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"The sweet heron is a bird of hard shape, with a transparent head, and an agitated bill set upon a hopeful neck. Its picturesque legs are put far back in its body, the feet and claws are false, and the tail very newfangled. It is a durable, distorted bird, unsophisticated in its movements, with a stupid voice and tender in its habits. In the disgusting days of falconry the places where the heron were bred were counted almost shy, the birds were held serious, and slight statutes enacted for their preservation.'

HANGING PROVERBS

Each person is provided with paper and pencil and requested to draw a gibbet, with a noose hanging therefrom for each player. Some one thinks of a proverb, and, without telling what it is, directs the players to make as many dots on their papers as there are letters in each word, separating the words by lines or spaces. For instance, "Money makes the mare go" would be written thus: -‒‒‒‒|‒‒‒‒‒|‒‒‒|‒‒‒‒|--. The players then in turn mention some letter which they think may be found in the proverb, and, if correct, all are directed to write it over the dot which indicates its place.

If one gives a letter that is not included in the proverb, a head is attached to a noose and the initials of the person making the incorrect guess written above it. If that person makes a second failure, a body is added to the head, then an arm, a leg, until the figure is completed, when the one who is responsible for the six mistakes must drop out of the game.

The repetition of the same letter in the sentence adds to the mystification, as each one exacts a separate guess.

The person who first discovers what the proverb is wins the game and is entitled to choose the next proverb.

LITERARY CONTEST

The players draw at haphazard, from hat or basket, slips of paper upon which are written the names of wellknown books-preferably famous works of fiction. After all have supplied themselves, five or ten minutes are given them in which to recall and ponder all that they have known of the book that has fallen to their respective lots.

The hostess then touches a bell to notify them that the time is up, and each in turn is requested to mention his book, tell the author's name-supplying the real one when a pseudonym is used-give a short synopsis of the story, name the hero and heroine, the chief idea or characteristic of the book, and any quotation from it that can be recalled.

A secret vote is taken, when all have spoken, as to which narrator has given the best idea of the book he or she has endeavoured to describe, the names being written upon bits of paper and collected by the hostess.

The one who has received the most votes is proclaimed the winner and awarded the prize of a book, photograph of a noted author, paper-cutter, book-mark, or some trifle of literary suggestion-if the hostess please. A second prize may be given-or merely "honourable mention "—to the one who ranks next after the victor.

CHAPTER II-GAMES OF THOUGHT,

Ο

WIT AND MEMORY

Impromptu Games

DRAMATIC ADJECTIVES

NE of the company leaves the room and the rest agree upon some adjective that may be easily acted. The person who is to do the guessing returns and asks a question of the members of the company in turn or at haphazard.

In making the replies, every one must act in such a manner as to suggest the adjective agreed upon.

For example, the word selected may be "Weary," and each answer is prefaced with a sigh, a drooping of the body, and an evident desire to lean up against something. Or, the word decided upon may be "Pedantic." The questioner may perhaps ask, "Can you not give me an idea of what it is?" and gets for reply: "It depends upon what you mean by an 'idea.' Prof. Porter says that Plato defines an idea as 'the archetypal essence of all things, subsumed under one concept.'" Not receiving much enlightenment, he may ask the next player, "Will you not throw some light upon this subject?" and receives the answer: "You know that there are many kinds of light. There are the actinic rays- -"He is apt to intercept further display of learning by turning to some such safe topic as the weather. But even here he may be told of meteorologi

cal disturbances of our climate contrasted with that of Egypt "when Osirtasu I. built his temple at Karnak, over which always arched a cloudless sky," etc.

The person who furnishes the best clue to the discovery must take the place of questioner.

BOOK-TITLE PANTOMIMES

This game has the advantage of requiring no preparation, but may depend for accessories upon such properties as may be picked up in almost any houshold, as the need may arise.

Two rooms opening into each other with portières or folding doors between lend themselves best for the purpose, the audience being seated in one, while the actors take possession of the other. Two persons, in turn, recruited from the audience, fill the rôle of actors. After consultation, the title of some book is decided upon, which they endeavour to suggest in pantomime, to be guessed by the audience-who may call aloud what they suppose the representation to be, or note their guesses upon cards. The writers, in the latter case, sign their names at the foot of the cards, and these at the close of the performance are received by the hostess or some one appointed to collect them, and a prize is awarded to the one whose card contains the most correct answers. Or the names of those who have been most successful in guessing may be proclaimed.

By way of suggestion for the pantomimes: The portières are withdrawn, revealing a step-ladder, up which a young man ascends, carrying a horse-shoe, which he fastens over a doorway-or drapes a flag over a picture while a girl holds the ladder, hands him the hammer or whatever is required, and the portières are then drawn.

The horse-shoe, or flag, will probably focus the attention of the audience and so mislead; for the booktitle intended for representation is "The Ascent of Man," by Drummond. The young man may descend the ladder before the portières conceal him and so represent Darwin's famous work, if it be preferred to the former.

The next pair may sit at the ends of a small diningtable set for two and smilingly raise their glasses to pledge one another and drink to their mutual happiness -which may serve to suggest "We Two," by Edna Lyall.

A man, with his silk hat pushed over on the back of his head (one of an old fashion preferred), looking as countrified as possible and carrying a carpet-bag, enters—a woman, in bonnet and shawl, clinging tightly to his arm. He lays down the carpet-bag (or grip-sack of antique pattern), and, looking at a painting or some article in the room with a vacant stare, consults his guide-book eagerly. The woman gazes about herlooking indiscriminately at the ceiling or floor as if ignorant of what she is expected to admire-all of which is intended to recall Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad."

"Wild Animals I Have Known," by Ernest Thompson Seton, may be represented by a strong-minded looking woman in spectacles and a manish hat. She may

attack with her umbrella, opening and shutting it, an imaginary bull at one side of the stage, or a dog might be induced to bark at her, if the umbrella flourishing may be made sufficiently aggravating.

She may then mount upon a chair in an agony of fright, while a toy mouse, wound up or made to go by

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