them meet. This movement ought to be tried night and morning, until the hands touch easily.

Exercise 11.-A very powerful method of giving full play to the muscles of the chest, is here represented. Bring the right hand to the left shoulder. Extend the left arm on a line with the shoulder. Throw the right arm by the right side, place the left arm on the right shoulder, and change the positions alternately several times. Then proceed to the next movement. hands, raise the arms sideways, and touch the back of the hands straight over the head.

Open the

The foregoing exercises all more or less tend to exercise the muscles of the arms, chest, neck, and to give free play to the respiratory organs; they may be varied in their order, or alternated with any of the following, which call other muscles into play, producing at first, in some instances, a painfully delightful

sensation.

Exercise 12.-Amongst the old "extension" motions taught to our soldiers are two which find an appropriate place here. The first practice is to stand upright, with the heels together, raise the arms straight upwards, the palms in front. Bend the body forward until the fingers touch the ground. The knees must be kept straight. This must be practised until a coin can be picked up with ease at each heel.

Exercise 13.-Take a staff or stick about three feet and a half long. Grasp each end firmly over by the hand, with the ends of the fingers towards the body, now raise the stick over the head, keeping the elbows straight, and hands firm until the stick touches the thighs. This is a severe but excellent exercise.

Exercise 14. Before you commence the following movements, strengthen the toes by raising the body on them with a stiff leg and straight knees as high as possible; do it slowly, again and again; vary it by stepping from the toes, jumping from the toes, keeping the knees straight and the body upright. Place the hands on the hips, left leg in front, toe towards the ground, and jump forward on the right toe. Use both legs alternately.

Exercise 15.-This will prove a somewhat difficult exercise at first, and will require the muscles of the leg and hips to be powerfully exerted. As you stand upright, lift the left foot behind, bend the right knee, lower the body gradually until you touch the ground with the left knee. Rise again; do it slowly with each leg in succession.

Exercise 16.-Stand upright as before. Extend the right arm at a right angle with the body, attempt to kick the hand with the right foot. It cannot be done at first, and may be tried with each leg and foot successively. This exercise may be varied by attempting to kick the back of the thighs with the heels alternately and rapidly. A third variation of the kicking practice, is to kick the chest with the knee, care being taken that the body is upright and the chest is not bent forward. When proficient in these exercises, try to kick both thighs together with both heels simultaneously. To perform the last feat well,

a slight spring will be required. Both feet must come down on the same spot, and the performer ought not to lose his balance.

Exercise 17.-Place both feet together, and the hands on the hips. Kneel slowly until both knees rest on the ground. Rise again without removing the hands from the hips, or the toes from a given line. Vary this by crossing the toes. Bend the knees gradually until you sit down à la Turc. Rise again without moving the hands from the hips. Very hard, this.

Exercise 18.-You have probably found your level ere you have become proficient with the foregoing. Close your feet, extend your arms in front, raise the left leg in front, bend the right knee gradually, and sit down in the same position. Try both legs alternately. This feat will at first seem a poser, but it is not so impossible as it at first appears.

young, and if

Exercise 19.—This is a pleasant amusement both for old and done properly, calls, it is said, three hundred muscles into play. Place the feet close together, put the hands on the hips, rise on the toes, bend the knees and lower the body gradually till the thighs touch the heels. Extend your arms in front and fall forward, not on your nose but on your hands and toes. Kcep the knees straight and body stiff. Now take a piece of chalk and mark with the right hand as far as you can. Now let your companion try and do the same. By a little competition and practice, it will be found that each trial will show an improvement in the length of stretch. You should spring from the ground at a bound, and clap your hands as you rise.

Exercise 20.-Stand with your feet close together, and hands on hips, jump up and spread out the legs, close them, and cross them alternately.

Keep the toes pointed, or else they will come into collision with each other as they cross.

