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The Impact of Information on Society An examination of
its nature value and usage 2nd revised and updated
Edition Edition Michael W. Hill Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Michael W. Hill
ISBN(s): 9783110935349, 3110935341
Edition: 2nd revised and updated Edition
File Details: PDF, 10.42 MB
Year: 2005
Language: english

The Impact of
Information on Society

Michael W. Hill
The Impact of
Information on Society
An examination of its nature,
value and usage
2nd revised and updated Edition
K G S a u r München 2005

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek
Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie;
detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet at http://dnb.ddb.de.
Θ
Printed on acid-free paper
© 2005 K. G. Saur Verlag GmbH, München
All Rights Strictly Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher
Typesetting by Florence Production Ltd., Stoodleigh, Devon, Great Britain.
Printed and bound by Strauss GmbH, Mörlenbach, Germany.
ISBN 3-598-11648-9

About the author
An Oxford educated chemist, Michael Hill spent the first half
of his career in industrial research, production management and
public relations. He then joined a team at the British Museum
entrusted with establishing a national reference library for science
and technology incorporating the Patent Office Library. By 1968 he
had become Director (Keeper) of the library and remained in that
post when the library was incorporated into the newly created
British Library. He was a member of the Organizing Committee
which established the British Library.
Michael has been a Director of the UK Chemical Information
Service (UKCIS) and Chairman of the BL Committee which aided
the spread of online services in the UK. He has been the Honorary
Secretary and Chairman of the Aslib Council, and Chairman of the
Circle of State Librarians. He is a Fellow of the Institute of
Information Scientists and of the Royal Society of Arts, a member
of the Royal Society of Chemistry and also of the Royal Institution.
As UK delegate to FID for some 12 years, he was its President for
six years and has also been a Vice-President of IATUL.
Michael is co-founder of the European Council of Information
Associations and helped launch the journal World Patent Informa-
tion. He has published and lectured extensively on the exploitation
of information and of technical libraries, and more recently on
national information policy and on ethical principles in informa-
tion work. His books include Patent Documentation, Michael Hill on
Science, Invention and Information and National Information Policies
and Strategies. He is currently Joint Editor of the Saur Guides to
Information Sources series.
He has also undertaken consultancies to advise several foreign
governments, their agencies and such international organizations
as CERN and the EPO on information policies and practices.

To my wife Barbara, who has helped much
and put up with much more.

Contents
About the author ν
Preface ix
1 Introduction 1
2 The nature of information and knowledge 13
3 The quality and reliability of information 49
4 Comprehending 71
5 Communicating 90
6 Some aspects of information, knowledge and
document management 110
7 Information ethics: expectations and rights 130
8 Information ethics: duties and responsibilities 156
9 Information ethics: property, privacy and data
protection 177

viii The Impact of Information on Society
10 Some social and cultural issues 199
11 Economic factors 230
12 Information and the environment 258
13 Education now and in the next decade 268
14 Information in politics and government 289
15 An information society? If so, where is it heading? 314
Index 333

Preface
"Each small dry fact may prove to be a key which, if we turn it,
opens onto an unexpected vista, vast and sweeping, full of movement
and colour."
Osbert Sitwell. Sing high! Sing low!
A fact, dry or otherwise, is the basic particle of information. If
even a single fact may lead to great discoveries, how much richer
can be the product of combining several, fully developed, pieces
of information! This was brought home to me in my first term at
College when I was required to examine several published research
papers on a topic covered in the textbooks and lectures and draw
some conclusions of my own. I found discrepancies between the
papers and also differences, minor I am glad to say, from what
was stated in the textbook and during the relevant lecture.
In this book my aim has been, as in the first edition, with all the
talk of the Information Age, to take a hard look at what informa-
tion really is, what are its licence and limit, its space and its bounds
and where its dramatic growth is leading us.
Others, too, have been intrigued by this curious material. In a
January 1998 issue of the New Scientist, there is a report on a survey
of a large sample of scientists, engineers and other researchers
which asked them what big questions they were currently
pondering. Among the responses was, "What is information and
where did it originally come from?" During some 30 or so years

χ The Impact of Information on Society
in the information and library field, I have often brooded about its
nature and its curious properties. This book is the outcome. Its
purpose is to help others understand and provide a basis for further
work. I hope, too, that it will prove useful to those starting work
in the information or knowledge economy, in libraries and in
communications. It may also remind my colleagues what a curious
field we have worked in and with what a strange material.
Since the first edition was written much has happened and,
indeed, more was happening as I wrote which, I felt, had to be
added to the text. Recording information about individuals and
their movements has become of even greater concern. There are
proposals for confirmation of identity to be enhanced by including
on passports both finger prints and the pattern of the iris of
the eye. Spy cameras are commonplace on roads and streets. The
composition of the human genome has been elucidated. Living
animals have been cloned. Information about how our brains work,
about what "makes us tick" and about predicting future malfunc-
tioning of our bodies is increasing rapidly. In the intervening years
we have learnt much about terrorism and about how some large
companies exploit "constructive accounting". Use of the Internet
has grown enormously and it now provides for many a principal
source of information. Yet many commercial applications of the
Internet, the "dotcom" companies, have failed.
In the UK Freedom of Information, Data Protection, and Human
Rights legislation are all operative. There have been developments
in copyright. Ε-government is well advanced. Mobile phones are
ubiquitous. Knowledge Management, in its early days when I last
wrote, is now very fashionable. Manipulating the presentation of
information, PR and "Spin", has become widely practiced leading
to cynicism about the validity of all sorts of news. The deliberate
exploitation of biased or incomplete information to aggravate scan-
dals, change social boundaries and adversely target so-called elite
groups is increasingly common. Information is presented in such
a way as to achieve a predetermined impact.
In addition to updating the text and incorporating new material,
in preparing this new edition I have not hesitated to review
critically the earlier text and improve it and make explanations
clearer wherever I felt to do so would be beneficial. Also, as in the
first edition, I have permitted a modicum of repetition between
chapters to avoid the need to be frequently referring back to
previous chapters.

