THE COMPLETE GUN-ROOM 47 



field, because fingers frozen to the bone by cold and wet 

 cannot manipulate the instrument with the required nicety. 



The best of all extractors for the fowler is a simple device 

 invented by Mr. Stanley Duncan. It never fails, and can be 

 used without any tiresome, and, under the circumstances 

 I have indicated, often impossible adjustment. The thing is 

 simply a piece of solid lead about two inches long, and of the 

 thickness of an ordinary blue pencil. Dropped down the 

 barrel of the gun, it will remove the tightest case. Any 

 ironmonger or blacksmith could make one of these plugs in 

 a very short time, and all sportsmen who have tried them, 

 myself among the number, find them indispensable. 



A few other necessities of the gun-room may be men- 

 tioned, though they hardly come under the category of tools. 

 One of them is a compass, which is an absolute necessity both 

 for shore and punt-shooting. Many a man would have lost 

 his life upon the saltings or afloat without one. The best 

 variety I know of, and one which I always use, is that sold by 

 Messrs. Negretti and Zambra for half a guinea. It is in the 

 shape of a full hunter watch, and made of gun-metal. The 

 card is illuminated at night, and can be seen with perfect 

 plainness if the compass is opened for an hour or so in the 

 daytime to absorb the light which it gives off at night. 



No fowler can be without a pair of strong glasses, and 

 these should be as light as possible and with a wide field. I 

 have a pair that were made in Paris and only cost thirty 

 shillings. I did not buy them myself, and they have no 

 maker's name upon them. They are excellent though rather 

 heavy. Lately, however, I have been experimenting with 

 smaller makes and find Messrs. Negretti and Zambra's 

 " Minim " glasses good. They are small and light with clear 

 definitions. It would be interesting if some eminent opticians 

 like the above-mentioned firm, Messrs. Zeiss, or Goertz, 

 would produce a special "fowler's" glass. They would be 



