, 

 we can hardly answer it. Why cannot we see through a 

 brick wall ? sounds like a conundrum. Light is not " lost 

 in passing through the wall." It does not pass through, 

 but is partly reflected, partly absorbed, at the surface. — 

 jAifEs HAnKiNGTO.N. I do not know Mr. John Hampden's address, 

 bnt if I did, I could not forward your communication ; it would be 

 a breach of our rules. Let me advise you not to waste time and 

 money on such nonsense. — Erin-go-Bragh. Thanks; but the facts 

 mostly familiar. — H. C. Standage. Pigments not in our line. — 

 S. M. Cox. Thanks. About possible hands there is no difficulty so 

 long as there is clear definition of what constitutes different hands. 

 — B.M., F.R.C.S. You may depend upon it Sir Edmund Beckett 

 knows all about the advantage of having the screw-driver properly 

 ground. Telling him that a mechanical device he suggested would be 

 troublesome, unworkmanlike, and unnecessary — would be like 

 telling Hanlan that he had entirely erroneous ideas about rowing. — 

 M. Wyatt. Thanks ; but as there is no practical value in rules for 

 finding roots, we must reserve the space the subject would take for 

 other and more pressing matter. — An Engineer. We noticed the 

 passage, but did not understand it as you have done. No one can 

 for a moment suppose that the presence of air in a bird's bones 

 could add to the bird's buoyancy ; but it should not be necessary to 



explain to an engineer that the hollow structure of the bones is 

 adapted to give as much strength with as little weight as possible. 

 The point you explain is fully dealt with in a Fitful reply of my omi 

 at p. GO. 



Bobby. — (You are cool enough). J. Hargreave, L. M. N., K. 

 Sperritt, M. N., J. Uannay, F. Finleyson, R. Morris, S. T. P., 

 K. Pavitt, M. R. Winstanley, Peter Parley, Post Meridian, F. 

 Friendlison, Avernus, M. J. Merry weather, Semper Paratus, R. 

 Rudolfsen, Mons Parturiens, S. Silliman, J. R. Rendnll, M. Purvis, 

 K. U. Payne, R. P. T., Rap Back (Why ? R. A. P.), Per aspera ad 

 ardna tendo (Many do), J. V. M., Holocaust. 



d^ur saHfii'st Column. 



By " Five of Clubs." 



Plat Second Hand when Knave is Led. 



KNAA^E, as an original lead, is played only (see synopsis of 

 leads, p. 310, No. 11), (1) from King, Queen, Knave, and two 

 or more small ones ; and (2) from Knave, ten, nine, with or with- 

 out small ones ; except in the unusual case that original leader holds 

 four trumps and three three-card suits, when Knave may be led 

 from Knave, ten, and another. If then second player holds either 

 King or Queen, he knows the lead is not led from (1) ; while, if he 

 holds either ten or nine, he knows it is not from (2) ; and, lastly, if 

 he holds one of the first set, as well as one of the second set, he 

 knows that the lead is a forced one, the leader having probably no 

 four-card plain suit. Taking the two more common cases, of a 

 Knave lead, second player, if he holds King or Queen only, above 

 the Knave, showing that the lead is from Knave, ten, nine, and 

 others, should play a small one, unless with the IQueen he holds 

 the ten, when he should play the Queen. But this last case is very 

 unlikely to occur, as it would imply that Knave had been led from 

 Knave and one or two small ones. If second player holds both 

 King and Queen, he should cover Knave with Queen. If he holds 

 Ace and Queen with or without small ones, he should play the Ace, 

 knowing that leader docs not hold the King, so that covering with 

 Queen is useless, whether third player or partner hold the King. 

 If, when Knave is led, second player has no card above it, he will, 

 of course, play his lowest. If second player holds King, nine, or 

 Queen, nine, the lead is probably a forced one — from Knave, ten, 

 and a small one ; it is, therefore, useless to put on the higher card, 

 unless circumstances render it very desirable to gain the lead. But 

 usually the small card would bo played, leaving partner to take the 

 trick if he can. 



Play Second Hand when Ten ob Nine is Led. 



Here the principles are much the same as in the previous case. 

 Ten (see synopsis of leads) is only led from King, Queen, Knave, 

 ten, and from King, Knave, ten, with or without others. There- 

 fore, if second player holds the Queen, with nothing to show that 

 the lead is forced (and ten is very unusual as a forced lead), he 

 knows that the lead is from King, Knave, ten, and should play the 

 Queen, or not, according as she is singly or doubly guarded. It is 

 obviously useless to retain her if she is only singly guarded, for she 

 must fall next round ; and as obviously unwise to play her if she 

 has two guards or more. If ten is led, and second player holds 

 Knave and nine (a fourchette), of course Knave should be played. 

 The lead, with these cards outside the leader's hand, is very 

 unusual, being from ten and one or two small ones. Nine is only led 

 from King, Knave, ten, nine, with or without others. If second 

 ]ilayer, then, holds Queen only singly guarded, he should play her ; 

 but if she is doubly or trebly guarded, he should play his lowest. 



Play Second Hand when Small Card is Led. 

 The rules for play second hand when a small card is led are 

 nearly all included in the general instructions already given. When 

 second player is long in the suit led, he plays somewhat as he would 

 if the suit were his own, and he were leading, only that, first, in 

 playing one of a sequence he always plays the lowest, and, secondly, 

 as his partner is in a more favourable position, being fourth player 

 instead of third, he leaves more open to him. For instance, in 

 leading from Ace and four small ones. Ace is played ; but if 

 second player holds these cards he plays a small one, unless 

 the game is in a critical state, and either one trick or a lead is 

 much needed ; or if first player is one of those who affects the 

 lead from a singleton. So when an honour is led and you hold a 



