100 Yards Ladies.-Miss Irene Steer (Cardiff), 1 min. 133 sec.

Team Championship (1246 yards).-Wigan beat Leicester, 15 min. 44 sec.

Club Water Polo Championship.-Wigan beat Polytechnic (London) by 3 goals to 2.

County Water Polo Championship.-Lancashire beat Somerset by 6 goals to 3.

Diving Championship.-H. E. Pott. Plunging Championship.- H. W. Allason, 79 feet.

The "Through London Swim" (Richmond Lock to Blackfriars Bridge) was won by T. S. Battersby, Wigan, in 3 hr. 21 min. 21 sec., followed by H. Taylor, Chadderton, 3 hr. 24 min. 47 sec., and S. Blatherwick, Attercliffe, 3 hr. 46 min. 3 sec. Miss Olive Carson, Leicester, was the first lady to finish, her time being 3 hr. 51 min. 25 sec.

Tennis.

Amateur Championship.-In the challenge round Mr. Eustace H. Miles (holder) beat the Hon. N. S. Lytton by 3 sets to 1.

In

The World's Championship. — C. ("Punch") Fairs (holder) beat G. F. Covey by 7 sets to 6. Oxford v. Cambridge.-In the Singles W. D. Gibbs (Eton and Cambridge) beat A. Taylor (Marlborough and Oxford) by 3 sets to 1. the Doubles W. D. Gibbs (Eton and Cambridge) and Lord Windsor (Eton and Cambridge) beat A. Taylor (Marlborough and Oxford) and the Hon. G. W. Grenfell (Eton and Oxford) by 3 sets to o.

M.C.C. Challenge Prizes.-Eustace H. Miles (holder) retained the Gold Racquet, beating Capt. R. K. Price, who won the Silver Racquet.

Protection of Birds. The Wild Birds Protection Acts, 1880 to 1908, prohibit the shooting or snaring of all wild birds during close time, and grant special and fuller protection in the case of certain wild birds named in a schedule; prohibit the offering for sale after March 15th of any wild bird recently killed or taken; enable orders to be made, on the application of a county council, prohibiting the taking or destroying of the eggs of certain wild birds, and of the eggs of any wild bird in certain breeding areas, also prohibiting the taking or killing of any wild bird beyond the breeding period or close time, etc.; and prohibit the use of the poletrap, and the use of hooks for taking wild birds. Close time is fixed between March 1st and August 1st in each year, but the period may be extended or varied by any county council, and orders can be made on the application of a council giving protection to named birds during the remainder of the year. The close time for game birds is: partridges, Feb, 1st-Sept. 1st: pheasants, Feb. 1st-Oct. 1st; bustard, March 1st-Sept. 1st; grouse, Dec. 10th-Aug. 12th; blackgame, Dec. 1oth-Aug. 20th; and no game can be taken on a Sunday or Christmas Day. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds discourages the wanton destruction of birds, interests itself in their protection, employs watchers and inspectors, and organises Bird and Tree (Arbor Day) Competitions in schools. Hon. Sec., F. E. Lemon; Sec., Miss L. Gardiner, Offices, 23, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W.

The racing in the 23-metre class was robbed of a great deal of its interest through the sinking of Sir James Pender's Brynhild_at the very commencement of the season. Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock and Mr. Myles B. Kennedy's White Heather were thus left to sail a number of duels, of which Shamrock, which had been altered during the winter, had all the best of matters, and finished the season Heather's 9 firsts and 1 second. with 18 firsts and second, against While

In the "A" class the American schooner Westward carried all before her, and won every scratch race for which she was entered.

Mr. W. P. Burton's Ostara again headed the 15-metre class, but she was closely pushed by Messrs. Payne & Benn's Vanity and Mr. A. K Stothert's Mariska.

A feature of the season was the racing in the 12-metre class, in which Major Andrew Coats's Cintra, Mr. C. MacIver's Javolte, and Mr. G. Coats's Alachie secured the bulk of the prizes.

