PUNT-GUNS. 391 



out spray or rust. Plugging the muzzle with oakum 

 is dangerous, very. You might not see or think of 

 it in the excitement of making a shot, when left in 

 by mistake. Have the plug (three inches long) 

 turned to fit the bore fairly tight, and tapering a 

 little towards its head. Above all leave a rim 

 overlapping at least an inch, then no accident can 

 happen unless your eyes are shut when firing, in 

 which case you may open them to find the barrel 

 some yard or so shorter than before the shot. The 

 simplest way to make a sight for night-shooting is 

 to fix a large round dark leather button to a small 

 strap, and then buckle the latter tight round the 

 barrel near the muzzle when required for use. But 

 remember, that on even tolerably clear nights the 

 best of eyes may easily be deceived as to what are 

 and what are not birds. I once set up to, and 

 after some consideration fired at, a large number 

 of Wigeon, with a cloud hanging over the moon, 

 for I was anxious, it being the last day of the 

 season, not to throw the chance away. As I was 

 picking up the result of my shot, another, and, 

 what is more, an experienced fowler, pulled up 

 in his punt and said : " I have been following 

 your craft for the last ten minutes, finger on 

 trigger, waiting till the moon showed a little 

 plainer ere firing, being quite positive your punt 

 was a bunch of fowl drifting from me, more 

 especially as I could hear the birds you fired at 

 calling before me also." 



If you determine on a breech-loading punt-gun, 

 there are every description of such to be had, vary- 

 ing in price from ^20 to ,100, and in weight from 