Preface xi
Acknowledgements
In the first edition I paid tribute to the many organizations with
which I have been associated and to the many members of them
from whose knowledge and experience I have gained so much. The
individuals were too many to list but I did list the organizations.
My gratitude to them all remains sincere. However, I would like
to take this opportunity to thank a few who have been especially
influential in my development and work.
First must come Rex (now Sir Rex) Richards, my tutor at College,
who impressed on me, among many other things, the importance
of seeking out original sources, examining them critically and
putting them alongside other research to form new ideas. Second
is Maysie Webb to whom I owe virtually all I know about libraries
and their management and especially the value of looking at them
from the point of view of the user. Next Sir Harry Hookway, always
a source of invaluable guidance and advice, and Brian Perry whose
support made my continued involvement with FID and the growth
of my authorship possible. Lastly, but certainly not least, my fellow
editors of the Guides to Information Sources series, Bob Bottle,
Douglas Foskett and la Mcllwaine. I have learnt much from them.
Acknowledgement is also due to Claudia Heyer, Geraldine
Turpie and their colleagues at K. G. Saur for their help and patience.
I'm sure they thought that updating would be carried out much
more quickly than has been the case.

CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
There are few things as destructive - or constructive - as a piece of
information allowed freedom to seek companions.
The first edition of this book started with the story of how the
information that his wife was on the way from Australia to visit
him in hospital in England led to the great cricketer, Don Bradman,
suddenly and unexpectedly starting to recover from a serious
illness. Oh, that all information could have an equally beneficial
impact!
However, the reverse is often true. The information that the
directors of the huge company Enron had so fudged the accounts
that, without any warning, the firm changed overnight from an
apparently immensely successful one to a bankrupt one led not
only to the collapse of Arthur Anderson, the international accoun-
tancy firm involved, but also to a loss of confidence in the
effectiveness of company auditors generally, to very close scrutiny
of many other firms to see if similar practices prevailed (in several
they did), to a widespread collapse of share prices in the Stock
Markets, and to a tightening of compliance regimes with conse-
quently improved information management systems [1]. True this
all came at a time when there were already hints of a recession
and the September 11th disaster had at least temporarily dented
American ebullience, but it is a dramatic example of the near truism
that new information begets yet more new information.

2 The Impact of Information on Society
Information may have such a severe impact that it impels a
person to commit murder, as occasionally happens when a trusted
spouse is found to be unfaithful. Information can also, as we all
know only too well, lead countries to war. How crucial it is in
these cases that not only do those involved not jump to conclu-
sions from incomplete evidence but that they also take the trouble
to make quite sure that their information is true: not an easy
requirement, though none the less essential for that, when it is in
the interests of some of the parties involved to hide or dissemble
the facts. Fortunately it is rare for information to have such a devas-
tating impact. Nevertheless, whatever the potential impact, those
delivering information owe those they inform a duty of making
every reasonable effort to ensure it is correct and is presented
without ambiguity, omission or distortion. These are topics that
will be discussed in depth in later chapters of this book.
Of course, lack of information or failure to heed it can have
equally dramatic consequences. One has but to remember that it
was insufficient detail in a warning about a potential terrorist threat
in Indonesia that enabled the terrorists to carry out their planned
bombing in the Bali holiday resort. The impact of more information
might have been to avert the disaster.
Let me quote a few other examples of the impact of information
which range widely. In one patent case between two aircraft engine
manufacturers, when many millions of pounds of business were
at stake, the decision turned on whether a particular piece of
technical information had been published in the obscure journal
Flugsport. A Government Minister's career was brought to an
abrupt end because information emerged that a performance target,
on meeting which she had staked her reputation, had not been
met. A trial collapsed because information about the men who were
being tried was published in a newspaper. Information that the
IRA had used the Sinn Fein presence in the Ulster Assembly as a
base from which to gain access to highly secret information led to
the reintroduction of direct rule of Ulster from Westminster.
At a different level of importance, my being met at the station may
depend on being able to get the information to my wife that I am
travelling home on an earlier train. Watching a woodpecker on my
lawn gives me fascinating information about the habits of that bird.
The examples show several very different types of impact, from
a matter of life and death to mere personal benefit and increase of
knowledge, from the profitability of an enterprise to the loss of a
career or abandoning a criminal prosecution.