Exercise 21.-A pleasant feat is to jump through the hands held in front of the body, with the tips of the middle fingers together. Be careful though of your chin or your knees will catch it, which is far from pleasant; heeled shoes will also come in contact in anything but an agreeable manner with your thumbs. A variation of this is to have a staff or stick about three feet long, and hold it with the hands about a yard apart. Stoop down, place your knuckles on the ground in front of your toes, holding tight the stick. Try and step over the stick without losing your grasp or moving the knuckles from the ground.

Exercise 22.-If you have a friend a few other simple exercises may be combined. Two persons can sit down facing each other on the floor, with the soles of their feet touching. Then grasp a stick with their hands together, and puli against each other; first, with the knees straight; second, with them bent; and thirdly, with the legs apart. Or they may stand up facing each other, with toes opposite. Take hold of each other's hands, lean back and go quickly round. A third exercise with two persons is to place the left hand on the hips, with the right foot in front, lock the middle finger in each other's right hand, and pull backward.

Exercise 23.-Minor variations of these elementary and parlor gymnastics suggest themselves, particularly if any portion of the body is not exercised by the daily avocations. Either arm may be advanced, and the hands turned inwards, upwards and outwards. Subrotatory and various twisting motions of the body may be performed, the head may be turned and twisted, and carried from side to side, the body turned partly round at the loins, or one leg may remain stationary, and the other moved round as far as possible on both sides. The exercises are varied in various ways, such as jumping over joined hands, by the gymnast placing a hand on the shoulder of each companion, and returning by a backward somersault, his companions assisting him during the leap.

Exercises with Furniture.

Ere we begin with the ordinary apparatus, let us describe a method of domestic practice, eminently suited to the sedentary.

The chairs to be used in these exercises must be of the kitchen variety, firm and strong.

Exercise 24.-Place yourself between two chairs of the same height, each hand on the back of a chair, the seats of which are turned outwards. Rest the whole weight of the body on both wrists, keeping the arms extended, and raise the lower part of the body into a parallel line with the wrists. This position must be preserved for some seconds. Then allow the inferior extremities to descend gradually, and return to first position.

Exercise 25.-The hands on the back of the chairs, and supporting the body by the wrists, as in the foregoing exercise. Bend the knees and descend gently, till the knees almost touch the ground. Then rise in the same manner by the assistance of the wrists and shoulders, and return to first position.

Exercise 26.-Standing between two chairs, the seats of which are turned inwards, place a hand on each edge, keeping the thumbs inwards, the knees bent, the feet close together, and the heels raised. Then raise the body on the wrists, and extend forward the lower extremities, at the same time straightening them, and thus descend gently to the ground. Rise again, still keeping the lower extremities extended in front, and return to first position.

Exercise 27.-Being placed between two chairs, the back of one turned in and the other out, with the right hand on the back of one and the left on the seat of the other, gently raise the lower extremities and extend them in front; the upper part of the body to remain perpendicular, and supported on the wrists. Then raise the lower extremities, bearing the whole weight of the body on the lef wrist, and place both legs on the back of the chair by a gentle and regular impulse. Return to the first position by the same means, and perform the same exercise on the opposite side.

Exercise 28.-A chair being fixed on the ground so as not to move, place both hands on the sides of its back; then raise the body on the wrists, and elevate the

lower extremities to a horizontal line. Allow the legs to descend gradually to first position.

Exercise 29.-Two chairs being placed with the seats inwards, put the right foot between them, the left knee to be bent towards the floor, both hands fixed on the edges of the seats, and the right knee supporting the body. Then endeavor to bring the lips to the floor by extending the left knee and allowing the right to go to the floor. Rise by a contrary movement, and return to first position. Repeat exercise with the left side.

Exercise 30.-An arm-chair being placed in the middle of the room, place yourself facing the seat, with a hand on each arm of the chair, and raise the body. on the wrists, at the same time raising and crossing the legs; then pass them for. ward between the arms, straightening the knees, and carry them over the back of the chair without touching it. Cross them again and return to first position. Repeat this exercise many times, until the muscles of the upper part of the body are strong enough to accomplish it with ease.

