122 THE RABBIT 



an extremely handy little weapon for the purpose in 

 view. Moreover it affords the shooter no end of amuse- 

 ment, and a greater test of skill than a shot-gun ; for 

 it is obviously more difficult to hit a rabbit with a small 

 bullet at sixty or seventy yards than it is to stretch him 

 out with an ounce of No. 6 shot at five-and-twenty. 



As to the particular pattern to be recommended 

 much difference of opinion prevails. During the 

 months of May and June, 1895, a voluminous corre- 

 spondence on this subject took place in the columns 

 of The Fields from which it appeared that hardly two 

 of the writers were agreed as to the requisites of a 

 perfect rook and rabbit rifle. If they approved a 

 particular bore, they differed as to whether the bullet 

 should be conical or spherical, and if the former, 

 whether it should be hollow-fronted or not. If they 

 agreed upon these points, they differed in the choice 

 of powder, or in the charge to be used. There 

 seemed, however, to be a consensus of opinion that 

 with a view to safety in an enclosed country the 

 smaller the bore the better consistent with efficacy at 

 fifty yards, and that other requisites are a flat tra- 

 jectory, powder that may be as nearly as possible 

 smokeless, noiseless, and non-fouling, and a bullet 

 that by expansion on striking will reduce to a mini- 

 mum the chance of a rabbit getting away. 