Introduction 3
There is, of course, also information that has no impact at all.
An example is the patronizing information put out by Government
Departments in their "nanny knows best" mood. And there is that
which merely arouses derision such as that on a packet of super-
market cheese saying "made from milk".
The nature of the information in each of these examples is so
very different from the others that it is hardly surprising that, as
was the case until the second half of the 20th century, most people
were unwilling to take seriously any general proposal to manage
or even discuss information as such. Even then there was not wide
acceptance of the value of managing it until the 1980s. A start was
made with scientific and technical information (STI). Emphasis on
the importance of managing and exploiting that resource was given
by a Royal Society Conference held as long ago as 1948. For the
next 20 years information work was largely concerned with STI
and it was only when computers started to be used for printing
journals, which led to searchable databases, that the information
industry started to take off.
By 1981 the situation had advanced enormously. There was even,
in the UK, a Minister for Information Technology, though there
was not one for information itself. In that year, Lord Dainton, an
eminent scientist, former Chairman of the Advisory Council for
Scientific and Technical Information and at the time of the British
Library Board, said in a lecture [2], 'The Information Revolution
has consequences for employment, for leisure, for the nature and
location of industry, for education, for the democratic process and
for the further acquisition of knowledge. It beckons with opportu-
nities for a better life and threatens dire consequences if wrong
choices are made'. His words expressed a situation that was by
then widely accepted.
Perhaps the most important change that has occurred in the last
50 years is that there is now a perception or realisation that infor-
mation per se is something to be collected, stored, managed and
exploited. It has become a resource. No longer is it regarded as
something available free, as a right, merely for the asking.
That a change of attitude was necessary may be highlighted
by the following. A survey was being carried out of the use by
Canadian companies of information sources and services. Asking
one managing director the question, "Which external inform-
ation sources do your staff use most?" the researcher received the
dusty response, 'If any member of this company goes outside for
information, he's fired!'

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indicating the offender; she reports to the scorer the player at fault
and the nature of the foul. The referee appoints the
Scorer
who must keep the score. She must be perfectly neutral. It is the
scorer’s duty to notify the referee when a player should be
disqualified for any kind of roughness. The referee appoints the
Time-keeper
who must be exact about the time, noting when the game starts,
and blowing her whistle at the expiration of the actual playing time
in each half previously agreed upon by captains and referee. The
time-keeper must take out time when called upon to do so by the
referee. The captain is privileged to ask the referee to call time for
an injured player or when a difference has occurred between the
captain and an official. The half game is generally fifteen minutes,
making the entire game thirty minutes, not counting the
intermission. The playing time may be shortened to ten minutes for
each half or lengthened to twenty for each half. The referee only
may order time deducted for necessary stoppages, should any occur
during the game. The four
Linesmen
are appointed by the referee; two for each side. These four girls
usually stand at the four corners of the centre division, and it is their
duty to report if any of the players step on or cross over the dividing
lines. Such offences are counted fouls. When the ball happens to be
thrown outside the field boundary lines the players are allowed to
rush after it, but are not allowed to go beyond the dividing lines
when in the field.
All the girls should be in their
Places on the Field
ready to begin the game at the appointed signal. Fig. 617 will assist
you in gaining a clear understanding of the different positions

Fig. 617.
occupied by the various members of the team when in position to
commence play. The object of the game is to throw the ball into the
opponent’s basket, and this is best accomplished by the girls being
coupled with opponents and stationed at various places all over the
field. In Fig. 617 the girls on one
side are represented by circles,
those on the other side by
crosses. We will suppose that the
two captains have tossed for
goals, and that to the circles has
fallen the goal G and to the
crosses the goal H. In the centre
of the field are grouped three
girls, one player from each side,
and the referee, who is here
indicated by a triangle.
The referee stands with the
ball in her hands, facing the other
two girls, having her back turned
toward the side of the field (Fig.
617).
It is optional on which side of
the centres the referee is
stationed.
The two players stand facing each other with their sides turned
toward the referee, and each has her back toward her own goal (Fig.
618). These two players, circle and cross, are known as
Centres
There are always two centres in a game, and it is their duty to jump
quickly for the ball as it leaves the hands of the referee, who opens
the game by tossing the ball vertically in the air immediately
between and not more than two feet from the centres. Fig. 618
shows the referee ready to toss the ball. Each centre endeavors to
catch the ball and pass it to one of the forwards on her own side,

Circle Centre. Triangle Referee.
Cross Centre.
Fig. 618.
with the hope that it may, sooner or
later, land in her opponent’s basket;
at the same time she tries to
prevent the ball from being passed
by the opponent’s guards across the
centre of the field toward her
basket.
The centres must confine their
play within the central space; they
cannot step across the dividing lines
running from side to side of the
central division of the field. In each
of the end divisions are stationed
two girls called forwards and two
others known as guards; their
duties are implied by their titles.
The forwards endeavor to forward the ball to their opponents’
basket, and the guards guard their own goals, striving to prevent the
opponent forwards throwing the ball into their basket. In Fig. 617
the circle
Forwards
are in the end near their opponents’ basket H, that they may have a
better opportunity of sending the ball into it, and the cross forwards
are on the other end of the field near the circle’s basket trying to
engineer the ball into that goal. You will notice that the guards on
each end protect their own basket. Standing by each cross forward
is a circle
Guard
who endeavors to prevent an opponent from succeeding in her
efforts for the goal, and on the cross end of the field the two cross
guards are trying to protect their basket from the circle forwards.
The stars in Fig. 617 stand for the four linesmen, who must be
continually on the qui vive and report if a girl steps over the dividing

