Aug. 4, 



2.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE 



165 



for 2, and a fine square hit (on to the awTiing of the Grand 

 Stand) for four, the scoring was fairly brisk until McDonnell 

 skied a ball of Steel's to midon, where Evans made a clever 

 running catch. The Australians had now made 29, 

 (McDonnell 16), Murdoch not out, 3. The Club, with 

 199 to the good, sent in Lord Harris; but when 16 had 

 been added, Harris was caught at long-on by Palmer oil' 

 Garrett Total, 220; Harris, 4 ; Studd not out, 76. The 

 Australians, who now sent in Horan, were again un- 

 fortunate ; for only eleven runs had been added when they 

 lost their captain" (for 3 only), caught by C. T. Studd (a 

 fine one-hand catch) ofl" Flowers." 



The description would go on, we may suppose, to describe 

 how play was interrupted by rain on Tuesday, the fall of 

 the remaining wickets, alternately, throughout Wednesday, 

 and we can imagine it ending (in accordance with the 

 actual play in the match) somewhat as follows : — ■ 



.... "The Club sent in Mr. Tylecote, and a few minutes 

 later a single from him brought the 300 on the board, 

 amidst a hearty outburst of applause. But almost imme- 

 diately after, the Cantab, who had made so grand a stand, 

 was clean bowled by Garrett, having made a fauliless 

 innings of 111; total, 300. The Australians sent in 

 Palmer to the bowling of Studd and Barnes. Palmer made 

 a single ofl" Barnes, but was immediately after bowled by him ; 

 total, 95. Evans came in next on the Club side, and when, 

 after two more had been made by Tylecote, Evans was 

 easily caught by Palmer off Garrett, there seemed every 

 prospect that the champion would have a part at least of a 

 second innings, but the tenth wicket of the Austialians was 

 defended with unexpected obstinacy. Spoflbrth (the new- 

 comer) and Gifl'en made runs with considerable freedom, 

 and at ten minutes before 7 the board showed 120. At 

 122 Steel replaced Barnes, and Spoflbrth cut him for two. 

 Flowers took the ball at the other end, but " the demon " 

 drove him twice to the boundary in successive overs. Steel 

 tried his hand at the pavilion end at 137, but it was not 

 until the final over before time was up, and with the last ball 

 but one of that over, that Grace clean-bowled Spofforth. 

 The match thus ended after the fall of ten wickets on each 

 side, the Club winning by 164 runs." 



It will be understood, of course, that a match -would be 

 completed with the fall of the last wicket taken before time 

 was up, if that gave both sides an equal number of wickets 

 — otherwise with the last but one, unless after the last but 

 one had in this case been taken, the other side without 

 losing a wicket carried their score beyond that made by 

 their opponents, when of course they would be adjudged 

 winnei-s by so many runs and a wicket. Otherwise, every 

 match would be won by so many runs, never by wickets. 

 There would be no "following on" under any circumstances. 



It seems not unlikely that if an arrangement such as 

 this were adopted — by which every match would be decided, 

 yet every match would occupy the full time allotted to it — 

 three days' matclies would, for the most part, be replaced 

 by two days' matches, more games being arranged during 

 each season. 



We are quite aware that in the working out of this 

 scheme several minor matters would arise to which excep- 

 tion would be taken ; but they would not be comparable 

 for a moment with the very serious defects which this 

 system of the alternate fall of wickets would obviate. Let it 

 suffice to note that, according to present arrangements, the 

 odds are greatly against a match satisfactorily filling up 

 the time allotted to it and yet being coniplet<'d within 

 that time, while in the great majority of games the toss, 

 or weather chances independent of the toss, largely all'ect 

 the result. With such defects it must be confe^sed that 

 cricket as at present played hixs some most unsatisfactory 



features. As modified, it would deserve to be regarded 

 as the finest outdoor game of combined skill and chance in 

 existence. 



A TERRIFIC COMBAT. 



TUE following accooiit of a fiKht between a snako and a nit U 

 c.^tracteU from a Califomian paper, tho S'0'-A(- «,.Vai7, near 

 which city the enconntor is said to have been witnessed ; and has a 

 rather less impossible air about it than most ncwsl)a^)o^ yarns ia 

 which the "Ophidia" play a part. I transcribo Jt lertia'iln, in the 

 hope that it may prove of passing interest to your readers, not in 

 illusti-ation of any principle :— 



" The snake was of nuusnal siie, and of a diffcrenl appearance 

 from those commonly found in water. Tlio rat was of the ordinary 

 brown variety, and was running along tho shore wdea' the fight 

 began. Tho snake was coili-d npon a littlt- point of niud just above 

 the water, sunning itself, and prob.ibly aaki-p. Tho rat, apparently 

 without noticing the snaku, jumped directly upon the fojds of tho 

 ser|)ent'8 body. 



