The Swiss are a practical nation, and it is pleasant to know that their efforts to attract birds to the Canton Vaud by placing artificial nests in the trees of that district are being rewarded. Blackbirds and thrushes have already arrived, and sparrows are expected. Some of the papers have argued that what the Swiss want these birds to do is to eat insects, but this can hardly be so. It is much more likely to be intended as a means for pleasing tourists, and adding to the picturesqueness of the country. Edelweiss, of course, is already planted, and mountain railways laid out. Blackbirds, singing to the tourist as he ascends the mountain crest in his smoking compartment, will be very attractive. When the birds cease to be a novelty, the Swiss will be sure to think of something else.

NOVEMBER 9.-Looking forward to review of united fleet. Have asked that only firstclass cruisers should be sent. No reply. Query-are Powers huffy? NOVEMBER 13.-Threat to blockade Dardanelles to hand, unless I instantly see to Balkans. Must be great bother blockading Dardanelles. "Bother" not a word to be found in dictionary of Powers. Worst of being energetic. If blockade begins, shall have to promise to give an eye to Balkans. Can wink the other. Even strikes have a sense of humour nowadays— in Hungary, at any rate. The strike of railway employés there has taken the form of conforming

Rum dogs Ambasdogs-Ambas

OCTOBER 30.-Balkans seem to have got on nerves of Ambassadors. Was informed to-day that greatest disorder prevails there. Could not induce them to see that, as we all live in Constantinople, which is a nice, quiet place, Balkans did not concern us. Tried to change subject of conversation. All in vain. Balkans, Balkans, all the time. Shall have to have headache next time A.'s come.

NOVEMBER I.-Informed by note that if nothing is done in Balkans, Powers will send ships to Dardanelles. Replied that I was delighted with notion, and would certainly do nothing in Balkans.

FAW

05

exactly to the railway regulations. The consequence is that traffic has been disorganised, and the railway managers are wondering why they made such funny rules. It is rather an unkind nemesis to befall railway managers, but one cannot help wishing that something similar would happen here. What would occur if a guard on the Metropolitan took it into his head to enforce the regulation that runs : "This carriage is constructed to hold ten people "? Or conceive

that all the trains on the South Eastern — driven by rebellious enginedrivers arrived at the times so thoughtfully set out in the time-tables! Somebody would have a fit.

The Varsity man of Santa Barbara, California, will be an interesting

study. It is at Santa Barbara that Mr. Charles

F. Joy proposes to build a $1,000,000 University for the Study of Occult and Psychic Phenomena and the Human Soul. Exactly what the course will be, it is difficult to forsee. The bright young student will probably begin his morning with a lecture from his College Tutor on Ghosts. He will proceed to spend a happy hour with the Professor of Table Turning, and then do a little research on his own account into spirit-rappings. Braced and invigorated, he will, after lunch, go down to the football field to try and auto-suggest the ball between his adversary's goal-posts. To his quiet wine after hall he will be able to invite for company the spirits of departed friends, and should spend a happy evening. When he has graduated, he will, no doubt, accept a Rhodes' Scholarship and come over to Oxford. He ought to wake the old place up.

The Varsity "Rugger" Teams

We have been waiting for a "line" as to the comparative merits of the 'Varsity Rugger teams, and we have now got it with a vengeance through the New Zealanders. Oxford beaten easily by twenty-two points; Cambridge beaten by fourteen points, after giving our visitors one of the hardest games they have had so far. Well, as Rutland Barrington used to sing not so long ago, "There's nothing much more to say," except to marvel at the sudden spurt Cambridge have put on, and to moralise upon the enormous difference which the loss of a couple of backs like Raphael and Stoop has made to Oxford. On Saturday the form was confirmed as far as Oxford are concerned, for they went down to the Harlequins; but as regards Cambridge it was not so, for, since New Zealand had piled up a bigger score against Blackheath than against Cambridge, the Light Blues seemed to have a distinct chance of beating the Club. But they didn't. So much for paper form, although the margin was, in fact, only a goal and a try to a try.

hour before anything was scored; but, although the forwards certainly fought hard to the bitter end, the backs had no attacking power, and made nothing of the chances that the forwards gave them. The New Zealand backs, on the other hand, were always dangerous (as usual) whenever they got going, and it was only by fine tackling that they were kept from crossing the Richmond line more than five times. Wallace was particularly on the spot, scoring two of the tries himself and having a hand in two of the others.

The Old Leysians' Win at Wandsworth

The Old Alleynians were unlucky in having none of their regular three-quarters out on Saturday, for they needed their best team in order to cope with the Old Leysians, who are decidedly strong this season. As it was, the Old Leysians managed to score 26 points (quite a remarkable total for a day like Saturday) to 9. Forward there was not much to choose between the teams, which were well led respectively by Norman Spicer and J. C. L. Farquharson, but behind the scrummage the Leysians were immensely superior, particularly on the right, where Oulton and Hosken nearly always managed to do something with the ball whenever it came their way. Oulton, in fact, scored three out of the five Old Leysian tries, besides placing four goals. Spicer's dropped goal from a mark was an especially neat one. Cambridge must indeed be

Hockey

Cambridge look as if they are going to have something quite out of the common in the way of a hockey team. On Saturday they maintained their unbeaten record by a runaway victory over Willesden-12 to 1. Oxford also won their matchagainst the hitherto invincible Hampstead team-by 5 to 3, a good performance. Staines, playing in great form, gave the Hawks quite a hiding-7 goals to nothing; and Teddington beat Surbiton nearly as easily as they had baten Kingston Hill the week before. Curiously enough, in the match between the

that he shows a tendency to dribble sometimes when a pass would be the sounder play. The game furnished an illustration of the old adage that youth will be served. Eton's famous Goslings are hardly as formidable as they were. In Casuals v. Cambridge, which resulted in a draw, there was some good honest charging, but the ground was so bad and the ball so greasy that there was not much science displayed. Morgan Owen was the best half on the ground, but Pollock-Hodsoll also succeeded in bottling up E. G. D. Wright pretty effectually. On the Cambridge side, May played finely at back, Craig was best at half, and Cornelius certainly the best of the forwards, though R. A. Young's accurate centres must not be overlooked. Oxford gained an easy victory over West Norwood, who were not at full strength.

second teams of these two last clubs, the result was the other way by exactly the same score (3-0).

Lacrosse

At Lord's on Saturday, in spite of the state of the ground, Woodford and West London had a good game, the former winning by 6 goals to 3; Hampstead and Lee, in a heavy-scoring game, drew at 9 all; and Snaresbrook beat Highgate 7 to I. The Cambridge lacrosse team evidently appear anxious to live up to the reputation of their Rugger, Soccer, and Hockey allies, and look like succeeding, despite the fact that only a few of last year's twelve are left. Their latest achievement was the defeat of Willoughby by 7 to nil.

In the matter of the