154 ANCIENT AND MODERN METHODS 



pressed against the arrow, the release practiced by these 

 people must be the tertiary release. 



We have thus far considered three methods of release, 

 of which the thumb and bent forefinger appressed forms 

 the simplest and probably one of the earliest forms ; and 

 this we have called the primary release. The secondary 

 release differs only in the application of the tips of the 

 second finger, or second and third fingers, to the stringy 

 and must be regarded as a development of the primary 

 release, though forming a distinct method. The third re- 

 lease differs in the position of the forefinger, which, instead 

 of being bent and pressed against the arrow, is nearly 

 straight, its tip, as well as the tips of the second and some- 

 times that of the third finger, engaging the string. This 

 constitutes the tertiary release. 



We come now to consider a release which by document- 

 ary evidence has been in vogue among the northern Med- 

 iterranean nations for centuries, and among the southern 

 Mediterranean nations for tens of centuries. It is the 

 oldest release of which we have any knowledge. It is 

 practiced to-day by all modern English, French, and 

 American archers, and is the release practiced by Euro- 

 pean archers of the Middle Ages. This release consists in 

 drawing the string back with the tips of the first, second, 

 and third fingers, the balls of the fingers clinging to the 

 string, with the terminal joints of thefingers slightly flexed. 

 The arrow is lightly held between the first and second 

 fingers, the thumb straight and inactive. 



Since this release has been practiced by the Mediterra- 

 nean nations from early historic times, it may with pro- 

 priety be called the Mediterranean release. The following 

 figures (Figs. 8 and 9) illustrate this form of release. 



In the practice of this release, the attrition of the string 

 on the fingers is so severe that a leather glove or leather 



