QUARTER, S. A fourth-part; a region of the skies, as referred to the seaman's card. QUARTER, v. To divide into four parts; to divide, to break by force; to divide into distinct regions; to traverse back and forward carefully as a pointer quarters a field. QUASSIA. 8. A powerful bitter, useful in weakness of the stomach Her Majesty's stag-hounds pass under this denomination, as a part of the royal establishment continued in every successive reign without variation. The kennel in which they are kept is situate near the race course upon Ascot Heath; at the distance of two short miles from which is Swinley-lodge, the official residence of the master of the stag-, hounds, an appointment seldom conferred but upon one of the peerage, and is considered an office of honour, with a salary of 2000 per annum. The presence of the master of the stag-hounds in the field is not a matter of necessity, but choice, except when her majesty attends, and then his personal attendance is indispensable; his badge of office is a pair of gold dog couples, which hang suspended from a belt on his left side. The huntsman has a handsome residence at the kennel, with a salary of 1251. a year; to whom there are six assistants (called yeoman QUEEN'S PLATE, 8. Those called queen's plates are a free gift from her majesty, of 100 guineas each; and, it is believed, were originally granted as a means of exciting such a degree of emulation, as would probably tend to national advantage (by an additional influx of company) to such cities and towns as enjoy the royal favour. Newmarket, as the superior spot of sporting celebrity, is particularly honoured, having two in the first Spring, and one in the first October meetings. Queen's-plates are also given at Newcastleupon-Tyne, Guildford, Winchester, Ipswich, Burford, Chelmsford, Nottingham, Lewes, Edinburgh, York, Canterbury, Warwick, Lichfield, Richmond (Yorkshire), Lincoln, Salisbury, Ayr, Carlisle, and Ascot Heath; the whole of which, except the last, are run for by horses or mares of different ages, carrying such weights as shall be appointed by the master of the horse, or whoever he may delegate for that purpose. The Queen's-plate, of 100 guineas, given at Ascot, and always run for on the first day (invariably Whit Tuesday fortnight), is only horses which have regularly hunted with her majesty's stag-hounds the preceding season, and must have been well up with the hounds, at their running up to, taking, or killing, ten deer, as an indispensable qualification, without having which they cannot be permitted to start. At the conclusion of the chase, when the deer is secured, those who intend to qualify for the plate, apply to the prickers) each having a salary of 1011., with the royal livery richly ornamented, and an annual supply of saddles, bridles, horseclothes, and the necessary stable appendages; but they find their own horses. The hunting season commences on Holyrood day, the 25th of September, and continues every Tuesday and Saturday till the first week in May; with the exception of Christmas and Easter weeks, when they hunt three times in each. Holyrood day and Easter Monday are two grand days of the year for company, when the field is extremely numerous. Her majesty has also a pack of harriers, which are kept at the Little Park Lodge, near Windsor, and these she hunts constantly in Windsor Great Park, and the surrounding neighbourhood; they are, however, a private concern of her majesty's, and not included in the regular Crown establishment. huntsman, and a ticket is delivered to the rider, bearing the arms of the master of the stag-hounds, and the seal of the royal hunt ; when which ten tickets are obtained, the horse has secured his qualification, may then be withdrawn from the field, and is not obliged to appear again till the day of entrance at Sunning Hill Wells, where the tickets must be produced, in confirmation of his being duly qualified to start. For the accommodation of the sporting world at large, horses of all ages are permitted to run, car rying the following weights:--four years' old, 11st. 2lb.; five years old, 11st. 9lb.; six years' old, 11st. 121b.; and aged, 12st.Mares allowed 4lb. The best of three fourmile heats.-Vide RACING. The following rules are, by her majesty's command, to be strictly observed by the owners and riders of all such horses, mares, or geldings, as shall run for her majesty's plates at Newmarket : QUEEN'S-PLATE ARTICLES. Every person that putteth in a horse, mare, or gelding, for the said plate, is t show such horse, mare, or gelding, with th marks, name, and name of the owner, to t entered at the queen's stables in Newmarke the day before they run, and shall then pro duce a certificate under the hand of the bre der, specifying his exact age the grass befor. Every horse, mare, or gelding, that run neth, is to start between the hours of one an four in the afternoon; and to be allowed half an hour between each heat to run. Every horse, mare, or gelding, that runneth on the wrong side the posts, or flags, or is distanced in any of the heats, shall have no share of the said plate, nor be suffered to start again. The horse, mare, or gelding, that winneth any two heats, winneth the plate; but if three several horses, mares, or geldings, win each of them a heat, then those three, and