As to _ball-heads_ to bicycles, they have been highly recommended by a few makers and much admired by some riders. As before said, the balancing of the bicycle is accomplished by means of the steering apparatus, and the easier the head swivels the less work the rider has to do to effect his object. If simple steering—that is, changing the general course of the rider’s progress—happened to be all for which the head is swivelled, it would make little difference whether it moved very easily or not; nay, it would be better to have it move a little stiff, since it would then stay in place. But when it comes to balancing, the head is constantly moving, and every resistance is work to be overcome by the rider’s muscular exertion. To say that a head cannot swivel too easily, would be a valid axiom in the art of balancing; hence a ball-head could do no harm, and might do some good. In the Rover or Safety pattern, ball-heads are quite common and are rather a valuable acquisition, especially in the telescope. In the Stanley head, however, it is very questionable whether the advantage gained is sufficient to justify the extra complication and weight of the parts. Conical heads can be, and are, made to work so smoothly and the amount of motion is so small that the same question in regard to friction does not apply as in the case of other bearings about the machine. It is the opinion of the writer that every other part about a wheel should be about perfect, and of the very highest grade, before the question of ball-heads should be considered at all. In regard to the patents on, and general use of, ball-bearings in cycles, I think the necessity of using the prominent lateral adjusting bearings is really not so absolute as many suppose; of course this is the most artistic form and the most easily-made pattern of all, and is in every way adapted to cycle use; but it would not be policy to throw aside any other advantage in a wheel to gain the lateral adjustment in the bearings. There are some other styles of ball-bearing boxes which answer the purpose very well, the chief difficulty being that a greater amount of work is necessary for their adjustment. If the boxes are split in a plane through the geometric axis of the axle, they will be slightly out of round after adjusting, but when it is taken into consideration that the weight is all on one side or, as in a bicycle, on the top, the fault will not be noticeable; it is more serious when the boxes revolve than when they are stationary.