Popular Science Monthly 



297 



Russian Hole- Ball 

 From Bessarabia — once a province of 

 Turkey, but now a part of Russia — comes 

 this interesting game. It is one of the few 

 ball games which may be played in the 

 snow and is suitable for from 

 3 to 10 players. For the 

 ball the Russian boys 

 use a frozen snowball, 

 but a tennis ball or 



The Law of Retribution in the 

 Insect World 



even a stone will 

 serve as well. 



As shown in 

 the illustration 

 a number of 

 holes are 

 made in the 

 snow, large 

 enough to 

 hold the 

 ball. These 

 holes are 

 placed in a 

 straight line 

 and spaced 3 

 ft. apart. There 

 should be as 

 many holes 

 there are players, 

 each player having 

 a number. The holes 

 are numbered i, 2, 3, 4 

 and so on. The take-off 

 or throwing line, is drawn 

 across the snow 10 ft. from 

 the first hole, and at right 

 angles with it. There the players line up. 



Player No. i stands on the line and en- 

 deavors to throw the ball in one of the 

 holes. If the ball falls in hole No. 3 the 

 player scores three points, and player 

 No. 3 takes his turn at tossing the ball. 

 If the ball lands in hole No. 2, it 

 scores two points for the thrower, and 

 it is No. 2's turn to toss the ball. 

 The game is sometimes played by score — 

 the player who first wins fifty points 

 winning the game; but it may be varied 

 by setting a time limit of say fifteen min- 

 utes, the winner being the player scoring 

 the most points during this time. 



The 

 which 



Testing the Quality of Leather Belts 

 with Vinegar 



PLACE a small strip of the leather belt 

 in strong vinegar and if it is of good 

 quality it will not change except to turn a 

 darker color; but if of poor quality the 

 fibers will swell and become gelatinous. 



ONE day on entering his study an old 

 gentleman noticed that there was 

 some powdered sugar spilled on a window 

 sill. He was about to brush it 

 off when he saw that an ant 

 was running around the 

 little heap. "Ah!" said 

 the gentleman, who 

 had a scient'fic 

 turn, "I wonder 

 if that ant is a 

 scout?" After 

 a few more 

 turns, the 

 ant sudden- 

 ly wheeled 

 awa\- from 

 the sugar, 

 ran to the 

 outer edge 

 of the sill 

 and disap- 

 peared over 

 the edge. 

 "Probably he 

 has gone to carry 

 news of his dis- 

 covery," said the ob- 

 server to himself. 

 "Here is a chance for a 

 little experiment." He 

 double rim fox trail over then brushed all the sugar off 



the window sill, rubbed the 

 place with a dampened cloth, 

 then wiped the spot over with a little am- 

 monia, so as to leave no trace or odor of the 

 sugar. Then he drew up a chair and sat 

 down to watch the result. 



Before very long a large party of ants 

 appeared, lead as he believed by the one 

 who had made the discovery, and was not 

 content to enjoy the feast alone. They 

 advanced to the promised land and then 

 confusion began. They ran hither and 

 thither, searched all about, gathered in a 

 group and then — fell upon their guide and 

 slew him. That was long ago, but the man 

 who tried the experiment could not get it 

 out of his mind. Here an honest hard- 

 working, unselfish ant, who did not even 

 pause to enjoy the treasures he had found, 

 who hastened away to report his find for 

 the public good, was deceived, betrayed, 

 martyred — merely to answer a foolish 

 scientific inquiry. Surely it was a case 

 where virtue was not its own reward, where 

 innocence was a victim. — Tudor Jenks. 



the chase is carried on 



