ELE VA TING- WHEEL. 42 3 



to use for Plover, but small shot never acts very well 

 from a large gun ; unless at night, when you may 

 steal very close to the birds, then No. 2 is best.* 

 For Swans and Geese, SSSG, is as heavy as need 

 be ; it will kill the former just as well as the latter. 

 Some fowlers use small bullets for Swans, but quite 

 needlessly ; they would, I suppose, think cannon balls 

 only fit for Ostriches, did they go shooting them. 

 For shoulder-guns, No. 5 will kill well enough for 

 anything, and not, like No. 4, be liable to scatter, 

 and so let a cripple's head (a very small mark in 

 the water) escape.* 



No duck-punt, small or large, is perfect without 

 Elevating Gear ; it is of great use in many ways. 

 If near the edge of a bank, and the mud intervenes 

 between the gun-muzzle and a company of fowl, 

 perhaps a few inches of rise may enable a sweeping 

 shot to be made. With an ebb tide, in this position 

 the chance of a shot would, as the punt slowly drops 

 lower, lessen every second, till the birds are beyond 

 all aim, whether flying or sitting. The wheel and rope 

 shown in drawing will enable the gun to be raised 

 at least seven inches, and now and then bring the 

 sight to bear on a fine shot which would otherwise 

 have been lost. If at any time you wish to raise the 

 forward wash-boards in a wave, one not sufficient 

 to bring the gun inboard, a few turns of the rope, so 

 as to raise the gun-barrel, and it is easily done. It 

 also enables the height of the lay of the gun to be 

 altered to suit its shooting. When this is found, a 

 small snick with a file will act as a guide for the 



* For further remarks on shot, number of pellets to the ounce, and 

 suitable sizes for various birds, see concluding chapter, page 481. 



