THE term "sporting the oak" has but little significance here at Harvard, and it would be well if, in this custom as in others, we followed the example of our English cousins. We have often heard, and oftener felt, the justness of the complaint that no one can "sport his-oak" here without running the risk of offending any of his friends who may happen to knock and not be admitted. A student is apt to think, when a man shows he is unable to work with him sitting by idle, and interrupting with a remark now and then, that he is considered a bore, and, if endowed with a fair amount of sensitiveness, withdraws, feeling little less hurt than if he had not been admitted. At Oxford and Cambridge the custom is universally followed, and accepted as necessary and convenient. A refusal of admittance is not taken as an impoliteness even. The custom may be followed here to some extent by the harder working portion of students, but the less studious class seldom resort to it. It is perhaps even of more importance to the latter class than to the former, for they endeavor in the last day, perhaps hour or two, before an examination to learn what others have taken care to study as it came. An interruption at such a time is often fatal to the success of the hard worker, and a cause of entire failure to the easy-goer; and since it is mostly through this class of non-workers that the custom is made necessary, it is upon them that we would impress the fact that there are times when it is impossible for a man to study to advantage unless he feels entirely free from chance of interruption. Considered as it is at present, it would require years of use to make "sporting the oak" a custom here, but were it considered and accepted in the same light as it is in English Universities, we think it would soon gain ground and favor. There would then be but little difficulty in establishing a custom of which many always, and all at times, have felt the need.