XIV PREFACE TO THE NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION. 



whicli lias hitherto been mere conjecture will, I trust, 

 be accepted as satisfactorily explained. 



In the former edition I purposely refrained from 

 saying any thing on choke-bores, partly perhaps 

 through selfishness, yet also because I did not con- 

 sider it right for me to make public the secrets of my 

 gun-making friends. At the present time, howev^er, 

 the knowledge of the method is very generally known 

 amono; those who have occasion to use it, and the 

 objection to publishing does not exist. 



Within the past two years, a patent has been 

 granted for a rack and pasteboard target, constructed 

 almost precisely like that I have described. My read- 

 ers, however, need have no fears of being sued for in- 

 fringement for constructing as many as they please, as 

 my use of them long ante-dates the patent. 



J. W. L. 