lines.
Each umpire watches both sides; generally one umpire walks
about just outside the field boundary line on one side of the field,
and the other walks just outside the boundary on the other side of
the field. It is optional which side they take, but they should not
both be stationed on the same side. Fig. 617 shows the circle umpire
on the right hand, and the cross umpire on the left hand of the field.
The umpires are designated by circle and cross, with rays extending
all around them.
The time-keeper stands outside of the field, that she may not
interfere with the action of the players; other than that restriction,
she may move as she pleases. In Fig. 617 the time-keeper is
denoted by a round black spot.
The scorer must also keep out of the field proper and have her
mind on her portion of the work. In Fig. 617 the scorer is designated
by a square.
When all stand ready the
Game
begins. The referee tosses up the ball, and every one of the players
on the field eagerly watches the two centres as they strive to catch
the ball. The centre, gaining the advantage, endeavors to toss it to a
girl on her own side, while the other centre does all in her power to
prevent the ball from reaching its destination, often running in front
of the victorious centre, blocking the way and still further interfering
by throwing up her arms. If the first centre succeeds in tossing the
ball to one of the forwards on her side, that forward immediately
strives to get the ball in the opponent’s basket, but is constantly
followed and opposed by the opponent guard, who endeavors to
frustrate the play. Should the forward decide that the chances for
gaining the goal are better if she throws the ball to another girl on
her side, she does so with the hope that the other forward will
succeed in caging the ball. If, however, the last forward be baffled,
she tosses the ball either to her own centre, back to the first
forward, or over across the field to one of her own guards, anywhere

the rule permits in order to keep the ball from the hands of the
opponents.
If one of the opponent forwards succeeds in capturing the ball she
tries either indirectly, with the aid of others on her side, or directly,
by her own exertions, to cage the ball in the basket of the opposite
side.
The centre catching the ball from the referee is privileged to throw
it to any player on her own side, either forwards or guards, at one
end or the other of the field, her action depending upon
circumstances. Sometimes it is more advantageous to toss the ball in
one direction, again it is better to throw it in another. Therein lies
the secret of good playing, the ability to see opportunities in time to
profit by them and quickness and accuracy in measuring distances,
so that the ball may land where the player intends to send it, not
falling short or getting too far. The opponent centre constantly
follows the centre having the ball, and is ever at her side trying to
obtain the ball or prevent it from reaching its destination.
The forward catching the ball after it has been advanced to her by
her own centre or by guards from the other end of the field, or
obtaining it from an opponent, generally throws for the basket, and
she must be able to make the goal under many difficulties and from
various positions. Should the ball miss the basket the forward will
have no time for regrets, it being necessary for her to turn her
immediate attention to regaining possession of the ball or to
preventing it from falling into the hands of the opposing guard.
The forward must have a cool head, must be calm, and able to
decide and judge quickly; she must take the situation in at a glance
and make the most of any, even the slightest, opportunity of
forwarding the interest of her side.
The guard’s principal duty is to prevent opponents from getting
the ball into the basket belonging to the guard’s team, and when
possible to obtain the ball and throw it to the centre on her side, or
across to her own forwards.
The guard’s position requires that she be very skilful and
constantly on the watch to defend her goal.

The players are on the field in couples, but the two standing
together are always opponents; a player is never stationed by one of
her own side. The game is thus in part played in couples, that is, the
two placed together pay especial attention to each other and are, for
the time being, each the particular opponent of the other, trying to
foil all efforts of the other to gain any advantages in the game, at
the same time endeavoring to assist the players on her own side.
The inner divisions for fouls, Fig. 614, are ignored except when a
foul has been made; then the side opposed to the one committing
the foul has a free throw for the basket and the foul court is in use.
The player having the free throw stands on the line in the centre of
the circle of the foul division (Fig. 614), and must be allowed to take
time to aim well and throw for the basket. No other player is
permitted to stand in or pass through the limits of this court while
the player with the ball is trying for the goal. The object in marking
the inclosure is to prevent any other girl approaching nearer than six
feet to the player throwing for the basket. The foul court must be
absolutely free from all obstruction during a free throw, nor shall the
player having a free throw step from the station line until the ball
has entered or missed the goal.
When a player is given the privilege of a free throw, the ball
cannot be tossed to any other player; it must be thrown for the
basket. Should this rule be violated, the goal will not count if made,
and the referee takes the ball and tosses it up in the centre as at the
beginning of the game. If by chance the free player is interfered
with in any way, and she fails to make the goal, she can try again,
and then, in case the ball does not land in the basket, the ball is in
play and the game continues.
The ball may be thrown or batted with the flat part of the hand in
any direction, either with one or both hands.
While in the field a girl cannot carry the ball nor hold it longer
than three seconds; she must play it from the spot where she
catches it, unless she happens to be running. If while running she
catches the ball, she must stop as soon as possible; should she fail
to do so, in the opinion of the umpire, the umpire may call a foul.
When the player captures the ball she either throws it at once or

stops running as soon as possible. Allowance is made in such cases,
but the player cannot consume time by turning around without
making progress in the game.
A player cannot bound the ball on the floor more than three times,
and never lower than the height of the knee; however, this does not
interfere with her throwing for a goal twice or more in succession.
The player who has the ball is the only one in the field who may
be intentionally blocked in her way; all other players must be free
from intentional interference.
The foul which disqualifies a player counts against her side.
The ball is

