DR. JAMIESON, in his "Etymological Dictionary," tells us this is the name of an ancient sport used in Angus and Lothian. "The following account," he adds, "is given of it: "Three play at this game, who are provided with clubs. They cut out two holes, each about a foot in diameter, and seven inches in depth. The distance between them is about twenty-six feet. One stands at each hole with a club. These clubs are called Dogs. A piece of wood about four inches long, and one inch in diameter, called a Cat, is thrown from the one hole towards the other, by a third person. The object is to prevent the cat from getting into the hole. Every time that it enters the hole

he who has the club at that hole loses the club, and he who threw the cat gets possession both of the club and of the hole, while the former possessor is obliged to take charge of the cat. It the cat be struck, he who strikes it changes place with the person who holds the other club; and as often as these positions are changed, one is counted as one in the game, by the two who hold the clubs, and who are viewed as partners.

"This is not unlike the stool-ball described by Strutt, 'Sports and Pastimes,' p. 76: but it more nearly resembles Club-Ball, an ancient English game, ibid. p. 83. It seems to be an early form of Cricket."(1)

(1) In the "Life of the Scotch Rogue," 12mo. Lond. 1722, p. 7, the following sports occur: "I was but a sorry proficient in learning being readier at CAT AND DOUG, cappy-hole, riding the hurley hacket, playing at kyles and dams, spang-bodle, wrestling, and foot-ball, and (such other sports as we use in

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ACCORDING to Jamieson, is the designation given to a game well known in Fife, and perhaps in other counties. Kelly, in his "Scottish Proverbs," p. 325, says " Tine cat, tine game:"" an allusion to a play called Cat i' the Hole, and the English Kit-Cat. Spoken when men at law have lost their principal evidence.

Jamieson says, "If seven boys are to play, six holes are made at certain distances. Each of the six stands at a hole, with a short stick in his hand; the seventh stands at a certain distance, holding a ball. When he gives the word, or makes the sign agreed upon, all the

HOLE,

six change holes, each running to his neighbour's hole, and putting his stick in the hole which he has newly seized. In making this change, the boy who has the ball tries to put it into an empty hole. If he succeeds in this, the boy who had not his stick (for the stick is the cat) in the hole to which he had run is put out, and must take the ball. There is often a very keen contest, whether the one shall get his stick, or the other the ball, or cat, first put into the hole. When the cat is in the hole, it is against the laws of the game to put the ball into it."

I KNOW not what this means, which occurs in the following passage in "A Boulster Lecture," 8vo. Lond. 1640, p. 163: "Playes at

Cent-foot purposely to discover the pregnancy of her conceit."

DR. JAMIESON says this is a game well known in Lothian and in the south of Scotland. In this game as many seats are placed round a room as will serve all the company, save one. The want of a seat falls on an individual by a kind of lot, regulated, as in many other games, by the repetition of an old rhythm. All the rest being seated, he who has no seat stands in the middle, repeating the words" Change seats, change seats," &c., while all the rest are on the alert to observe when he adds "the king's come," or, as it is sometimes expressed, change their seats. The sport lies in the bustle in consequence of every one's endeavouring to avoid the misfortune of being the unhappy indivi

dual who is left without a seat. The principal actor often slyly says, "The king's not come," when of course the company ought to keep their seats: but from their anxious expectation of the usual summons, they generally start up, which affords a great deal of merriment.

Sir Walter Scott, in "Rob Roy," vol. iii. p. 153, says, "Here auld ordering and counterordering-but patience! patience! We may ae day play at Change seats, the king's coming."

This game, although childish, is evidently meant to ridicule the political scramble for places on occasion of a change of government, or in the succession.

not yet ripe use to play for a husband, and young married folks despise these as soon as they are married. But young men use to contend one with another with a kind of bone taken forth of oxe-feet. The Dutch call them coten, and they play with these at a set time of the year." "Moreover Cockals which the Dutch call Teelings are different from dice, for they are square, with four sides, and dice have six. Cockals are used by maids amongst us, and do no ways waste any one's estate. For either they passe away the time with them, or if they have time to be idle they play for some small matter, as for chesnuts, filberds, pins, buttons, and some such juncats."

In Langley's abridgment of "Polydor Vergile," fol. 1, we have another description of this game: "There is a game also that

is played with the posterne bone in the hynder foote of a sheepe, oxe, gote, fallowe or redde dere, whiche in Latin is called Talus. It hath foure chaunces: the Ace point, that is named Canis, or Canicula, was one of the sides; he that cast it leyed doune a peny, or so muche as the gamers were agreed on; the other side was called Venus, that signifieth seven. He that cast the Chaunce wan sixe and all that was layd doune for the castyng of Canis. The two other sides were called Chius and Senio. He that did throwe Chius wan three. And he that cast Senio gained four. This game (as I take it) is used of children in Northfolke, and they cal it the Chaunce Bone; they playe with three or foure of those bones together; it is either the same or very lyke to it." (*)

(1) In "The Sanctuarie of Salvation," &c., translated from the Latin of Levinus Lemnius by Henry Kinder, 8vo. Lond. pr. by H. Singleton, p. 144, we read these bones are called "huckle-bones, or coytes."

(2) For further information relating to this game, as played by the ancients, the reader may consult Joannis Meursii Ludibunda, sive de Ludis Græcorum, Liber singularis," 8vo. Lugd. Bat, 1825, p. 7, v. ΑΣΤΡΑΓΑΛΙΣΜΟΣ; and "Dan. Souterii Palamedes," p. 81; but more particularly " I Tali ed altri Strumenti lusori degli antichi Romani, discritti da Francesco de 'Ficoroni." 4to. Rom. 1734.

See also the "Account of the Statue belonging to a Group originally composed of Two Boys who quarrelled at the Game of Tali," now preserved in the British Museum. Library of Entertaining Knowledge, "Townley Gallery," vol. i. p. 305.

Dr. Clarke, in his "Travels in Russia," 4to. Camb. 1810, vol. i. p. 177, says, "In all the villages and towns from Moscow to Woronetz, as in other parts of Russia, are seen boys, girls, and sometimes even old men, playing with the joint-bones of sheep. This game is called Dibbs by the English. It is of very remote antiquity; for I have seen it very beautifully represented on Grecian vases; particularly on a vase in the collection of the late Sir William Hamilton, where a female figure appeared most gracefully delineated kneeling upon one knee, with her right arm extended, the palm downwards, and the bones ranged along the back of her hand and arm. The second in the act of throwing up the bones in order to catch them. In this manner the Russians play the game."

"A GAME most usual in Kent, with a cricketball, bowl'd and struck with two cricket-bats between two wickets. From Sax. Cpicce, baculus, a bat or staff: which also signifies fulcimentum, a support or prop, whence a

cricket or little stool to sit upon. Cricketplay among the Saxons was also called Stæ fpleze, Staff-play." (a)

(a) Kennett's Glossary, MS. Lansd. Brit. Mus.