A few words should be said about the scoring at public meetings. The original plan was for the Captain at each target to mark, with a pricker made on purpose, the hits made by each shooter in a space representing each of the colours of the target—gold, red, blue, black, and white. In 1872 an improved plan was adopted of keeping a proper space for the hits made at each end, in which is entered each hit in the figure representing its value, as 9, 7, 5, 3, or 1. When no hit is made at any end, this fact should also be recorded; and thus the progress of the shooting is always kept accurately noted, and the possibility of mistakes in the scores is very much diminished.

Mr. H. A. Ford often mentions the St. George and St. Leonard's Rounds—the former being three dozen arrows at each of the distances of 100, 80, and 60 yards, and the latter (originally 75 arrows at 60 yards only) being three dozen arrows at 80 yards, and three dozen and three at 60 yards. The practice of these Rounds has now entirely disappeared from amongst archers.

During the whole of the period from 1844 to 1886 inclusive the appointed Round has been completed (except at the Leamington Meeting in 1862, when the weather rendered it quite impossible); and this says a great deal for the steadfastness of archers, as they have frequently had to submit to the ill-treatment of pitiless downpourings of rain and arrow-breaking storms of wind in order to get the Round finished.

No approach has been made to Mr. H. A. Ford's best public score of 1,251, made at Cheltenham in 1857, or to his second best record of 1,162 at Leamington in 1856; but his other scores of over 1,000 are easily counted—namely, 1,076 at Exeter in 1858, 1,014 at Leamington in 1861, 1,037 at Brighton in 1867, 1,087 at Leamington in 1868, and 1,032 at Leamington in 1869. Major C. H. Fisher made 1,060 at Sherborne in 1872. Mr. Palairet made 1,025 at the Crystal Palace in 1882, and 1,062 in the Regent's Park in 1881. Mr. C. E. Nesham made 1,010 in the Regent's Park in 1883, and 1022 at Bath in 1886. No other archers have reached 1,000 at a public match.

Miss Legh's score at Bath in 1881 of 840, when she made all the 144 hits, stood foremost amongst ladies' achievements until it was beaten by Mrs. Legh's score of 864 with 142 hits at Leamington in 1885. Miss Legh in 1882, at the Crystal Palace, scored 792, and in 1885 809 with 143 hits. Mrs. Butt's score of 785 at Leamington in 1870 ranks next. Then come Mrs. Horniblow's scores of 768 at Leamington in 1871, and of 764—also at Leamington—in 1872. Mrs. Piers F. Legh scored 763 at Sutton Coldfield in 1881. Mrs. V. Forbes scored 752 at the Crystal Palace in 1870. Mrs. Marshall scored 744 at the Crystal Palace in 1884. Miss Betham's best score was 743 at Leamington in 1867. Mrs. P. Pinckney scored 729 at the Crystal Palace in 1873; and Mrs. Pond scored 700 in 1874, also at the Crystal Palace. No other ladies appear to have made as much as 700.

Other scores of 700 and upwards have been—

Mrs. HorniblowMiss BethamMrs. ButtMrs. P. F. Legh
1871746186473518767521882750
1873733186773318797441879743
1873719186670118767301881723
1872712—18707221883712
1863706—18777181884701
1870700—1871713—
——1877707—

The summary of Public Meetings is—

43Grand National Archery Meetings.
31Leamington Archery Meetings.
28Crystal Palace Archery Meetings.
24Grand Western Archery Meetings.
7Grand Northern Archery Meetings.
2Alexandra Park Archery Meetings.
1Hastings Archery Meeting.
2Aston Park Archery Meetings.
6Royal Toxophilite Society's Archery Meetings.
–—
144Meetings.

When attention is turned towards the meetings at which most gentlemen have made more than 600, and most ladies have made over 500, it is found that in 1860, at Bath, seventeen gentlemen reached or passed the score of 600, but at the same time only two ladies passed 500. This still remains the largest meeting which has yet been held, two hundred and eight shooters having been present. At the Alexandra Park Meeting in 1864, sixteen gentlemen and six ladies attained the same amount of excellence. At Brighton, in 1867, seventeen gentlemen and seven ladies passed the same levels. But, in 1882, at the Crystal Palace, the corresponding numbers were ten gentlemen and nineteen ladies, and at Leamington in the same year, fourteen gentlemen and sixteen ladies; whilst in 1883, at Cheltenham, nineteen gentlemen passed 600 and fourteen ladies passed 500, though the shooters competing at this meeting were only one hundred and thirty-one. At Windsor in 1884, thirteen ladies scored more than 500, and twelve gentlemen more than 600. This shows clearly that, although the number of attendances has diminished since the extraordinary start given to archery by Mr. H. A. Ford's book (and this is possibly due to the multiplication of public matches), yet the average of excellence, particularly amongst the ladies, has made considerable progress. This is a most encouraging symptom for the future of archery.