back of the hand, very much as the game is played to-day. In the Museum of Naples may be seen a painting excavated at Pompeii, which represents the goddesses Latona, Niobe, Phoebe, Aglaia and Hileaera, the last two being engaged in playing at Knucklebones (see Greek Art, fig. 42). According to an epigram of Asclepiodotus, astragals were given as prizes to school-children, and we are reminded of Plutarch’s anecdote of the youthful Alcibiades, who, when a teamster threatened to drive over some of his knucklebones that had fallen into the wagon-ruts, boldly threw himself in front of the advancing team. This simple form of the game was generally played only by women and children, and was called pentalitha or five-stones. There were several varieties of it besides the usual toss and catch, one being called tropa, or hole-game, the object having been to toss the bones into a hole in the earth. Another was the simple and primitive game of “odd or even.”
The second, probably derivative, form of the game was one of pure chance, the stones being thrown upon a table, either with the hand or from a cup, and the values of the sides upon which they fell counted. In this game the shape of the pastern-bones used for astralagoi, as well as for the tali of the Romans, with whom knucklebones was also popular, determined the manner of counting. The pastern-bone of a sheep, goat or calf has, besides two rounded ends upon which it cannot stand, two broad and two narrow sides, one of each pair being concave and one convex. The convex narrow side, called chios or “the dog” counted 1; the convex broad side 3; the concave broad side 4; and the concave narrow side 6. Four astragals were used and 35 different scores were possible at a single throw, many receiving distinctive names such as Aphrodite, Midas, Solon, Alexander, and, among the Romans, Venus, King, Vulture, &c. The highest throw in Greece, counting 40, was the Euripides, and was probably a combination throw, since more than four sixes could not be thrown at one time. The lowest throw, both in Greece and Rome, was the Dog.
See Cassell’s Book of Sports and Pastimes (London, 1896); Games and Songs of American Children, by W. W. Newell (1893); and The Young Folks’ Cyclopaedia of Games and Sports (New York, 1899), for the modern children’s game. For the history see Les Jeux des Anciens, by L. Becq de Fouquières (Paris, 1869); Das Knochelspiel der Alten, by Bolle (Wismar, 1886); Die Spiele der Griechen und Römer, by W. Richter (Leipzig, 1887).
KNUTSFORD, a market town in the Knutsford parliamentary
division of Cheshire, England; on the London & North-Western
and Great Central railways, 24 m. E.N.E. of Chester, on the
Cheshire Lines and London & North-Western railway. Pop.
of urban district (1901), 5172. It is pleasantly situated on an
elevated ridge, with the fine domains of Tatton Park and Tabley
respectively north and west of it. The meres in these domains
are especially picturesque. Knutsford is noted in modern times
as the scene of Mrs Gaskell’s novel Cranford. Among several
ancient houses the most interesting are a cottage with the date
1411 carved on its woodwork, and the Rose and Crown tavern,
dated 1641. A number of curious old customs linger in the town,
such as the practice of working designs in coloured sand, when
a wedding takes place, before the bride’s house. In what
is probably the oldest Unitarian graveyard in the kingdom
Mrs Gaskell lies buried; and in a churchyard a mile from the
town stood the ancient church, which, though partially rebuilt in
the time of Henry VIII., fell into ruin in 1741. The church of
St John, built in 1744, and enlarged in 1879, was supplemented,
in 1880, by St Cross Church, in Perpendicular style. The town
has a grammar school, founded before the reign of Henry VIII.,
but reorganized in 1885. Lord Egerton built the Egerton
schools in 1893. The industries comprise cotton, worsted and
leather manufactures; but Knutsford is mainly a residential
town, as many Manchester merchants have settled here,
attracted by the fine climate and surroundings. Knutsford was
the birthplace of Sir Henry Holland, Physician Extraordinary to
Queen Victoria (1788–1873); and his son, the second Sir Henry,
who was secretary of state for the colonies (1887–1892), was
raised to the peerage in 1888 with the title of Baron Knutsford.