Out of Bounds
when it completely crosses the boundary line of the field. Should it
bounce or roll back again the game continues, except if the whistle
of the referee is blown; then the ball is put in play as if it had not
returned to the field.
The time allowed for a game is always divided; when the first part
has been played, time is called for a rest by the whistle of the time-
keeper. Generally the intermission lasts ten minutes, sometimes
longer, the game being resumed after the recess. While resting the
players wrap themselves up to keep from taking cold, and are not
permitted to drink cold water.
After each goal the referee puts the ball in play in the centre of
the field; this she must also do at the commencement of the game
and at the beginning of the second half of the game. At the end of
the first half the sides change goals, except in case of a tie, when
the game continues without changing goals until either side has
made two additional points. These points may be made either from
field or from fouls. The game is won by the side scoring the greater
number of points during the entire game.
If the goal (in case of uprights) is moved by an opponent when
the ball is on its edge, one point is scored by the side throwing the
ball.
The game is decided by the winning of the most points in the
actual playing time. When there are two fouls at once on opposite
sides, each side has a free throw for the basket; afterward the ball is
put in play from the centre by the referee. Whenever it becomes
necessary for the referee to call “time,” because of illness or accident
to a player, play must be resumed in five minutes. If the injured
player is unable to resume play
A Substitute
may take her place, or the game may start at once without her. If a
substitute takes her place she cannot play again during that game.
Rules

A goal made from the field counts two points; made from a foul, one
point. If a player by mistake should throw the ball in her own
basket, it counts for the opponents.
After time has been called the referee puts the ball in play by
tossing it up in such a manner that it will drop near the spot where it
was when time was called, unless it was held out of bounds. In this
case play is resumed at the whistle of the referee as if time has not
been called.
The two opponents nearest this spot when time was called vie
with each other to obtain the ball after play is resumed. They are
indicated by the umpire.
When the ball is held by two or more players for any length of
time the referee blows her whistle, stops the play and throws the
ball up from where it was held.
Whenever the ball is put in play the players who are to first touch
the ball must not stand further than two feet from the spot where
the ball is to fall.
When the ball goes out of bounds and remains there, it must be
returned by the player first touching it. There can be no interference
with her returning it; that is, no portion of the person of an
opponent may be outside of the field of play. The ball cannot be
touched by an opponent until it has crossed the line. If either of
these rules is violated, the ball is to be returned to the player who
had it and the ball again put in play at the original place.
The player holding the ball may throw it in any direction into the
field of play from any spot (outside of bounds) on a line drawn at
right angles to the boundary line at the point where the ball crossed
it. The ball must be thrown into the field of play. When either of
these rules is violated the ball goes to the opponents at the same
spot. The ball must be thrown to some player and disposed of
before the player who passed it can again play it.
When a player obtains possession of the ball outside the limits of
the field she is allowed five seconds to hold it; if the ball is held
longer it goes to the opponents. In case of doubt in the mind of the
referee as to which player first touched the ball, she tosses it up into
the field of play at the spot where it went out.

When the ball is batted, rolled or passed from the field of play, in
order to claim exemption from interference it must be given to the
opponents at the point where it left the field of play. When it is
passed to a player out of bounds the ball is given to the other side.
Carrying the ball from the field of play is a foul. When the centres
are jumping for the ball and one of them bats it to out of bounds, it
is in play and goes to the other side.
A goal scored by a player while any part of her person touches the
ground out of bounds shall not count. In such a case the ball is put
in play in the centre of the field.
If a player throws for the goal and the whistle of the referee,
umpire, or time-keeper sounds while the ball is in the air, and the
throw results in a goal, it is a count.
When the umpire’s whistle sounds simultaneously with either the
referee’s or time-keeper’s, the umpire’s takes precedence.
A goal scored before the whistle can be blown for a foul made by
the side scoring, does not count; but if a player while throwing for
the goal is fouled by an opponent and succeeds in scoring, both
count.
Two hands on a ball are necessary to secure it. In case of doubt in
the mind of the referee as to which player first put her two hands on
the ball, she shall toss it up at the spot where it was held by the
players. In no case may a player remove the ball from the hands of
an opposing player, either by snatching or batting.
The ball may not be held longer than three seconds.
The ball may not be “juggled”; i.e., tossed into the air and caught
again to evade holding.
Crossing field lines with any part of the body constitutes a foul.
No player may lean over or reach over another player.
No player may hand the ball to another player. The ball must be
thrown to another player.
General Fouls
Players addressing officers.
Kicking or striking ball.

