f its vogue in Holland in the
17th century, for the painting by David Teniers (1610-1690), in the
Scottish National Gallery at Edinburgh, is wrongly described as
"Peasants playing at Skittles." In this picture three men are
represented as having played a bowl, while the fourth is in the act of
delivering his bowl. The game is obviously bowls, the sole difference
being that an upright peg, about 4 in. high, is employed instead of a
jack,--recalling, in this respect, the old English form of the game
already mentioned.

Serious efforts to organize the game were made in the last quarter of
the 19th century, but this time the lead came from Australia. The
Bowling Associations of Victoria and New South Wales were established in
1880, and it was not until 1892 that the Scottish Bowling Association
was founded. Then in rapid succession came several independent
bodies--the Midland Counties (1895), the London and Southern Counties
(1896), the Imperial (1899), the English (1903) and the Irish and Welsh
(1904). These institutions were concerned with the task of regularizing
the game within the territories indicated by their titles, but it soon
appeared that the multiplicity of associations was likely to prove a
hindrance rather than a help, and with a view, therefore, to reducing
the number of clashing jurisdictions and bringing about the
establishment of a single legislative authority, the Imperial
amalgamated with the English B.A. in 1905. The visits to the United
Kingdom of properly organized teams of bowlers from Australia and New
Zealand in 1901 and from Canada in 1904 demonstrated that the game had
gained enormously in popularity. The former visit was commemorated by
the institution of the Australia Cup, presented to the Imperial Bowling
Association (and now the property of the English B.A.) by Mr Charles
Wood, president of the Victorian Bowling Association. An accredited team
of bowlers from the mother country visited Canada in 1906, and was
accorded a royal welcome. Perhaps the most interesting proof that bowls
is a true _Volksspiel_ is to be found in the fact that it has become
municipalized. In Edinburgh, Glasgow, and elsewhere in Scotland, and in
London (through the county council), Newcastle and other English towns,
the corporations have laid down greens in public parks and open spaces.
In Scotland the public greens are self-supporting, from a charge, which
includes the use of bowls, of one penny an hour for each player