DURING the past two weeks, rain or shine, the crew have been steadily taking their daily pulls. They row each afternoon from five to eight miles, generally in the shell, but sometimes, for more careful coaching, in the barge. The two substitutes also practice daily, in a pairoar. The coach comes out from Boston several times a week, and is earnestly laboring to turn out a victorious crew from the eight strong, rugged fellows who have been selected to represent us at Springfield. The crew are steadily improving, and are much farther advanced than - so far as the writer's experience goes - a Harvard crew has ever been at this season of the year; but probably no Harvard crew has had so great a gap to close up as that left before us last year.

The most noticeable and dangerous fault at present is the universal tendency to slight the end of the stroke. Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 particularly fail to bring their hands clear in to their bodies before dropping them. No. 6 is inclined to turn his oar before it is out of the water, and Bow to do the same. Bow feathers a little high and, in the middle of the stroke, dips a little deep. No. 2 feathers too high on the full reach, clips, dips too deep in the middle, and gets his oar out of the water and partly feathered before the other men have finished the stroke. Nos. 3, 4, and 5 should thoroughly control their oars and keep their hands absolutely on the same level during the feather, and again during the stroke. No. 5's oar is not faced over on the catch, and so cuts under without getting a firm hold on the water; and his back and shoulders (and also No. 4's) should be kept more firmly set and rigid. All superfluous body motions exhaust the strength of the men who make them, render it more difficult for those behind them to keep time, and disturb the trim of the boat.

There is a pause before the catch, commencing with No. 6. In trying to get the hard catch, the crew, as was pointed out in the last Crimson, are apt to expend all their strength in banging the water at the beginning of the stroke, and then make a weak and slovenly finish. The firm grip on the water, instantly got on the full reach, should be followed clear through by a good, vigorous, even stroke. The hardest part of this stroke, unless the man makes a jerk in the middle, must be at the beginning, because there the greatest resistance is obtained; and there the greatest strength must be applied, and applied instantly; for a light boat, if touched gently, slips away before a satisfactory hold on the water can be got: but it is a mistake to suppose that this hard drive is not to be carried right home. A fuller discussion of points such as these may be found in Woodgate's "Oars and Sculls."