Again, neckties of moderately large pattern, and ornaments in the way of feathers and pins, or other fastenings for the cravat, all tend to diminish to the eye the appearance of weight and size, and as a rule, are as becoming on horseback to ladies of full figure as rigid plainness in habits, collars, &c., are to those of spare and delicate form. It should be borne in mind that it is on the off side that the figure of a lady equestrian is most critically noticed by the observer. On the near side the skirt has a great effect in increasing or diminishing the apparent size and form of the rider. On the off side every defect in form or dress is patent, and it is on the off side that the gentleman attendant rides. Close-fitting jackets, then, I repeat; plain gentleman's hats, with or without lace lappets, and extreme simplicity of get up, will be most effective on the off side in the case of a lady of slight figure. The style of hat and tunic I have attempted to describe is most suitable to those whose _physique_ is more developed. As regards skirts, a fair amount of fullness, according to the size of the rider, for road or park, gives a very graceful appearance on the near side, care of course being taken that the habit is not so long as to admit of the horse treading on it. For hunting skirts can scarcely be too circumscribed, as long as they afford the wearer freedom of action. A word now about colours. I repeat that except in the arbitrary dictum of fashion there is no warranty for the all but universal prevalence of dark rifle-green for riding habits. It must be evident that a lady who is a "brunette" will look far better in a riding dress the colour of which is dark chocolate or purple than she will in green of any sort; and on the other hand a "blonde" would be more suitably attired in a habit of a shade of light blue suitable to her complexion than in anything of more sombre hue. Again, in the hunting field why should our patrician ladies who grace these sporting _réunions_, with their presence, and go as straight and well as any men, shewing always in the front rank, be debarred by fashion or conventional usage from wearing scarlet jackets. Scarlet is worn on foot--for opera cloaks, in shawls, in whole dresses. Why not scarlet on horseback? I saw a lady this season riding with one of our crack Midland packs who wore a scarlet jacket of very fine cloth; a light blue silk cravat, fastened with a diamond horseshoe pin; a skirt of very dark blue, and a plain man's hat of Melton style. She was a blonde with golden hair, mounted on a bright chestnut blood-like hunter; and, as she was of slight, lathy figure, and rode exceedingly well, the _ensemble_ was quite charming. This lady was the cynosure of all eyes, not only on account of her capital riding but her dress, which I heard deprecated by some as "_too loud_." My humble opinion was that it was exactly in harmony with the place and the sport,