CHOICE OF GUN AND AMMUNITION. 23 



should contain small charges of mustard-seed shot, and 

 the remainder may be loaded with No. 8 and No. 4. 

 The kind of charge in each may be indicated by using 

 cartridges of different colors ; or, in the case of metal- 

 lic shells, by having the shot-wads of different colors, 

 or marked with a figure showing the No. of the con- 

 tained shot. Collectors who allow themselves to be- 

 come nervous or excited in view of rare birds some- 

 times get hold of the wrong cartridge ; but very little 

 thoughtfulness will render such a mishap unlikely to 

 occur. The collector cannot be too careful to have his 

 cartridges well made, and to always be sure to know 

 exactly what kind of a load is in each one of them. 

 The general rule in loading is bulk for bulk of powder 

 and shot, whatever the size of the latter. A medium or 

 rather coarse-grained powder is preferable for breech- 

 loaders. Use of Ely's or other good thick chemically 

 prepared wads tends to keep a gun from fouling. It 

 is almost needless to add that, whatever kind of a gun 

 be selected, the weapon must be kept clean, to insure 

 its greatest durability and efficiency. 



As birds inhabit all kinds of places, it is impossible 

 to tell the collector where to go to find them, unless he 

 be in search of particular species ; and the haunts of 

 these can only be known to him with the ripening of 

 his general experience in field-work. Such things 

 must be learned in actual practice. One about to form 

 a general collection of the birds of any particular vicin- 

 ity will do well to cover the whole ground, ransacking 

 successively every locality. As a general rule, well 

 watered and wooded places offer most of abundance 

 and variety in bird-life. Early morning and late even- 

 ing hours are the best for collecting. Each specimen, 



