Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/397

 Collectanea. 347

(P. 157, after line 17.) American Tag, Chippy Smash.

This was played with marbles as large as a walnut. Each player deposited, close to the base of a high wall, a single marble, the whole forming a line. The first threw his ' knicker ' and caught it on the rebound, and then tried to strike out one of the line with it, say at a distance of from twelve to fourteen feet, the distance to which his marble rebounds. He continues playing from the same point as long as he continues to strike one of the deposited marbles. When he fails the next player takes his turn. In the absence of a convenient wall, the same names are applied to the simple knocking of the marbles deposited out of line, the stand being about the distance mentioned from the row of marbles.

Eyeack

Is played in Ross-shire. A small ring is made and each player deposits a marble on the ring. The order of play is determined by stringing. The first player stands over the ring, and holding his playing bool to his eye, tries to drop it on one of the marbles deposited. He continues playing so long as he continues to strike with each drop. The others follow in due order. The name is evidently connected with playing from the eye. That the name " la," used in Kintyre for a boy's playing bool, has the same derivation seems probable.

Darting

Is played in Ross-shire also. A smalHsh half circle is described at the foot of a wall and a stand is fixed a convenient distance from the semi-circle, on which each boy has deposited a marble. The order of play being fixed, the first player throws his plunker from the stand against the wall with the intention of hitting one or more of the marbles on the semi-circle in the rebound. If successful he pockets the marbles struck, and others are put down in their place by the players to whom they belonged. So long as he strikes a marble he plays again from the spot where his plunker rested, not being required to go back to the stand. If at his first throw a player sees that he is unlikely to strike