ILLUSTRATED ODDS AND ENDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13725, 15 April 1908, Page 9

ILLUSTRATED ODDS AND ENDS.

GERMANY'S FIRST DREADNOUGHT:

—Illustrated London News. THE NEW GREAT GERMAN BATTLESHIP ERSATZ BAYERN, AS SHE WILL APPEAR WHEN COMPLETED.

Th* launch of the Ersatz Bavern (replacing the liayern) took place at WilhelmaJiayen, on March 5 The vessel's displacement is 960 ions, ami her minimum.speed is to be 19 knot- F»r crew will number 566. including 27 officers. She will carry ten llin guns. Ihe cost ol her construction, including trial runs, will be £1,868,000. The Ersatz Bayern is the first instalment of Germany's reply to our " Dreadnought class.

"PRETTY" BILLIARD :

HOW TO PLAY THE NEW GAME, WITH SOME ORIGINAL

TROKES, BY. AN EXPERT

"Flukk!" It is the particular privilege of one's opponent, if he be losing, to take this unflattering consolation to himself. And he does, quite often. Quite often, too, the comment is not justified. This will more than ever be the case with the latest, of the new billiard tables —the octangular. Billiards is a scientific game, and your opponent may not be a scientific

player. He, will, therefore, have a brilliant opportunity for vivid expletives— of settling with- the rijjarker. For there is no reason to say " fluke" in any haphazard "way concerning play on this table, which Roberts and Mack are now walking round. It is much like an ordinary table, with the exception that the corners are taken away— very useful difference to some

rooms. That, in my opinion, is where this class of billiards" has its great chance. The old table will never be ousted from public rooms, but, for home use such tables as the. octagon are really an improvement. Moreeve., to play octagonal billiards is not to learn a new game. It doesn't upset any ideas on the ordinary game that you may have acquired. The ball never comes off'the cushion as though seeking merely

to prove the old adage that it is the unexpected that happens. It behaves itself like a self-respecting ball on an ordinary table. When you have been at_it for half an hour you know just what is going to happen. "That is, if yon know anything about the game. For you who may not have put in even half an hour's practice, the accompanying diagrams will explain much.