344 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



ever, no one, we imagine, even among this class of fault-finders, 

 independent of the mere looks of the thing, could offer any- 

 particular objection to the protecting of his hands from the 

 rude contact of the piercing thorns and poisonous briers that 

 overrun our forests. 



Old, half-worn Kid Gloves, that fit snugl}'-, but do not bind 

 the hand, are the kind best adapted to this purpose; if the 

 covering on the dexter-finger should interfere with the delicacy 

 of touch so necessary for pulling the trigger, a portion of it 

 should be removed. It will also, be necessary oftentimes to 

 relieve the stricture of the other fingers by making incisions 

 lengthwise into the Gloves. 



GRASPING THE BARREL. 



Guns are now made so light, and withal so beautifully 

 balanced, that there no longer remains any necessity, when 

 presenting the piece, of stretching the left hand up the barrel 

 to the extreme point of the stock; but it should rather be 

 grasped close to the guard, so that the hand may be protected 

 as much as possible, in the event of its bursting, from some of 

 those untoward accidents that occasionally occur even in the 

 hands of the most skilful. This mode of holding the Gun was 

 adopted some few years back by English Sportsmen, on ac- 

 count of the frequency of such accidents, owing entirely to the 

 inferior manufacture of the barrels for small arms. The burst- 

 ing of barrels in England, however, at the present time, is a 

 very unusual occurrence, owing to the improvements in the 

 arts, or perhaps more to the enactments of Parliament regulat- 

 ing these things ; still, there are a great many worthless instru- 

 ments imported into this country from abroad, and are con- 

 stantly falling into the hands of every schoolboy, whose first 

 lesson, therefore, in the use of the Gun, should be the proper 

 mode of presenting it, as there is no doubt but the hand is far 

 more secure in this position than in any other. We have heard 

 of several Guns bursting during the last year or two, more par- 

 ticularly during the Eeed-bird season, and several of the parties 

 escaped without the slightest injury, owing to this manner of 

 holding the piece. If the hand, however, had been extended 



