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NEW STARTING PLAN IN FRANCE. A new starting arrangement, devised by Marquis de Nieuil. one of the stewards of the Maisons Laf litto meeting, is thus described by an English visitor to that beautiful Paris course: "An excellent opportunity was offered for testing the merits of the new scheme by the manner in which twenty seven horses in the one race and twenty in the oilier were despatched on their journey witli the most level start ever given. The starting iMists are fitted with wheels. describing a semicircle, which at a given signal throws up a thin red cord which bars the course to indicate the line behind which the horses are drawn up. This cord has been named the "lining ribbon; a single cord red in color, to avoid the white, which scared s many of the y Onega ten al the old gate. Two starters an employed. One is on a raised platform about ten yards behind the post and outside the course. His duty consists in seeing that the jockeys take their horses up to the cord, and are on level terms when he springs the cord. The other official has also a raised platform, abont fifty yards from the start, and also outside the course, but built so as to give him an excellent view of the respective position of the horses when the cord is sprung by his assistant. If he is satisfied that the lot are awav on level terms he drops the red flag he holds, and the start is good: if not. the flag still held up Signals for the jockeys to pull up and return to the start. With this system, well worthy Hie consideration of owners and others, there are no flying starts, and no danger of horses lx-ing left at the post."