only they, to run a fourth; and the horse, mare, or gelding, that winneth the fourth heat, shall have the plate. And each horse, mare, or gelding's place, as he or they come in by the ending post each heat, as first, second, or third, &c., shall be determined by such judges as shall be appointed for that purpose by the Master of the Horse. And in case any horse, mare, or gelding, shall be then, or after prove to be, above the age certified the grass before, the owner or owners of such horse, mare, or gelding, shall be rendered incapable of ever running for any of the queen's plates hereafter. As many of the riders as shall cross, jostle, or strike, or use any other foul play, as shall be judged by such person or persons as shall be appointed by the Master of the Horse, such rider shall be made incapable lof ever riding any horse, mare, or gelding, for any of her majesty's plates hereafter; and such owners shall have no benefit of that plate; but such owners may be permitted to run any horse, mare, or gelding, for any of her majesty's free plates in future. Every rider shall, immediately after each heat is run, be obliged to come to the ending post with his horse, mare, or gelding, then and there to alight, and not before, and there to weigh to the satisfaction of the judges appointed for that purpose And in case of neglect, or refusal thereof, such winners and riders shall be immediately declared incapable of running or riding any more for this or any of her majesty's plates in future. And should any difference arise relating to their ages, or in their running, or to these her majesty's orders, the same to be determined by such person or persons as shall be appointed by the Master of the Horse. And these articles are to continue in force, unless altered by command of her majesty. For the better and more certain prevention of any fraud or misapplication, the winner of a queen's plate is to receive from the clerk of the course a certificate signed by the steward of the race where such plate is won, countersigned by himself also, which being presented to the lord lieutenant of the county, it obtains his signature likewise: when thus sanctioned, it becomes payable at sight to bearer (if properly endorsed by the winner,) at the office of the clerk of her majesty's stables, at Pimlico, London. The lord lieutenant of the county being out of the kingdom, the signature of any person regularly deputed by him is sufficient. The certificate of winning the plate at Ascot requires only the signature of the master of his majesty's stag hounds, instead of the lord lieutenant of the county. QUICK, 8. The living flesh; sensible parts; plants of hawthorn. QUILL, 8. The hard and strong feather of the wing, of which pens are made; prick or dart of a porcupine; wing feathers of birds generally. QUINARY, a. Consisting of five. QUINT, 8. A set of five; sequents of five; a term at cards, pronounced kent. QUINZE, 8. A game at cards. Quinze is a French game, usually played by two persons only, admired for its simplicity and fairness, depending entirely upon chance, being soon decided, and not requiring the attention of most other games on the cards, and therefore calculated for those who love to sport upon an equal hazard. the other, the pips of which will make 15, or come nearest to it, which are usually given from the top of the pack; for example, if he should have a deuce, and draw five, which make seven, he should go on, in hopes of coming nearer to 15; if he then draw an eight, which makes just 15, and be elder-hand, be is sure of winning the game: but should he over-draw, and make above 15, he loses, unless the dealer does the same, in which case it is a drawn game, and they double the stakes; and thus go on till one of them has won the game by standing aud being 15, or the nearest to it, below that number, &c. At the end of each game, the cards are put up and shuffled, and the players cut anew for the deal, the elder hand constantly having the advantage. It is called quinze from fifteen being the game, made in the following manner: first, the cards must be shuffled by the player, and when they have cut for deal, which belongs to him who cuts the lowest, they may be shuffled again, the dealer having the privilege to shuffle last this being done, the adversary cats, after which the dealer gives one card to his adversary, and one to himself; if the adversary do not like his card, he has a right to have as many more given to him, one after-Hoyle. QUITTERBONE, 8. A hard round swelling upon the coronet, between the heel and the quarter. QUITTER, 8. A disease in horses. This is a disease of the foot, originating in cured by syringing the part, after it has been a bruise or tread upon the coronet, or thin cored out, with sublimate. For this purpose parts of the hoof. Superficial injuries on the a tube is forced into the wound, so as to reach coronet are often inflicted by the horse scratch- the bottom, and through it a strong solution ing himself with the opposite heel. But the of blue vitriol, or tincture of myrrh, is inbruise which causes quitter is of a more se- jected. When these means fail, the foul carrious nature, and is inflicted by the horse tilage, or bone, may be scraped by a very stepping with great force upon the higher part small chisel or