14 ON THE WING. 



taking the advice of experienced friends. I pro- 

 pose to supply this serious omission ; without, how- 

 ever, intending to give a learned dissertation upon 

 the manufacture of guns, or a full description of the 

 various parts and qualities that constitute a good gun. 

 I shall treat of the subjects, "How to select," "How 

 to load," " How to carry," and " How to shoot," each 

 under its appropriate head ; it being, in my opinion, 

 impossible to deal satisfactorily with all these topics 

 in one and the same discussion. In order to under- 

 stand thoroughly the gun and its use, the sportsman 

 must enter into the study of it with keen interest. 

 He must not be contented with merely knowing how 

 to load and shoot, without having attained any of that 

 elegance and science in operating with his instrument- 

 which marks the artistic sportsman. 



Fowling-pieces may be divided into three classes, 

 with respect to size, weight, and calibre, according as 

 they are intended for brush, or bay, or heavy duck 

 shooting. And here I may observe that brush-shoot- 

 ing — as it is termed in this country, and particularly 

 in the New England States — means all kinds of in- 

 land shooting in the fields and woods, and is the 

 acknowledged standard for all kinds of sport with the 

 gun. The description of the gun used for shooting 

 woodcock, quail, and partridge will therefore answer 

 for all the other sizes of guns hereafter named. 



Sporting-guns, then, may be classified as follows : — 



I. For brush-shooting the gun should weigh 7 lbs. ; length 



of barrel, 28 to 30 inches ; bore, 14 or 15. 

 II. For bay or pigeon shooting, or for ruffed grouse as 



