A. prize was offered for an interpretation report by Martian

Intelligence officers of good-quality, large-scale photographs obtained from cameras in the flying saucers of one the following : the Cup Final, the Boat Race, a golf course or the Berkshire White Horse.

A good entry of a general high standard showing plenty of interest and invention, an awareness of the possibilities and limitations of photographic intelligence, and of the delicious fatuousness of human endeavour when viewed from a distance Two reports were in Martian language and orthography, but trans- lations were helpfully supplied. The Martians on the whole were kind to us Trianglions (or " dwellers in the triangle land of Britain " —G. S. Black) or Earthodes (" two-legged vertical creatures massed together in vast colonies, probably possessing some rudimentary form of intelligence "—N. Wishart), but spoke ominously of " M-Day " which would " bring liberation to England's masses " (Rev. J. P. Stevenson), and caustically of the species sapiens as "curious animals closely related to instinctive insect life. Behaviour points to common purpose—evidence of achievement less certain " (A. M. Shephard).

The Uffington White Horse was the least popular subject. The Cup Final was a military manoeuvre or a religious ritual ; "cere- monial performers carry out exhausting non-schematic dance using small globe-like object as sacrificial symbol " (A. M. Shephard). The Boat Race became " a cruel watersport performed at the expense of defenceless animals before a sadistic crowd of onlookers " (G. S. Black) or " water-worshippers with boatloads of young priests " (P. Willis) or an auto-da-fe—the " unhappy victims are young men especially selected for their fine physique, trained, and then com- pelled to run the gauntlet, pursued by their tormentors. Spurred on by the sight of the open river ahead, they labour like men possessed, until overcome by fatigue they finally allow their vessels to drift to the shore, where they are triumphantly seized by the crowd and borne away—presumably to a barbaric death " (J. N. Coffey).

The golf course was the most popular and produced the most amusing results ; a place for fertility rites, of course, a penal establishment, the British rite of self-immolation, " areas where arguments are settled by combat between the disputants, using sticks as weapons " (S. M. L. Moore), a tactical exercise fought on the knight-squire system " the squires carrying the knights' weapons and retrieving missiles from the undergrowth " (D. R. Peddy), an explosive test school " small, bare hollows indicate the use of explosives . . . eighteen flat dark patches the result a chemical action . . . small flags indicating unexploded bombs " (D. Hawson), a group of bomb craters (" indicating the deadly accuracy with which our light interplanetary rockets, hitherto on the secret list, have already been used ") (Rev. J. P. Stevenson).

Among six very good entries it is difficult to choose the best. My final choice is as follows: first prize of two pounds to the Rev. N. S. Power ; second prize of a pound each to Thomas Chitty, Commander E. L. Pemberton, and R. Kennard Davis. Unfor- tunately there is only room to print the first two of these entries. Highly commended': Colonel C. L. Hall and E. H. Goodison.

FIRST PRIZE (REV. N. S. PowER) . . . another example of the variety of Earth burial customs.

We have already evidence of interment in closely packed cemeteries which use so much space in areas where open fields are desperately needed ; we have also found some signs of cremation, doubtless among the more enlightened Earthites. But here, surely, we have the burial grounds of the elite, the wealthy, and those more advanced in social position than in intelligence. The large number of cars owned by visitors to these cemeteries confirm Professor Zob's conjectures here.

The cemeteries themselves are large areas of parkland. The mound tumuli are clearly visible. As one would expect, there are no disfiguring marble monuments—the vaults are in the tumuli or under level green plateaux. Mourners can just be seen standing in sad little groups with bowed heads or walking unhappily about the park. Their other activity, rarely visible in the photographs, has been the subject of some specula- tion. Professor Zob's brilliant suggestion that the Earthites sometimes wave sticks to frighten away evil spirits is generally accepted ; this is confirmed. . . .

SECOND PRIZES

(THOMAS CHITTY)

Popular religious festival. Seventy thousand natives in an artificial amphitheatre watch pre-sacrificial rites. The sacrifice, spherical mammal top left, has just been kicked by a " white" priest (to excite the con- gregation's primitive passions). " White " and " striped" priests struggle for the honour of hurting it most, and an arch-priest encourages them by chanting on a sacred pipe. Centre, beneath symbolic hoop, priest in extreme prostration as the sacrifice passes. Bottom right, " striped " priest lies outside the ritual rectangle, perhaps disgraced and to be used for preliminary offering. Adjacent figures may be dissecting him.

Photographer's note: He could clearly hear the congregation's blood howls.

(COMMANDER E. L. PEMBERTON)

Landscape is much modified by cutting of vegetation, leaving surfaces smooth in varying degrees. A systematic sequence is apparent. A small and invariably level surface (meeting-place) is followed by a rougher surface culminating in a very smooth surface, irregular in shape. Humans are emerging from the temple (for the significance of their behaviour is clearly religious) and follow each other solemnly round the eighteen consecutive sequences in separate groups.

Object of activity is ceremonial symbolic cutting down of sacred vegetation by worshippers who do not kneel but use various knives mounted on long shafts, carried by temple servants. Scarred patches of bare sand are " hate pits " wherein spite may be vented with violent hacking gestures. (Probably also with savage curses.)

Evidently the greatest kudos is derived from the cutting down of an edible fungus. (Note human at B.) Possibly artificial fungi, or even white flowers, are occasionally substituted. (Note human at D.) Many humans, however, plod along cutting nothing but grass. Isolated human at C is breaking his knife shaft over his knee ; a sign of extreme and desperate exasperation. He has repeatedly cut into the soil. This must clearly be taboo, otherwise the ceremonial vegetation could not survive.