gouge, or other more conveof the inside of the foot, in endeavouring to nient instrument. I bave seen quitters cared, save himself from slipping; and from this it or rather dried up, merely by dressing with is that the disorder generally or almost always tincture of myrrh, after coring it out with takes place in winter, when the roads are slip- sublimate. The opening has often remained, pery. It is well known that smiths, and the and appeared to have become horny within, most ignorant of farriers, often succeed in their so that no inconvenience was felt from it. treatment of this disorder, and that veterinary Another method of curing quitter is one comsurgeons often fail. The cause is, that they monly practised by farriers or shoeing smiths, are not sufficiently attentive to such cases, and is called boring. This is done by passing and do not follow up the dressing as it is ne-a red-hot iron, of a suitable size and form, to cessary to do, in order to get at the bottom of the injury. In order to cure a quitter effectually, let the following directions be carefully attended to. Ascertain carefully, by means of a probe, the direction and extent of the sinuses, or pipes, as they are termed, then let them be completely filled with sublimate. the bottom of the sinus, and then filling it with sublimate, or strong sublimate ointment. Sometimes another opening is made through the sound parts, at a little distance from the quitter, but in a slanting direction, so as to communicate with the quitter: this also is filled with sublimate ointment. When much pain and swelling take place, To do this effectually, the sublimate must after the operation, the foot may be wrapped be wrapped up in small pieces of whitey-brown in a large poultice. After the cure of a bad paper, and introduced by very small portions quitter there is often a permanent defect on at a time, so that they may be forced, as near that side of the hoof, which is named a false as possible, to the bottom of the sinus. But quarter; that is, the new shoot of horn that however carefully this may be done, the si- grows down is imperfect, depressed, of a light nuses are always so crooked or winding, that colour, and is apt to split, and become a sand the first dressing can seldom be got to the crack. When a horse receives a wound or bottom of them. In six or seven days a large bruise on the foot or coronet, by treading slough or core will come out, when the dress-upon it, or by other means, the most likely ing has been properly applied; and as soon as this has taken place, it may be necessary to dress in the same manner as at first; and even this must be repeated if the bottom of the disease is not found, and that generally is the lateral cartilage. Nothing more is necessary after this than to keep the sinus filled with lint, dipped in friar's balsam, taking care to introduce it quite to the bottom every time of dressing. The sinus will thus be gradually filled up and healed. Quitters are sometimes QUIVER, 8. A case for arrows. QUIVERED, 8. Furnished with a quiver. QUOIT, 8. Something thrown to a great distance, to a certain point; the discus of the ancients is sometimes called in English quoit, but improperly. QUOIT, v. To throw quoits to play at quoits. QUOTIDIAN, a, Daily happening every day, method of preventing a quitter is to bathe the wound or bruise with a strong stimulant, such as tincture of myrrh, friar's balsam, spirit of turpentine, or camphorated spirit. This seems to deaden the sensibility of the bruised or wounded nerves, and thereby prevent inflammation more effectually than a poultice. Should inflammation take place, however, afterwards, a poultice should be applied.— White. RABATE, v. In falconry, to recover a hawk to the fist again. RABBET, S, A joint made by paring two pieces, so that they wrap over one another. RABBIT, 8. A furry animal that lives on plants, and burrows in the ground. Rabbit-keeping is practised by a few individuals in almost every town, and by a few in almost every part of the country; but thirty or forty years ago, there were one or two very considerable feeders near the metropolis, keeping each, according to report, from fifteen hundred to two thousand breeding does. These large concerns have ceased, it seems, long since, and London receives the supply of tame, as well as wild rabbits, chiefly from the country. The only considerable rabbit-feeders of whom I heard, some years since, were two gentlemen, the one resident in Oxfordshire, the other in Berks. The former fed some hundreds, and then, it was said, intended to double his stock. The huts were placed in a small building, set apart for that purpose. The then stock produced one load of dung per week, two loads of which were sufficient to manure an acre of land. Three dozen of rabbits per week were sent to the London market, but keep and attendance reckoned, no other profit accrued, excepting the dung, the price of which used to be tight-pence per bushel, and I believe thirty-six bushels are reckoned a load. The Berks gentleman, according to the survey of that county, fed white rabbits, on account of the superior value of their skins, for their application of late years to the purpose of trimming.Twenty does and two bucks were my largest stock. * The rabbit-house should stand upon a dry foundation, and