OF ARROW-RELEASE. 189 



work, Plates 90 and 93 of Vol. n. show apparently a 

 Mediterranean release ; and were there no other reasons 

 for believing that these people practiced the tertiary re- 

 lease, it might be assumed that the Mediterranean release 

 was also practiced. The reasons are, first, that in every 

 case the arrow is pulled to the breast or even lower; 

 and, second, and of more importance, in every instance 

 when the archer is shown with the right hand toward the 

 observer, the arrow is below the bow-hand, whereas in 

 every case when the archer is shown with the left hand 

 towards the observer, the arrow is above the bow-hand. 

 The bow is represented vertically, as in all rude and early 

 figures ; but the artist, not being able to represent the bow 

 foreshortened and horizontal, has unconsciously indicated 

 the attitude of the tertiary release by preserving the atti- 

 tude of the bow in relation to the hand. 



We have seen that the Mediterranean release has two 

 forms, in one of which three fingers are brought into 

 action ; in the other only two fingers are so used. Eng- 

 lish authorities say that if one can accustom himself to 

 draw the bow with two fingers, a better release is the re- 

 sult. "While the difference between these two forms seems 

 slight, as indeed it is, yet the practice to-day among Eu- 

 ropean and American archers is to draw with three fin- 

 gers. It was evidently not so universally the form in 

 Europe a few centuries ago ; for at this time, judging 

 from the few examples we have seen, the archers are al- 

 most always depicted drawing with two fingers. It is 

 true, the directions in the works of these early times as 

 well as allusions to the subject state that three fingers on 

 the string is the proper method of release. Yet the few 

 sculptures, ivory carvings, etchings, manuscripts, draw- 

 ings, etc., to which we have had access, almost invariably 

 depict the two-fingered release. 



It would be interesting to know whether the bow has 



