The race of the 'Varsity fours will be rowed this afternoon at 4.30 over the lower half of the class crew course in the Charles River basin. The start will be made off the Union Boat Club and the finish will be off the Fenway, about 200 yards above the Harvard Bridge.

The crews have been rowing daily since the first of October, but have not gone into strict training until the last week. There has been no training table and each man has been left on his own responsibility to keep in good condition. There have been several changes in the make up of the different crews necessitated by the withdrawal of some men and the illness of others; and in two of the crews different men have been tried from time to time in order to determine the best make up.

This is the first race of representative Harvard fours, and this kind of rowing has been taken up as a change from the steadier work of the eights, and to give the men experience in watermanship, in riding and controlling their boats with some degree of ease. That this result has been obtained at least in part, is to be seen in the improved work of some of the men.

Captain Goodrich's crew is at present rowing in the best form. Goodrich at stroke keeps the stroke long in the water, and has his crew well in hand. McDuffle backs up stroke well, and rows with a good deal of life. He has been in the boat only a week owing to an injury to his back which kept him out earlier in the season. Blake at two is very smooth and long in his work. He has had considerable experience in rowing, rowed on the Sophomore crew last spring and on winning Weld crews for the past two years. Adams, the bow man, is strong and effective but a clumsy oar. The crew as a whole are in their work the longest on the river, but they are rowing a low stroke for a mile race, and wait on the catch sometimes.

Adams's boat is not going as well as when Perkins '98, was at three. This crew is erratic in its work, some days going very well and on others taking an inexcusable slump. Adams sets a lively stroke and keeps his crew up to their work. His fault which is the chief fault of the crew is a tendency to shorten. Marvin and Byrd in the middle of the boat are tall men and have had some experience in four rowing; both row a fairly long stroke. Robinson at bow is a new man; he rowed bow on the Weld '98 crew last year and is strong but slow.

J. F. Perkins's boat has been rowing for three weeks with its present make up and has that advantage over the other crews. Biddle is a good stroke, and Perkins at 3 backs him up with a powerful oar. Brown, No. 2, is rowing a bit roughly and Wood at bow does not seem to use all his strength to advantage. The chief faults of the crew are lack of leg drive and slowness in shooting the hand away on the recover.

Crew No. 4 has been most unfortunate. Bull '98, the first captain, left to join the football squad and Thompson '99, who succeeded him has been taken ill. The crew has been rowing only three days in its present make up. Higginson, stroke, is new to the position but is snappy and lively in his style. Heath, 3, is rowing much better than last year, and both Fitzgerald and Pierce are doing good work. The crew is quite unsteady but may stroke together well in the race.

Mr. Lehmann may give a challenge cup for this race if it is to become an annual fixture.

The captains drew for positions yesterday. Higginson got the outside course, Goodrich next, Adams in third position and Perkins nearest the wall.

The order of the crews and their weights, numbering from the outside position, are as follows:

1

Stroke, Higginson 1900, 165; 3, Heath 1900, 170; 2, Fitzgerald 1900, 158; bow, Pierce 1900, 156.

2

Stroke, Goodrich '98, 172; 3, McDuffie '99, 160; 2, Blake '99, 154; bow, Adams '99, 165.

3

Stoke, Adams '98, 150; 3, Marvin '99, 157; 2, Byrd 1900, 164; bow, Robinson '98, 156.

4

Stroke, Biddle 1900, 150; 3, Perkins '99, 172; 2, Brown 1900, 162; bow, Wood '98, 168.