The name Knutsford (Cunetesford, Knotesford) is said to signify Cnut’s ford, but there is no evidence of a settlement here previous to Domesday. In 1086 Erthebrand held Knutsford immediately of William FitzNigel, baron of Halton, who was himself a mesne lord of Hugh Lupus earl of Chester. In 1292 William de Tabley, lord of both Over and Nether Knutsford, granted free burgage to his burgesses in both Knutsfords. This charter is the only one which gives Knutsford a claim to the title of borough. It provided that the burgesses might elect a bailiff from amongst themselves every year. The office however carried little real power with it, and soon lapsed. In the same year as the charter to Knutsford the king granted to William de Tabley a market every Saturday at Nether Knutsford, and a three days’ fair at the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. When this charter was confirmed by Edward III. another market (Friday) and another three days’ fair (Feast of St Simon and St Jude) were added. The Friday market was certainly dropped by 1592, if it was ever held. May-day revels are still kept up here and attract large crowds from the neighbourhood. A silk mill was erected here in 1770, and there was also an attempt to foster the cotton trade, but the lack of means of communication made the undertaking impossible.
See Henry Green, History of Knutsford (1859).
KOALA (Phascolarctus cinereus), a stoutly built marsupial, of
the family Phascolmyidae, which also contains the wombats.
This animal, which inhabits the south-eastern parts of the Australian
continent, is about 2 ft. in length, and of an ash-grey
colour, an excellent climber, residing generally in lofty eucalyptus
trees, the buds and tender shoots of which form its principal
food, though occasionally it descends to the ground in the night
in search of roots. From its shape the koala is called by the
colonists the “native bear”; the term “native sloth” being
also applied to it, from its arboreal habits and slow deliberate
movements. The flesh is highly prized by the natives, and is
palatable to Europeans. The skins are largely imported into
England, for the manufacture of articles in which a cheap and
durable fur is required.
KOBDO, a town of the Chinese Empire, in north-west
Mongolia, at the northern foot of the Mongolian Altai, on the
right bank of the Buyantu River, 13 m. from its entrance into
Lake Khara-usu; 500 m. E.S.E. of Biysk (Russian), and 470 m.
W. of Ulyasutai. It is situated amidst a dreary plain, and consists
of a fortress, the residence of the governor of the Kobdo
district, and a small trading town, chiefly peopled by Chinese
and a few Mongols. It is, however, an important centre for
trade between the cattle-breeding nomads and Peking. It was
founded by the Chinese in 1731, and pillaged by the Mussulmans
in 1872. The district of Kobdo occupies the north-western
corner of Mongolia, and is peopled chiefly by Mongols, and also
by Kirghiz and a few Soyotes, Uryankhes and Khotons. It is
governed by a Chinese commissioner, who has under him a
special Mongol functionary (Mongol, dzurgan). The chief monastery
is at Ulangom. Considerable numbers of sheep (about
1,000,000), sheepskins, sheep and camel wool are exported to
China, while Chinese cottons, brick tea and various small goods
are imported. Leather, velveteen, cotton, iron and copper goods
boxes, &c., are imported from Russia in exchange for cattle, furs
and wool. The absence of a cart road to Biysk hinders the
development of this trade.
KOBELL, WOLFGANG XAVER FRANZ, Baron von (1803–1882),
German mineralogist, was born at Munich on the 19th of
July 1803. He studied chemistry and mineralogy at Landshut
(1820–1823), and in 1826 became professor of mineralogy in the
university of Munich. He introduced some new methods of
mineral analyses, and in 1855 invented the stauroscope for the
study of the optical properties of crystals. He contributed
numerous papers to scientific journals, and described many new
minerals. He died at Munich on the 11th of November, 1882.
Publications.—Charakteristik der Mineralien (2 vols. 1830–1831); Tafeln zur Bestimmung der Mineralien &c. (1833; and later editions, ed. 12, by K. Oebbeke, 1884); Grundzüge der Mineralogie (1838); Geschichte der Mineralogie von 1650–1860 (1864).
