INTRODUCTION 5 



birds and animals up to 20 yards, and for others at proportionate 

 distances. For such little things as sunbirds, and for snakes, 

 lizards, or for point-blank shots, we carried auxiliary barrels, about 

 9 inches long, that can be slipped in and out of the gun like an 

 ordinary cartridge, and which fired an extra long .32 calibre 

 brass cartridge loaded with a pinch of dust shot (No. XIII). 

 These were invaluable for obtaining the smaller specimens without 

 smashing, and had a killing range of about 12 yards. 



There is no more perfect weapon for the collecting naturalist 

 than the three-barrelled guns that we used — shot barrels fully 

 choked, and the third, placed beneath the others, rifled for long 

 .380 cartridges. With one of these, the auxiliary barrel, and a 

 proper selection of cartridges, one is ready for anything that 

 may turn up other than the larger " big game," for the equip- 

 ment is so portable that there is no temptation ever to leave 

 part of it behind. 



The only drawback to such an outfit lies in the time lost in 

 selecting a suitable cartridge for each shot, but the perfect 

 specimens obtained by this method are ample compensation for 

 the extra trouble involved. Even in this way accidents sometimes 

 happen however, as when on one occasion, while walking through 

 some grass, a tiny button-quail sprang up, and was knocked over 

 at close range with what was thought to be a small charge of No. 

 XI shot. The specimen was not found at once, but as it was the 

 first of the kind obtained (and has since proved to be of a new 

 species), the search was persisted in until after a quarter of an 

 hour a little purple pulp attached to a wing was discovered. The 

 collector had forgotten which barrel contained the smaller cart- 

 ridge, and, pulling the wrong trigger, had fired a full charge of 

 No. VIII from about that distance in yards, at a wretched little 

 bird about the size of a sparrow ! 



To fire at flying birds in the jungle is both wasteful and un- 

 profitable, for while a bird is only to be seen for a moment as it 

 flashes between the branches, even if hit, it infallibly becomes lost 

 in the dense luxuriance of vegetation. The chances in the 

 favour of the quarry are, however, largely increased by a careful 