Carrying ball.
Bounding ball more than three times, lower than the knee.
Holding longer than three seconds.
Delaying game.
Tackling, holding, pushing opponents.
Snatching or batting ball from hands of opponent.
Juggling.
Crossing or stepping on the field lines.
Leaning or reaching over another player.
Fouls for Which Players May be Disqualified.
Roughness.
Striking.
Kicking.
Shouldering.
Tripping.
Hacking.
Unnecessarily rough play.
Should any question come up not covered by these rules the
officers may decide the matter in accordance with the spirit of the
game.
These official rules are intended especially for girls' basket ball as
played in most of the well-known colleges, Vassar, Bryn Mawr, Smith,
Wellesley, etc., and by the majority of schools except in and around
New York, in which section both girls and boys play the boys’ game.
This differs from the girls’ in having greater freedom and
consequently more action, players being allowed to run to any part
where they think they can be of most use within the extreme limits
of the field. The dividing lines from side to side of the field are
omitted, and the girls must be equal to greater exertion and more
violent action for the boys' game.
The girls’ game is considered the safest and best for them, being
adapted for girls; yet some champion players prophesy that ere long
the boys’ game will be the one generally played by both girls and
boys. If girls enter into the boys’ game they must keep in training

that their strength may equal the demands. They must not shed one
tear when occasionally hurt, though such accidents need not occur if
all rudeness is avoided. Should one girl unintentionally run against
another during the game, precious moments cannot be wasted in
apologies, there being no time for either excuses or tears. While the
sport is going on the player’s mind should be all earnestness and
determination, too intent upon the game to allow thoughts for other
things. Girls will soon acquire greater moral and physical courage by
playing basket ball, and sufficient nerve to keep back the tears. Their
self-control will be vastly improved and their endurance, strength,
quickness of action, and judgment rapidly strengthened. All these
qualities are essential, not only in basket ball, but in helping one to
understand the art of living.
Players should wear tennis
Slippers
in order to avoid slipping, sliding, and injuring one another with
heavy heels, should one player accidentally step on the toes of
another. The
Gymnasium Suit
of short, full, divided skirt, gathered zouave fashion at the knee, and
a loose woollen blouse or sweater, forms a comfortable, sensible
uniform for basket ball. If desired a knee-length skirt of stout
material may take the place of the divided skirt, but never attempt
to play in a long dress or tight clothing.

CHAPTER XXXI
SOME OF OUR OUT-DOOR NEIGHBORS AND
WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM
he word grows broader and is more and more filled with
meaning as we begin to understand that “neighbor”
may embrace in its kindliness not alone the whole
human race, but all the animal creation with which we
come in contact.
These denizens of the woods and fields are indeed
our neighbors, and so also are the queer folk whose
lives are partly or wholly spent in the water. When we
learn to look for them we will find life full of the beauty,
the music, and the good-will of our little friends and
neighbors.
Few of these out-door acquaintances force themselves upon us;
they are not at all sure of their welcome, so we must keep our eyes
and ears open that we may learn their haunts and meet them at
least half way. While strolling in the country it is pleasant to walk
along laughing and singing as we go, but we must refrain if we
really wish to come near any of the bright-eyed, suspicious little
creatures. They can only be approached very quietly, for wild things
understand an unusual noise only as a danger signal, and will start
in alarm at the least sound or sudden motion, and be up and off
before we are conscious of their presence.
A little book for
Observation Notes

Fig. 619.
divided off into spaces, each space having a heading, as in Fig. 619,
will be of great value in identifying the animals, birds, and insects
you may meet, and in keeping
such records, your interest will
deepen and your love for
Nature and all her children
greatly increase.
Carry the book with you,
and make the notes on the
spot. Do not wait until you
reach home, depending upon
your memory; it may
sometimes play you false.
Write nothing under the
heading of “Identification”
until you are quite sure you
recognize the creature you are
studying; for this one entry it
will be best to wait until you
can consult a reliable book on
the subject, and then carefully compare your notes with what the
naturalist gives as facts.
If your stroll leads you through the woods listen for the chatter of
The Squirrel
This saucy rodent belongs to a large family, with many branches and
ramifications, and squirrels of some kind are to be found in almost
any wooded spot.
The scolding remonstrance to your invasion of his domain will
probably reach you before you catch a glimpse of him; but sit down
and wait quietly, Mr. Squirrel will soon appear, and very likely his
little wife will follow him. Cautious, alert, yet really unafraid, they will
approach nearer and nearer, until they are quite close enough for
you to mark their peculiarities and decide to which branch of their
family they belong. You may even pass the compliments of the day

