TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



ANTIQUITY and origin of Field Sports. Wanting among the Israelites. In As- 

 syria ; in Persia ; Royal Parks, or Paradises ; in Greece ; among the Ro- 

 mans ; the descent of the Norse races ; the chase a northern passion ; un- 

 congenial to the Latin nations ; universal among people of Norse origin ; 

 not notable in provincial Britain ; imported by the early Saxons ; ancient 

 statutes ; increased after the Norman conquest ; cruel game and forest laws ; 

 their relaxation ; continuance of the taste among the English gentry ; its 

 effect on their character; New York prejudices; modification of these; un- 

 manliness of young men ; public attention called to the want of relaxation ; 

 true sense of the word re-creation ; present need of re-creation ; influence 

 of field sports in soldiership ; Balaklava and the trenches ; a contrast ; a 

 recommendation ; what I promise to my readers . . . pp. 17-33 



THE GUN, AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT. 



Shooting with gun or rifle the first of American Field Sports. Hunting, proper, 

 little practised ; severity of northern winters ; the Washington and Mon- 

 treal fox-hounds ; fox-hunting in Maryland and Virginia ; deer-hunting in 

 the Carolinas and Georgia; bear-hunting in Mississippi and Arkansas; 

 coursing deer in the prairie States ; forest game not hunted, but stalked or 

 driven ; stable-stand and dog-draw ; ancient British and modern American 

 hunting nearly identical; the cross-bow; shooting, the first qualification 

 of the American sportsman ; dog management ; wood-craft ; the crack shot ; 

 false sportsmen ; the fowling-piece ; the percussion gun ; the old flint and 

 steel ; their comparative advantages ; flint and steel everywhere exploded; 

 even in armies ; the double gun ; the perfection of shooting ; the single gun ; 

 the latter good for beginners ; its weight ; its comparative effect ; its con- 

 tinued service. The gun must be intrinsically good ; must especially suit 

 its owner. Why one gun suits, and another not ; how to try if a gun suits 

 or no. The trigger-pull ; how to ascertain its force ; the light pull ; the 

 heavy pull ; the true power ; cause of missed shots. The actual quality of 

 guns ; difficult to ascertain ; metal of which made ; the common cheap gun ; 

 how to procure a good gun ; how a bad one ; the flashy, cheap, sham gun ; 

 how a good judge judges; forged names of gunmakers ; Birmingham, Ger- 

 man, Belgian rubbish ; best quality of barrels ; various opinions on ; my 

 own taste ; why ; London makers ; provincial do. ; wholesale do. ; Ameri- 

 can do. ; which the best ; why so ; comparative price of the best guns of 

 each ; recommendations, according to value. Double-barrels ; revolving 

 shot-guns; breech-loading do.; Lang's patent gun; Perry's patent do.; 