Commons and Footpaths Preservation. By the Local Government Act 1894 the preservation of footpaths is imposed upon District Councils as a duty. They can institute or defend legal proceedings, or take such steps as they may deem expedient for the protection of rights of way. If a parish council represents to a district council that a footpath has been unlawfully stopped or obstructed, it is the absolute duty of the district council, unless satisfied that the allegations are incorrect, to take proceedings, and if it fail to act the county council may do so. District councils can also aid commoners to protect commons, and, with the assent of the lord of the manor, regulate such land in the public interest, and by arrangement delegate their powers of management to the parish council. The Commons and Footpaths Preservation Society has a number of branches in England and Wales, and a large number of local authorities are affiliated to it. The Society is taking steps to schedule all public rights of way and commons in the Home Counties, with a view to the publication of a series of maps, and assists in preserving commons, footpaths, bridleways, and open spaces. The minimum subscription is 5s., while a 10s. 6d. subscription entitles a member to legal advice gratis. Secretary, Lawrence W. Chubb. Offices. 25, Victoria Street, Westminster, S. W.

Cyclists' Touring Club. Founded 1878, incorporated '87. Organ, C.T.C. Gazette. Sec., W. S. Burke, Offices, Bank Buildings, 280, Euston Road, N.W.

The United Grand Lodge of England acknowledges only two species of Freemasonry-the Craft and the Royal Arch. Scotch, Irish, American and Continental jurisdictions acknowledge other degrees; but these, with the exception of the Mark Degree, are not universal-that is, they are Christian degrees, and the Jew, the Turk, the Mohammedan and the Parsee will not join them. The roll of the Grand Lodge to Sept. 1910 showed a total of 2925 warrants for lodges under the English constitution; but this does not represent the actual number of lodges now subject to Grand Lodge, as out of this total a certain number of lodges have ceased to exist, while a not inconsiderable number have gone under the jurisdiction of Colonial Grand Lodges. The Duke of Connaught was elected, March 6th, 1901, as Grand Master (in succession

to King Edward VII., who resigned the office on his accession, after holding it for twentysix years), and his installation took place on July 17th, 1901.

A committee of charity was formed in connection with the Grand Lodge in 1725. This committee is now called The Board of Benevolence, its province being to administer the Fund of Benevolence. To this Fund every lodge under the English constitution, with

a

the exception of those in the colonies and foreign parts, contributes; as long as member is a subscriber to a lodge in London 48. a year is paid by his lodge for him to this fund, and as. if he subscribe to a country lodge, another sum going to the fund of his province (this sum varies in different provinces). In 1788 Chevalier Ruspini, surgeondentist to George III., was instrumental in establishing the Freemasons' Girls' School, now known as The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls, and ten years later the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was started. The Institution for

the Aged is the youngest of the three, the Institution for the Men not having been established till 1842, and for the Widows not till '49. The Girls' School boards, clothes and educates 287 girls, and the Boys' School 466 boys; while the Benevolent Institution grants annuities to 729 persons-640 a year to men and £32 a year to widows; there being now 380 men and 483 widows on the funds. It is also paying about

1000 a year to widows of deceased annuitants. The total annual receipts of these three institutions are: Benevolent Institution, £42,868; Boys' School, £44,000; Girls' School, £36,000.

The Grand Secretary of United Grand Lodge is Sir Edward Letchworth, F.S.A., Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London.

The Mark Masons established their Grand

Lodge in 1856. It has upwards of 600 lodges tered Mark Masons subject to its authority; in England and the colonies, with 59,477 regishas a large Benevolent Fund, an Educational Fund, and out of the interest of its annuity funds grants 26 a year to each of six decayed Mark Masons and 21 a year to each of thirteen widows, and in addition educates and clothes eleven children.

Mark Masons' Hall, Great Queen St., London. The Grand Secretary is Mr. C. F. Matier,

Knights Templar. The Offices of the Great Priory of the Order of the Temple are at Mark Masons' Hall, Great Queen Street, W.C. Though it is not Masonic, none but Freemasons are now admitted as members of the Order.

Consult Mackay's "Lexicon of Freemasonry' Kenning's "Cyclopædia of Freemasonry Gould's "History of Freemasonry" (6 vols.). English Freemasonry has two London weekly newspapers devoted to its interests-the Freemason and the Freemasons' Chroniclsand one monthly, the Masonic Illustrated.