1 8 ON THE WING. 



seller has made a mistake in the price. Even though 

 the trader may say that they are extremely low, and that 

 he is selling off the lot at reduced prices to close the 

 invoice, he knows full well that his guns are an impo- 

 sition, and will be proved so in the using. It is im- 

 possible to purchase a first-class English or French 

 double-barrelled shot-gun at the low price of $30 or 

 $40. I would advise the young sportsman to pay 

 at least $75 for such a gun, and as much more as his 

 pocket-book will allow, up to $125. He will thus 

 obtain something near the worth of his money. It is 

 wonderful how cleverly some of the barrel-makers in 

 Birmingham and London imitate the high-priced guns 

 with a cheap and spurious article. The " real twist," 

 as the novice is wont to call it, is to be seen in the 

 barrel, and the gun is finished throughout in a style 

 well calculated to deceive the uninitiated. In these 

 cheap guns the figure is beautifully brought out, and 

 made to imitate the fine work of the laminated steel 

 and Damascus barrels. This is effected entirely by a 

 chemical process which eats into the barrels, leaving 

 a fine figure. And this gun, finished so as to look 

 almost as well as the more costly ones, is sold at a 

 very reasonable price to close the invoice. Not only 

 new, but even second-hand guns of the first quality, 

 can rarely be obtained at very low prices ; the mate- 

 rial, the labor, and the manufacturer's name will sel- 

 dom warrant a considerable reduction. And not un- 

 frequently the second-hand guns made by Manton, 

 Purdy, and other prominent English makers will bring 

 at the present day their full value, and are sometimes 

 sold at advanced prices. 