with your little host if you speak gently and softly. They are not timid
animals, and will quickly make friends with anyone who treats them
kindly. In Daytona, Fla., where they are absolutely undisturbed, the
squirrels are very numerous, filling the great moss-laden trees,
scampering over the lawns and fences and even eating from the
hands of those who will regularly feed them, all the while living in
entire freedom, without restraint of any kind.
Wherever you may find the squirrels, their nest is probably close
by, hidden in a hole in one of the trees. Be careful how you thrust
your hand into such an opening, however, for squirrels have sharp
teeth and may resent such undue familiarity. About the first of April
the nest will be filled with a promising family of little ones from four
to six in number, and if you can take such a family under your
supervision and “grow up with them,” as it were, you will be amply
repaid by the amusement the merry little creatures will afford and by
the opportunity to observe, with the privilege of an intimate friend,
their house-keeping and manner of life.
You will know
The Red Squirrel
by his color, during the summer it is a red-brown with a white vest
bordered on the sides with a dark line. He changes his coat twice a
year, and his winter garment is duller and not nearly so red, while
the vest is gray without the dark border.
When you find a squirrel’s nest in the crotch of a tree instead of in
a hole you may be pretty sure it belongs to the gray squirrel, which
is said to be the most easily tamed of all its family.
Do not mistake
The Chipmunk
for a squirrel, although he does resemble one and his lively chatter
seems to be in the same language. He is, in fact, sometimes called a
ground squirrel, but in reality he is only a distant cousin.
You will not be so apt to find him in the interior of the woods as in
more open places; his favorite promenade is the top of a stone wall

or rail fence. He is a little fellow with a flat, bushy tail and well-
developed cheek pouches, which he fills with seeds and nuts until
his cheeks are puffed out equal to a boy’s when he eats an apple.
The tawny little chipmunk of the Eastern States has two white
stripes and five narrow black ones down its back. In the West there
are other varieties, the little black and white striped fellow of the
Rocky Mountains being the prettiest and tamest.
The chipmunk is an engaging little creature, tamer even than the
squirrel, and he will often come close to the house and sometimes
enter it in search of food; it is the dogs that generally drive him
away, for no dog, however well behaved, can resist chasing a
chipmunk. He is easy game, for he seldom climbs a tree, and unless
he can find refuge in his hole or under the wood-pile his life is soon
the forfeit.
Do not look in a tree for the chipmunk’s nest, you will not find it
there, but perhaps at the foot of the very pine under which you are
standing, or beneath the large rock which lies in your path there is a
small hole opening into a little hollow, and in this underground
chamber is the soft, warm nest and the store of food which the
chipmunk has providently laid by. Here it sleeps through the cold
winter months, waking only to eat a few nuts, seeds, or grains of
corn, soon to drowse again, and remain asleep until spring has come
once more.
When you see a small, brown, long-bodied animal, not much
larger than a rat, running swiftly along the ground, you may be
pretty sure it is our neighbor
The Weasel
His home is probably near the river or the borders of the meadow,
but he hunts his game with such intelligence and persistence it is
possible to meet him almost anywhere. We frequently hear this little
animal spoken of, not always with praise, and it is strange he so
seldom crosses our path, for he does not stand in much fear of his
human neighbors. The weasel is very quick and active, and also

quite inquisitive; it lives on frogs, birds, eggs, and mice, and the
farmers complain that it seeks larger game in their poultry yards.
Mr. Dan Beard tells an interesting story of a walk in the woods
where he found a weasel asleep in a deserted crow’s nest at the top
of a tall tree. It is possible the little brown intruder might have been
able to explain just why the nest was empty of all save himself.
The sharpness and cunning of the weasel’s character is shown in
its face. A low forehead, pointed nose, eyes small and penetrating
plainly denote these qualities, yet it is a most interesting little animal
and well worth all the study and observation you can give it.
A very small neighbor to be found on the borders of the woods or
a shady road is the pretty, harmless
Salamander
Seldom more than two and one-half inches long, this little creature is
slender and daintily made, with a tail quite the length of its head
and body. Its skin is smooth, not scaled like the lizard’s, and is
generally brilliant in color. One variety is bright red, darker on the
back, where it has spots of a brighter red encircled with dark rings. I
have found many of them in Pike County, Pa., and always in damp
places, though never in the water. There is another kind that lives in
the water, but my little red friends, while loving dampness, remain
always on land. You will generally find them under stones or logs,
and after a shower they are also to be met in the open, though they
do not travel far from their haunts. Take one up in your hand and
examine the delicate forefeet, so much like fairy hands. They will
cling to your finger in the most winning fashion and you may
examine the little animal at leisure, for it is clean and harmless. If
you wish to keep the salamander for further study, place it in a
perforated box with damp moss or even damp blotting-paper, and
remember to keep it moist, otherwise it will simply dry up. I know
whereof I speak, for a friend who was with me in the mountains,
wishing to carry two of the salamanders home with her, placed them
in a box without moisture of any kind and when we lifted the lid the

next morning the poor little creatures were dead and as dry as two
sticks.
The salamander feeds on small insects, but I have never seen
them eat in captivity. That they may be safely transported and
established in new homes has been proved, for a gentleman from
Seattle, Wash., who was visiting at our Pike County, Pa., camp,
became so deeply interested in these creatures he took a pail of
them across the continent, and at last accounts they were living in
his garden, to all appearances quite as comfortably as in their native
woods.
On the trunks of some of the great trees you are passing you may
possibly see a number of queer, semi-transparent shells. These are
the cast-off armor of
The Cicadas
Locusts you will probably call them, but that name rightly belongs
to quite another insect. Perfect in every detail, even to the great
bulging eyes, the cicada’s little coat of mail clings to the tree with its
six pairs of claws like a live creature, and only a split down its back
shows its emptiness and tells how the cicada crept from the old into
a newer and fuller life.
The shells one usually finds belong to quite a large black and
green insect, one of the more common species of cicada. This is
called the dog-day harvest fly, and requires but two years to
develop, while the smaller red and black variety is known as the
“seventeen year locust,” because it spends seventeen years of its life
underground before it reaches maturity. All this while it bears the
name of nymph. A pretty name for the young insect, isn’t it?
The nymph began life as an egg which its mother deposited, with
a number of others, in a slit she made in a twig of a tree. For six
weeks it lay snugly in its narrow bed, then came forth a tiny white
creature, with little legs which carried it about in a lively manner. Its
mouth was simply a hollow tube which would change into jaws later
on. For a while the nymph was happy in its new-found life, then
suddenly a longing for quiet seemed to come over it and it dropped

