DUCK GUNS. 277 



At the same time an opportunity was taken to 

 prove the advantage of shot lying compact; viz. 

 after loading the double gun with a full charge of 

 powder, and placing within the muzzle a round of 

 pasteboard, I put thereon forty-five grains of No. 7 

 shot, shook them aU into one tier on the wadding, 

 and, after having laid on them another round of 

 pasteboard, carefully rammed down all together: 

 the result was, that, at thirty yards, twenty grains 

 were well distributed in a newspaper. 



