MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. 345 



along the whole length of the stock, as formerly was the prac- 

 tice, we are satisfied, from actual examination of the shattered 

 weapons, two or three of them would have lost nearly the 

 whole hand ; and some of theni, perhaps, have died of tetanus, 

 brought on by the severity of their wounds. 



This plan of holding the Gun cannot be so easily adopted by 

 Duck Shooters, as the length and weight of the barrels preclude 

 the feasibility of rightly balancing the piece with the proper 

 degree of steadiness without extending the hand further along 

 the barrel than the point of the guard. 



This is rather unfortunate, as we know of no kind of shoot- 

 ing in our country that is attended with so many distressing 

 accidents as the pursuit of Wild Fowl ; and the most of these 

 casualties arise from this one circumstance — the bursting of the 

 barrels, owing to heavy charging. We would therefore caution 

 our friends against the use of a common Duck-gun, and would 

 also advise them to be particular in loading, as well as keeping 

 their person out of the bursting range of a suspicious weapon 

 in the hands of some one of their more reckless companions, 

 who perhaps prides himself on being knocked over at every 

 discharge of his piece. If the Gun is not already too heavy for 

 comfort, it may be rendered more manageable by loading the 

 butt with metal, so as to make it balance in the hands with 

 more ease. 



COCKING THE GUN. 



In most kinds of shooting, we are in favor of carrying the 

 Gun cocked in preference to half-cock, for the following reasons: 

 In Partridge-shooting, as before stated, the most of our hunting 

 is done in the thick coverts, and when the Birds are scattered 

 about it is impossible to tell where or when they will get up, as 

 the Dog is lost to view one-half of his time, and the first inti- 

 mation we have of his position, although within a few rods of 

 us, is the whirring of a Bird from under our very nose, and of 

 which we only catch a glimpse in the distance as it rushes 

 through the thick foliage or hanging vines. This opportune 

 moment must be instantly caught at by the Sportsman, or the 

 game escapes ; and we are convinced that no one, no matter 



