6 IMPLEMENTS FOR COLLECTING, AND THEIR USE. 



reasons the hove should be small ; I prefer 14 gauge, and 

 should not think of going over 12. To judge from the best 

 sporting authorities, length of barrel is of less consequence 

 than many suppose ; for myself, I incline to a rather long bar- 

 rel — one nearer 33 than 28 inches — believing that such a 

 barrel may throw shot closer ; but I am not sure that this is 

 even the rule, while it is well known that several circumstances 

 of loading, besides some almost inappreciable differences in 

 barrels, will cause guns apparently exactly alike to throw shot 

 differently. Length and crook of stock should of course be 

 adapted to your figure — a gun may be made to fit you, as well 

 as a coat. For wild-fowl shooting, and on some other special 

 occasions, a heavier and altogether more powerful gun will be 

 preferable, 



§2. Breech-loader vs. muzzle-loader, a case long argued, 

 may be considered settled in favor of the former. Provided 

 the mechanism and workmanship of the breech be what they 

 should there are no valid objections to offset obvious advan- 

 tages, some of which are these : ease and rapidity of loading, 

 and consequently deliver}' of shots in quick succession ; facil- 

 ity of cleaning ; compactness and portability of ammunition ; 

 readiness with which different sized shot may be used. This 

 last is highly important to the collector, who never knows 

 the moment he may wish to fire at a very different bird from 

 such as he has already loaded for. The muzzle-loader must 

 always contain the fine shot with which nine-tenths of your 

 specimens will be secured ; if in both barrels, you cannot deal 

 with a hawk or other large bird with reasonable prospects of 

 success ; if in only one barrel, the other being more heavily 

 charged, you are crippled to the extent of exactly one-half of 

 your resources for ordinary shooting. Whereas, with the 

 breech-loader you will habitually use mustard-seed in both 

 barrels, and yet can slip in a different shell in time to seize 

 most opportunities requiring large shot. This consideration 

 alone should decide the case. But, moreover, the time spent 

 in the field in loading an ordinary gun is no small item ; while 



