Soon the subordinate zones shrink to narrow pattern-borders and all the concentration is on the figure-scenes, executed in a variety of techniques: outline, outline filled with white, a mixture of black and white silhouette, and sometimes black-figure, used with more colour than is common at Corinth and seldom for the main figures.

Al O'Leary, a spokesman for New York City Transit, said the Park Place station was added to the list of reopenings announced on Thursday because the off-limits zone had shrunk, though some time was needed to remove barricades and temporary plywood covers.

However, by 1980 the zone of cultivation around Manono and Kitotolo had shrunk significantly.

But in women who do suffer from flashes, the zone has shrunk so much that it is almost nonexistent, meaning that even a tiny rise in core temperature will cause a hot flash, and a tiny drop can cause shivering.

By July 21, 2007, the frozen zone had shrunk to the four blocks from 40th to 42nd Street from Park to 3rd Avenue.

That zone, however, shrunk many seasons ago, and umpires now basically use the knees to a point, by edict of the commissioner's office, about two inches above the belt.

Generally that's all that needs to be done and it works, because when you're only messing with small changes the zones grow or shrink by a hundred miles or so at most.

See Tfl website for congestion charge information: the zone shrank in January 2011.

But the zone has shrunk over the years, reaching the point where pitchers have had to keep their deliveries below the belt to have them called strikes.