y, as shown by your correspondent, the
ball rotating (as indicated by his diagram which he gives),
against the hands of the watch should curve to the right,
producing the _in_ curve. But the fact is, that a ball so
rotating will curve to the left--the _out_ curve. And a ball
rotating in a contrary direction, _i. e._, so that points on
its forward side are moving to the right, will curve to the
right--the _in_ curve. In both cases the axis of rotation is
vertical, so that the motions of the ball may be well
illustrated by a spinning-top, as is shown in the first
letter by A. D. S. But the case of a rifle-ball in motion
does not seem to me to be parallel with that of a base-ball
under normal conditions. A rifle-ball is given a rotation
about an axis parallel to and coincident with its line of
flight, just as an arrow rotates on its shaft. Now, none of
the curves of a base-ball are produced with the axis of
rotation in this position. In the _in_ and _out_ curves, as
already said, the axis of rotation is vertical; while the
_rise_ and _drop_ are produced by rotating the ball about a
horizontal axis perpendicular to the line of flight. In
_all_ cases the axis of rotation _must_ be at right angles
to the line of flight, and the more accurately this
condition is complied with, the more marked the effect. My
knowledge of the subject is too slight to warrant me in
asserting that the curving of the rifle-ball and that of the
base-ball do not depend on the same principle, but it does
not seem to me that the two are identical, for the above
reasons.

I have no theory to offer, but trust that among the readers
of ST. NICHOLAS some may be found who have penetrated to the
"true inwardness" of this interesting problem, and will give
us a complete and scientific explanation of it.

Yours truly,

H. H. H.

* * * * *

BEVERLY, OHIO.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have read with considerable interest
the letters in ST. NICHOLAS for February concerning
curve-pitching. I am a boy who takes great interest in
base-ball, and have many times pitched curves. I have seen
persons, and see them yet, who firmly maintain