SKILL IN TARGET-SHOOTING. 499 



r- \; H= ', M- > whose logarithm is 0-04096, 



/ 30103 

 that of 2 being +0-30103: so that a=% v 409 6 



f. f. in. ... f- in. 



= 1-355 = J '4 i; wmcn > doubled, gives 2-8 for 

 the diameter of a target which he might make an even 

 bet to hit at the first shot. And according to the values 

 of this constant, so determined in the case of each 

 several competitor, ought their names to be arranged in 

 a prize-list, the smaller values ranking higher than the 

 larger. 



(4.) If the object of the competition be merely to 

 arrange the competitors correctly in order of skill at 

 the moment, without deducing for each any definite and 

 normal numerical result expressive of his absolute skill, 

 and comparable with others derived from practice with 

 targets of other dimensions, and at other distances ; it is 

 evident that the trouble of any such computation as the 

 above may be spared, since the same precise order must 

 necessarily result from merely tabulating the total num- 

 ber of hits of each competitor (practising with an equal 

 number of arrows, and at one and the same distances). 

 Were the number of shots allowed to each immensely 

 large, the same order of merit and the same set of values 

 of the constant a would result from a record of the hits 

 within the total area of each of the several circles marked 

 out by the outer circumferences of the gold, red, blue, 

 black, and white colours. The only use of these rings 

 is to give opportunity for a variety of prizes, and that 

 piquancy and interest to the result of a day's shooting 