be well ventilated. Exposure to too much humidity, whether externally or internally, is fatal to rabbits, which are liable to the rot like sheep, and from the same causes. The rains of 1799, which continued nearly four months, destroyed my stock of rabbits, which were hutted in a boarded shed, not well defended from the cold and DD moist air. Ventilation and fresh air are also necessary, where considerable numbers of these animals are kept, which will not else remain healthy, or prosper for any length of time; and even sudden mortality may ensue from impure and stagnant air. A thorough draught or passage for the air is thence indispensable, and should be contrived in the building, with the convenience of shutting such opposite windows or doors in cold and wet weather. The hutch or hutches are generally placed one above another, to the height required by the number of rabbits, and the extent of the room. Where a large stock is kept, to make the most of room, the hutches may be placed in rows, with a sufficient interval between, for feeding and cleaning, instead of being joined to the wall, in the usual way. It is preferable to rest the hutches upon stands, about a foot above the ground, for the convenience of cleaning under them. Each of the hutches, intended for breeding, should have two rooms, a feeding and a bed-room. Those are single for the use of the weaned rabbits, or for the bucks, which are always kept separate. When much green meat is given, rabbits make a considerable quantity of urine, and I have sometimes seen occasion to set the hutches sloping backwards a few degrees, a very small aperture being made the whole length of the floor, to carry off the urine. A sliding door in the partition between the two rooms, is convenient for confining the rabbits during the operation of cleaning; which, indeed, a good argument for having all the hutches double, it being more troublesome to clean out a room with a number of rabbits in it, than with only one. It must not be forgotten, that the teeth of rabbits are very effectual implements of destruction to any thing not hard enough to resist them, and their troughs should be bound with something less penetrable than wood. As they are apt to scratch out their food, and dung in it, I have often thought it might be useful to adopt the feeding troughs with moveable boards, as well for rabbits as hogs. The floor of the hutches should be planed smooth, that wet may run off, and a common hoe with a short handle, and a short broom, are most convenient implements for cleaning these houses. The object being to obtain the dung pure, for sale, no litter should be allowed; but on a farm where the dung is expended at home, the hutches should be littered with refuse hay or straw, perfectly dry. The rabbit-house to contain a tub for the dung, and a bin for a day's supply of hay, corn, roots, or other food, which should be given in as fresh a state as possible. * * As to the varieties of form and colour, in the rabbit, the short-legged, with width and substance of loin, generally few in number, and to be obtained only by selection, are the most hardy, and fatten most expeditiously, [RAB taking on fat both internally, and in the With respect to colour, I have always preferred the wild colour, and black, finding the skins of full as much worth as the white. The Turkish or French rabbit, with long white fur, differs little from the common varieties; nor did I find their skins of more value, either for sale or home use. I have been in the habit of drying the skins, for linings of night-gowns, and other domestic purposes; but have always found reason to prefer the short, close fur. The large abovementioned-indeed any peculiar varietiesmust be sought among the London dealers. Of late years, in London, the term smut, has been applied as a mark of distinction in the rabbit. Thus there are single and double smuts. The smut consists of a black spot on the side of the rabbit's nose: when there are two black spots, one on each side of the nose, it constitutes a double smut. Generally, the rabbits are prized for the number of these black spots upon the head and body, and for the fineness, length, and size of the ears, which occasions their falling about the head, in a manner different from the common rabbit. Black and tortoiseshell are the favourite colours. * Rabbits are divided in four kinds—warreners, parkers, hedgehogs, and sweethearts. Burrowing under ground is favourable, it appears, to the growth of fur; and the warrener, though a member of a subterraneous city, is less effeminate than his kindred who roam more at large. His fur is most esteemed, and after him comes the parker, whose favourite seat is a gentleman's pleasureground, where he usually breeds in great numbers, and not unfrequently drives the hares away. The hedgehog is a sort of vagabond rabbit, that travels, tinker-like, throughout the country, and would be better clad if he remained more at home. Sweethearts are tame rabbits, and their fur, though sleek, is too silky and soft to be of much use in the important branch of hat-making. Breeding.-The doe will breed at the age of six months, and her period of gestation is thirty or thirty-one days. premised, that the buck and doe are by no It should be means to be left together; but their union |