Occasional Notes. A letter has been received from Princes Club, asking us to join in competing for a Public School Racquet Challenge Cup, to be played for in Princes Courts, at Easter. Our three days of Easter holiday do not allow us much time; but if that difficulty can be overcome, and we believe it can, we shall be most happy to play. A book by Paul Ward' has been just published, entitled 'Reminiscences of Cheltenham College.' We shall have something to say of it in our next. Paper Chases have been forbidden, unless previous leave has been obtained from the Principal by a prefect. We beg to apologise to W. A. Murison, for omitting his name from the list of prefects in our last. In the hope of stimulating the scientific spirit of the School, a series of Chemistry Lectures has been begun by T. Bloxam, Esq., F.CS., on Wednesday afternoons, at 5 o'clock. The attendance hitherto has been large, probably over 200, comprising a large majority of College boys, a slight infusion of masters and strangers, among whom, we are glad to say, we noticed several ladies. The first lecture was given on Wednesday, Feb. 12th, to an attentive and appreciative audience. The object of the lectures was stated to be to manifest the connections and relations of the physical forces, and to demonstrate the organic unity of them all. The Lecturer briefly reviewed the history of Science from the Astrology of the Chaldees, through the Alchemy of the Middle Ages, up to the present age of Aniline and the Atlantic Cable, of Chloroform and the Spectrum Analysis. Chemical affinity was the first force treated of in its occasional violence and its irresistible success, and the mode of production of electricity from it pointed out. Light and heat were specified as its appropriate stimulants. Electricity was next noticed, and treated as completely as the brief space of an hour would permit. The electric bell was made the means of impressing its activity on the minds of all present, and an excellent idea of the Needle Telegraph and the mode of working it was conveyed, by means of a small working model. The famous electric ball at Edinburgh, which falls when the Greenwich Clock marks 12 o'clock, was displayed in miniature, and the practical simultaneity of the electric discharge at all points in the circuit, was shewn by the firing of a cannon, which exactly synchronized with the dropping of the ball, both being comprised in the same current. The firing of cartridges under water was illustrated practicallythe submarine cartridge was immersed in a tub, connected with the battery, and exploded with no little ado. The electric spark was familiar to most among the audience, but many saw for the first time, and all with pleasure, the electric discharge in the rarified gases contained in Geiseler's tubes. All were good-the sulphate of quinine best. From Electricity, Mr. Bloxam turned to Chemistry, and began the subject by remarking on the great strides the subject had taken lately, particularly in the resolution of everything into a small number of elements of fixed characters, capable of no further separation, and the importance these elements had assumed in the study of Chemistry. Formerly, four pages out of a large quarto book could dispose of what were then called elements. Now, two vast volumes could only just contain the rudiments of the knowledge about them. Oxygen was first taken, and many brilliant experiments made with it-Charcoal, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, all burnt under a jet of it, and a charcoal fire, which had died down to blackness, was resuscitated in a few seconds by its means. The tropid character of Nitrogen, precluded such striking experiments; but its rapidity was contrasted most strongly with the activity of Oxygen, by the extinction and re-ignition of a taper plunged through Nitrogen into Oxygen. Air was next discussed, and its great pressure, amounting to about 10 tons on an average man, was shewn by the collapse of a tin canister filled with steam, and placed under a jet of cold water. Ozone, that most active modification of Oxygen, was made, both by the electric spark and the slow oxidization of Phosphorus, and discovered by the characteristic blue colour which it gives with starch and iodide of potassium. Nitric Acid was noticed very briefly, and the method of forming it by the electric spark in common air exhibited. The next gas was Hydrogen. It was produced by fragments of Sodium in water, very neatly caught, and tested by being lighted. Its lightness was shewn very conclusively by the power of ascension which a balloon, filled with it, exhibited; and its explosive power when mixed with Oxygen, made it but too plainly evident to the eyes and ears of the audience. The Offertory Fund for last half, amounted to £64 17s. 2d. If everyone gave 2d. a week, it would be £100. The following Rules, relating to the Fives Boards, have received the sanction of the authorities in such matters :— 1. Fresh lists to be put on the boards at 2 p.m., on Saturdays. Courts can then be taken for the Wednesday following, and on other days for the third day in advance-but not further into the future. 2. No one may have his name down for a future court more than once on each board. 3. No one may put down the names of more than two fellows. 4. Any one who has his own name legitimately down on a board for a court, or has been given the court by one who has thus secured it, if he came up within ten minutes of the hour, may turn out any occupants. 5. No one is to make any emendation in the written engagements himself. If he think any courts illegally engaged, he must appeal to J. Lillywhite, or the boy in charge of the Racquet room. 6. Boys under 15 are not allowed to engage Court No. 2. 7. Fellows who wish to play a College Match, may turn out any occupants of the court for not more than one game. There is one point in the present system, which perhaps needs improvement. A serve, be it remembered, is intended to be a fair way of starting a round with advantage to neither party. At present there is nothing but public feeling and good sense to prevent a fellow insisting on having serves given him of any height and as near to the wall as he pleases. With a very little practice, he can learn to 'kill' such serves with almost absolute certainty, and thus each round is reduced to one stroke made from an easy serve, and all tests of goodness become practically tests of proficiency in this one stroke. Should common sense prove an ineffectual bar to the introduction of this practice, we would propose that a line be painted on the floor, say three yards from the wall, and that it be optional to take any stroke made off a serve which pitched within this line. If such a Rule were enforced, any restriction as to the height of the serve would be unnecessary. A gentleman, who takes an interest in Fives, has kindly offered a Silver Cup for the best player. The winner of the Single Matches at present going on is, we understand, to be liable to be challenged once for it by any one. The Prefects are bettered by the change of their room from the Class-room of Classical I.B., to a much more convenient place, viz., one of the rooms which overlooks the great door. Election of papers was made. The following were chosen :—' Times,' 'Field,' 'Punch,' 'Pall Mall Gazette,' 'Fortnightly Review,' 'Cheltenham Examiner.' One of the Examiners for the 'Hertford Scholarship' at Oxford, is the Rev. C. Bigg. We believe the XXII are going to set up a new and special ribbon, viz., cerise and black in slanting stripes. Racquets and Fibes Matches. Fives has made a great start. No one can deny it. Partly induced by the improvements in the courts, partly from want of something to do, a great many fellows have cultivated Fives; the old-established players have improved, and new players are fast springing up. No one can help noticing a higher style of play than was prevalent six months ago, and a much greater number of spectators and seekers after courts. The single game is a popular introduction, and improves individual play much more than a fourgame, where the best of the couple does all the work, and the other does and learns nothing. For the double Fives Matches, there were 70 entries, a larger number than there has been for many halves. In the first round, the good players trembled rather, lest they should be coupled with some incompetent partner, and so cut out. Bradley and W. Bullock were thus disposed of. The quartetts for the First round were: The conquerors' names in each case stand first. H. Porter and Garnett had hard work to win, so had D. T. Savary and Ommanney. The Second round was rather more interesting: Lawrence and C. R. Filgate made a good match of it, scoring 19 points; F. Preston and Tyers scored 17. There were 33 entries for the Single Fives' Matches, and they proved more attractive to spectators than the double games. In the very first round W. S. Lucas and G. G. Pruen drew each other. Lucas, partly owing to nervousness, partly to a left wrist somewhat inferior in flexibility to his opponent's, only succeeded in scoring 10 to his opponent's 15. Bell and Preston both lost their heads, and proved easy victims to W. Lawrence and J. J. Reid respectively. The other matches were— |