i;6 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



Naturally at such a critical season of the year the farmer 

 endeavours to slay and terrorize the marauders; then, 

 what with the popping of blank powder charges, the 

 springing of rattles, or clapping of clappers, and the 

 yelling and ceaseless perambulations of juvenile bird- 

 scarers, the countryside is roused most effectually, with 

 the result that game is scared equally as though an 

 occasional field-day with one or two guns had been 

 organized for the destruction of the wood-pigeons. But 

 this is not all ; to make matters worse, the shooting 

 undertaken against the wood-pigeons in spring and 

 summer is invariably effected with 12-bore guns and full 

 charges of both powder and shot. By such method the 

 quietude of the game-covert is often ruthlessly disturbed. 

 This, however, need not be. In the 12-bore with ordinary 

 cartridges we have too much gun and too much powder 

 for this summer shooting, and the desired result can 

 quite well be brought about if some considerable 

 economy in both noise and powder is effected. One of 

 the most pleasing and truly effective miniature fire-arms 

 to use for such shooting as is permissible during spring 

 and summer is, I find, a *4io-bore shot-gun. Such gun, 

 probably, with its load consisting of but a pinch each 

 of powder and of shot, may be looked upon by those 

 ignorant of its true properties as being little more than 

 a mere toy. Not so those who have shot with guns of 

 this size, properly bored and constructed, for they are 

 fully alive to the fact that any amount of quiet sport 

 may be had with these small arms when the need exists 

 for thinning out the wood-pigeons or rabbits between 

 the shooting seasons. Loaded with some suitable nitro 

 powder, they make very little noise, and with No. 5 or 

 No. 6 shot will stop pigeon or rabbit at 25 to 30 yards. 