Exercise 31.-(With a bench.)-First place yourself upright on the bench, with the toes close together on its edge; then allow the body to descend gradually by bending the knees and supporting its weight upon them.

'The elbows must be kept close to the body, the forearm extended and the fist doubled; then rising gently return to first position; repeat several times. Second.-Being seated across the bench or form, fix a hand on each side and raise the body on the wrists, the knees bent and raised to the height of the hips, the body to lean forward, and in this position move along the form to the end; then make the same movement back again.

Exercise 32.-Place both heels together, bend the body and knees with the elbows close to the body; then rising and extending the arms behind, and inclining the body forward, by means of a strong impulse, take a jump, at the same time carrying the arms forward and descending ON THE TOES, taking care to bend the knees. Repeat many times.

This exercise can be performed with very little space.

Exercise 33-A table, four or five feet wide, being placed in the middle of the room, the individual stands seven or eight feet from it; then take a run, with the right foot foremost, and, when near the table, put the hands on the centre of it, with the right in front and the left behind; by a strong impulse he must then raise the body by the strength of the arms, and jump to the other side of the table, with his feet together and the knees bent.

Balancing.

An essential feature in gymnastics is the preservation of the equilibrium of the body, called balancing. If we try to balance with one hand a small stick, feather, or other object, we find how easy it is by a little judicious arrangement of a few dexterous movements to prevent it falling. If we apply the same facul ties to the body, we acquire hardihood, presence of mind, and justness of eye

and a readiness at avoiding a fall by leaping. In exercising one's self in balancing, it is usual to commence standing on one leg alternately until it can be done with ease. When a man stands in an ordinary position the centre of gravity passes down the spine between the feet, and of course every movement of the body changes the centre of gravity; it is never fixed. The body bends forward on one side according to the weight it bears on the other. A pole is used by professional balancers, though some of the best feats are to be done by the mere use of the arms and body without any mechanical help.

After a steady balance can be kept on one leg on the ground, the gymnast passes to the edge of a brick or a pole lying on the ground before he mounts either the parallel or horizontal bar. There are several ways of mounting a bar if it is no higher than the knee or thigh: the foot is placed on it, the hands are extended in front, and the body gradually raised. Another method is to sit astride on the bar, and with a sudden spring bring both feet on to the bar, the feet crossing each other at the heels, at the same time raising the body to an upright position. Unless a good balance is kept, it cannot be done.

On the Parallel Bars.

We are now out of doors, and we will try our strength and skill on the parallel bars. They are formed of two pieces of wood, from six to eight feet long, four inches square, rounded at the top, so that the hand will rest on them easily. About eighteen inches apart and four feet high will be found to be the most convenient, but they may be fixed and varied at pleasure. If intended to be permanent, they can be fixed on four posts driven into the ground; but those fixed into a stout movable frame work we like the best, as they can be used either in or out of doors. These exercises are useful in strengthening the chest and thoracic limbs, and medical men recommend them in order to extend and develop the ligament and intervertebral cartilages in spinal deviations. A thousand and one feats may be performed on the parallel bars.

Exercise 34.-First Position.-Place yourself between the bars in the centre; put your hands on the right and left bars at the same time. A slight spring will raise the body on to the wrists. The legs must be kept close. The first position may also be obtained by an upward spring, and then place the hands on the bars. After the wrists become accustomed to the weight and position of the bars, try The Walk. Use your hands instead of your feet to move to and fro. It is not difficult, but tiresome. It must be done regularly, with the head above the shoulders. The weight of the body must be kept on the rigid arm, while the other moves forward. The Swing may be next performed. Communicate to your body a gentle movement backwards and forwards, until it moves freely; the knees straight, and the feet touching each other. The swing may be increased, until in both the backward and forward movements the legs are nearly upright over the head, the arm-sockets forming the pivot.

Exercise 35.-Rising and Sinking.-Being in the first position, place the