twisting sideways, a common fault with the beginner. Again, great care should be taken to prevent the feet from getting apart sideways, which they will at first always have a tendency to do. After very few of these cautious steps, the beginner will find that he has a feeling which impels him to slide forwards on the flat of both his skates, after the manner of a slider: this should be encouraged by all means, until a standstill is come to, when a fresh start can be made. Now let the feet be turned out rather more, which will permit greater force to be used in the stroke or push, when doing the same kind of work. It must be observed that when the sliding begins, which will very likely be on the flat of the iron, the feet must be kept parallel, or they will spread apart. If this tendency cannot be prevented by ordinary correction, it can always be stopped by resuming the stepping, and taking up the sliding at a more favourable moment. An hour or two carefully spent in these preliminary lessons will enable the learner to commence the inside edge forwards on the edge of the skate. As the same directions serve for both feet, to avoid repetition, we shall confine our description throughout this work as much as possible to one only, viz. the right.

THE INSIDE EDGE FORWARD.

The feet should be turned out at an angle of 45°, and that forward portion of the inside

Plan of the Inside Edge forwards on the right and left feet.

A moment before the stroke the unemployed begins to move into action. The foot that has given the stroke then becomes the unemployed. See the arrows and dotted lines.

edge which is under the ball of the left foot pressed into the ice. This gives a start (as we