Cicada and Shell.
to the ground, there to bury itself in
the earth, which was to be its home
for many years.
Down in the mysterious darkness, in
that busy world where so much we do
not understand is going on, the little
nymph grew very slowly for a year,
nourished by the juices of the roots he
found near him and which he sucked
up through his tube-like mouth. Then
he shed his first skin for another,
which gave him greater freedom for
further growth. After a time this skin
was also discarded, another and
another, until, we are told, six times
his garment was changed while yet he
was deep in the earth, with no one to
see and admire his new attire. Then when seventeen long years
were passed and his days of preparation were accomplished, he dug
his way up into a new world at the dictate of a new impulse, and
one evening he emerged to find himself in a goodly company of his
kind, all intent upon reaching a still greater height. The tree under
which he had lived so long was his goal, and up this he made his
way for some distance, then, forcing his little claws into the bark, he
clung to his place awaiting his final transformation.
Presently his nymph-skin opened down the back and the cicada, a
nymph no longer, crawled slowly out. White again as when he first
saw the light, except for two black spots on his back, soft and
helpless he clung anew to the bark. At first his wings were so much
a part of his body you would have thought he had none, but almost
immediately they began to unfold and grow, becoming transparent
and firm as he waved them slowly back and forth. During the night
his color was marvellously changed from white to black and red, and
the next morning came his season of rejoicing. With all faculties fully
alive, he joined the chorus of the other cicadas and the woods were
made to resound with their high, rasping notes.

By the way, do you know
How the Insects Sing?
Or, rather, they do not sing, the noise they make is instrumental,
not vocal, and their instruments are usually carried under their
wings, a part of themselves to be played upon at will, when and
where they choose.
The cicada’s instrument is a kind of drum, and, as if one would not
be sufficiently noisy, he carries two, one behind each of his hind
wings. He has no drum-sticks, but vibrates his drums until the
natural buzzing sound rises almost to a shriek. Other insects play on
other instruments, but, however the sound is made, each species
has a note of its own, not to be mistaken for that of any other.
Deep in the forests where the dead leaves and pine-needles cover
the ground you will be likely to find the well-known
Indian Pipe
the delight of all children and an object of interest to everyone. This
wonderful little ghost flower, so purely white and so quickly blighted
by exposure to sunlight appears to live for its beauty alone. As far as
we know it is of absolutely no use, and does not even provide for
itself, as do other plants. It is a root parasite and draws its
nourishment from the roots of the pine upon which it has fastened
itself. The stem as well as the blossom is silvery white, it has no
foliage, and the flower at the end of the stalk bends its head as
though ashamed of its idle life, but it continues to live on the vital
juices of the roots and we call it the Indian Pipe because it
somewhat resembles the long-stemmed Indian calumet, or pipe of
peace. The botanists, however, know it as the Monotropa Uniflora.
Another beautiful inhabitant of the deep woods is the
Moccasin Flower
which arrays itself every summer in its spotted pink or yellow dress,
and stands as proudly erect on its slender stalk as though troops of
admirers were to pass its way, when, in fact, it is rarely seen save by

Fig. 620
those who seek it. As its name suggests, it resembles an Indian
moccasin in shape, the hanging pouch forming the toe, while the
heel is clasped by five pointed and twisted petals. Over the opening
of the pouch there is a little flap, which has much to do with the
fertilization of the flowers. The botanical name of this little orchid is
the Cypripedium, and some call it lady-slipper, though it looks not at
all like your slipper or mine.
As you walk on under the interlacing branches of the close-
growing trees, look about for evidences of the
Engraver Beetle
Pull the bark from a dead trunk or limb and you will probably find
its trade-mark. Fig. 620 is one pattern, but there are various others,
among them a spiral design cut as smoothly as
though done with an engraver’s chisel.
These little workers in wood are but babies,
being the larvæ of the engraver beetle, which,
deposited as eggs under the bark of a dead
tree, turn into worm-like creatures and eat their
way along the surface of the sap-wood, tracing
the cabalistic designs in their progress. When
fully developed the beetle is still a wee thing,
the largest being not over a quarter of an inch
in length. Some are brown in color and some
black.
Drop your eyes now and look for
Footprints
in the soft earth. You will frequently find them around ponds and the
margin of brooks. They make a most interesting study, and will soon
enable you to learn which of your forest neighbors has visited the
spot before you.
A small, delicate impression, much like that of a dainty little hand,
will show that
The ’Coon

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