380 TELESCOPE-MAKERS 



have never seen a professional stalker take off a stitch 

 of wet clothinof until the rifle was safe over the fire- 

 place in the gun-room. 



As 1 have said before, all rifles should be returned 

 to the maker at the end of the season ; for no good 

 and well-known maker is anything but pleased to see 

 that his rifles get a fair chance of excelling in the 

 forest. The grooving requires to be carefully looked 

 to annually, so that no clogged oil may have done 

 harm to it. 



Next to the rifle, a telescope is the most important 

 adjunct to the deer-stalker, and without a really y^r^-^ 

 rate glass, the stalker will be altogether 'out of it.' It 

 is very exciting work, too, ' spying ' against a good 

 stalker, when the stakes are a sovereign for the first 

 ' royal ' or good stag spied ; so that it is a saving of 

 money ; but in order to effect this, he must possess a 

 better glass than most of the keepers, for the latter 

 can generally tell where the deer ought to be lying 

 after one glance at the wind. 



The very best glass I have ever had is one made 

 for night-work when yachting, by Messrs. Spencer 

 and Sons, 19, Grafton Street, Dublin ; a binocular. 

 Nothing could possibly be better; and I regret that so 

 many of my friends who have written to the firm have 

 had no reply to their letters, as I fear they must have 

 given up the business. Next to the above-named 

 makers are Messrs. Ross, of Bond Street, whose 

 glasses are so well known ; but I purchased a glass 

 from M.essrs. Negretti and Zambra, of Regent Street, 

 for ^6 which is equal in every respect, size of field, etc., 

 to the glass which Messrs. Ross charge ^9 for. The 

 ' Little Wonder ' is also a very useful, light glass. 