" Tho snake struck instantly, fastening its fangs between the 

 rat's shoulders. Then began a contest that, in its small way, was 

 truly thrilling. The rat, struggling violently, endeavoured to shake 

 itself free, while the snake as persistently eudeavowed t^ drag tho 

 head of its victim into its own mouth. 



" Tliis feat it wa,s at first unable to accomplish. The rat writhed 

 in its convulsive efforts to escape, bit the big snake g'everoly in the 

 neck, just at the back of tbe head, until the blood Sowed and 

 mixed with its own. 



"These eountt^r-jittai '. ' ho savagely painful, that 



the snake loosened itR ■_-: vovcr, in half-coil. Bnt 



the respite was too bri> : i mi opporturiFty fo escape, 



for again the snake's lit i,, ji ; . . iiJi'd and closed, this time 

 ■■u-onnd the rat's head. 



" The hiMvy body of the rat swayed violently, but dr.-iggcd with 

 it the head of the snake, until the latter was completely out of coil. 

 By this time, however, the rat's struggle had become comparatively 

 faint, and the snake was apparently tKe victor. 



" Bnt the ne.\t moment tho snake in its torn began to- struggle 

 violently, as if to relea,-ie its adversary's head, but iueffectually, and 

 the reason was soon apparent. 



"The rat had bitten quite through tho snake's throat i and its 

 sharp teeth could be distinctly seen in the n.irrow slit thiy made. 



" The writhings of the snake were now intense. H lasliid the 

 ground with its tail, and raised its thick folds to almost half its 

 length from tho ground. 



"The spectator stood hesitating, scarcely knowing whether ho 

 onght or not to interfere. The next moment, the snake, -nith one last 

 convulsive effort, threw half its length into the muddy water, and 

 the doughty twain sank together to a common dc.ith." 



This snake, if the narrative lie really a true one, must have beoa 

 some non-veuomons colubiine — probably some species of genua 

 Coluber, or possibly a large variety of Ueterodou or .\blabea ; a 

 non-constrictor, too, ofhcrwiso it would have crushed the rat to 

 death before att->mpting to oommenco tho swallowing process (its 

 "remaining in half-coil" is rather vague, and does not count for 

 much in any case). Most likely it was natnrally a frog and fish- 

 eater, like most colnbrino snakes, but was excoptionaJly ravenous 

 after desquamation. "Fangs" i:>, of course, a tiguraiivo expres- 

 sion ; clear enough in its import when applied to a wolf or i1og, but 

 rather apt to be misleading when used in respect cf a serpent. 

 Teeth are evidently meant, since it is obrious that the reptile could 

 not have been a poisonous one. Thero nro much fowor extrava- 

 gancies and palpable inaocur.icies in this anecdote tl.an are com- 

 monly met with in such. Tho declaration that it only " raised 

 altnost half its length from tho gronnd " oommonda itself to oor 

 admirntion ; most snnkos in so "trongly dramatic a siUm-tion would 

 have been seen to h'ap bodily into tho «ir. Tho brus iu» behaviour 

 of the rat precludes any pietenoo of " fivscination," also; while 

 "probably asleep" is remaikably ingenious, and maybe held up 

 for the consideration of certain writcr.< who as-'iuine a much greater 

 fnmiUarity with mntteis ophiologic;!] than the molest sp<>ct;vtor 

 of the above-quoted incident lays claim too, and who too often assert 

 that such and such a snako " was asleep at tho time, " or somi'lhing 

 to that effect. How on i-arth can they say when a snake is nsleepf 

 It can't shut its eyes, and mere qniesconco is most crtainly not 

 enough to indicate" it, sinoo tho reptile will often spring upon ita 

 j.rey from a ]wsition of n-pose which it may liavo occupied for 

 a long while jirevionsly, without any warning or indication by 

 movement. 



Snakes do oeensiimnllv ealoh a tartar. Tlu>re is a pn-pamtion in 

 the Museum of the roil.ge of 8urge<mo, showiuL' the stomach of 

 one, the coats of which have been ruptured, anil the suiHTJacent 



